Lawsuit Challenges Southwest’s Free Ticket Program for Hispanic Students

A group founded by a prominent anti-affirmative action activist on Monday sued Southwest Airlines, alleging that a two-decade-old program that awards free round-trip flights to Hispanic undergraduate and graduate students is racially discriminatory.

Edward Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Dallas alleged that the airline’s program violated federal civil rights laws by excluding non-Hispanic students from eligibility for free tickets.

His group alleged that as a result, two Asian and white students who were members of his nonprofit were barred from applying to the program. {snip}

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Monday’s lawsuit centers on Southwest’s ¡Lánzate! Travel Award Program, which launched in 2004 and is operated in partnership with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

To be eligible for four round-trip tickets, an undergraduate or graduate student must live at least 200 miles from their home and be Hispanic. Southwest says the program has helped more than 1,500 students.

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