Good news for wine lovers! Southwest Airlines has just announced it is beginning service in Santa Rosa at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS). To celebrate its expansion into wine country, Southwest has introduced a new “Sip & Ship” program, which will allow customers to check one case of wine at no cost from select West Coast locations starting later this month.
Southwest’s new Sip & Ship program lets customers bring home everyone’s favorite wine country souvenir—vino! Each customer aged 21 or older can check one (1) case of wine at no additional charge, provided it is in its original, unopened container with the manufacturer’s label and is securely packaged in a leak-proof bag with adequate professional packaging designed to fit the bottle and prevent breakage.
A “case” is defined as a single box or specialized wine suitcase containing up to twelve (12) bottles and weighing no more than fifty (50) pounds. Customers must also follow the standard checked baggage size limit of 62 inches (length + width + height).
Of course, Southwest notes that it “does not accept liability for breakage of liquids or fragile items in checked luggage, even if transported in special packaging purchased from Southwest.” So make sure you pack it properly. Whenever I’ve shipped bottles in the past, I’ve used a Wine Skin pouch, which acts like an airbag for bottles. This helps prevent breakage and, more importantly, leakage all over your clothes.
Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way when I brought back a bottle of wine from a winery in Italy or France—I can’t remember which, since it was two or three decades ago. What I do remember is that the bottle of red wine broke and ruined most of my clothes.
Won’t be making that mistake again.
For reference, Santa Rosa sits in the heart of Sonoma County, and Southwest’s new nonstop service will connect the airport with San Diego, Las Vegas, Denver, and Burbank. The San Diego and Las Vegas routes are already operating daily, including two San Diego roundtrips on peak days. Burbank will initially operate five days a week, and Denver service will operate on Saturdays.
Andrew Watterson, Chief Operating Officer at Southwest Airlines, said in a press release: “By adding service to Sonoma County Airport and launching Sip & Ship, we’re offering our customers even more convenience and an opportunity to continue sipping and savoring their time in wine country.”
Related: How to Pack a Bottle of Wine Safely When You Fly
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