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New Schedules Available!

Bill
Employee
Employee

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  Since everyone's "March Madness" brackets are in tatters by now, we thought we'd give you something schedule-related to chat about.  Today, we put our flight schedule out for sale from August 14th, 2010, all the way out through October 30th, boosting our days of available inventory up to 227.  Labor day?  Now available!  College football game weekend trips?  Now available!  Trips to the Great State Fair of Texas in Dallas?  Yep--now available!

This is another big schedule change for Southwest.  We're deleting 83 roundtrip flights while adding 25 roundtrips, or a net decrease of 116 flights from the network.  Still, only eight entire nonstop markets are being discontinued, while one new one is being added.  The banner headline about this new schedule would be "Seasonality"--we're using our flight schedule optimizer more and more with every new schedule to respond to normal seasonal shifts in traffic.  We're not just adjusting frequencies, but adding and deleting entire markets as needed.  For example, five of the eight discontinued nonstop markets in the previous schedule are expected to return--service between Baltimore/Washington and both Seattle and Los Angeles, and between Seattle and St. Louis will probably return next summer, and nonstop Milwaukee-Tampa Bay and Kansas City-Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood will most likely come back for the winter schedule (and in the meantime, we'll still be able to get you between those points via direct and connecting service!).  You can also definitely see that we're responding to seasonal spikes and dips by looking at total departure counts at our big Stations.  Orlando's weekday departure count will decrease by 15 flights, and Tampa Bay's will decline by 11, as will Baltimore/Washington's.  These reductions are, essentially, just trimming flights that we had previously added for the high-demand Summer travel season.

The other big headline in this schedule is that we're going to restructure our Washington/Dulles service.  It's been a small, boutique operation since we opened it about three years ago. We are making some changes based on current Customer demand, and we're going to refocus our service there to strengthen connectivity to the Midwest and Western parts of our network.  We're eliminating our nonstops between Dulles and both Orlando and Tampa Bay, and will re-direct our Dulles-Las Vegas nonstop to a second Dulles-Denver nonstop (and note--we'll still offer direct, no-change-of-plane service between Dulles and Vegas!).  This will take us from 11 daily departures to eight at Dulles.  (see pdf file attachment below.)   

As always, of course, Network Planning (formerly known as Schedule Planning) taketh away, but Network Planning giveth as well.  We're continuing our growth at Denver by adding 11 more flights--two more flights between Denver and Los Angeles and one added roundtrip each between Denver and Detroit, Indianapolis, La$ Vega$, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phoenix, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tucson, and the already-discussed second roundtrip to Washington/Dulles--bringing us to a total of 144 daily departures.  It's hard to believe but by August, Denver will be our fifth-largest Station, eclipsing our very first two airports, Dallas Love Field and Houston Hobby.  Orange County also will see the return of nonstop LUV to and from Chicago/Midway.  We're still growing Boston/Logan, adding three more nonstops to Philadelphia and another to Baltimore/Washington, bringing us to a total of 25 daily departures from Beantown.  I call that wicked awesome!

In a schedule-related note, you hopefully have noticed the beautiful redesign of our website, southwest.com.  Want to know when we're extending the schedule next, and by how far?  The info is always available to you on southwest.com--it's just moved a bit!  All you have to do is click on "Travel Tools" under "Customer Service" at the bottom of the homepage,  and you'll see upcoming schedule releases under the "Feel Free To Wing It" section.

Happy booking, and enjoy your travels, everyone!

 

48 Comments
Anonymous1602
Explorer C
southwest website only allows bookings up until August 14. Trying to book Orlando for October but dates are not available.
jtighe
Explorer C
Your PDF file is missing a change in Cleveland.. You dropped the CLE to MCO Sat. Non Stop..
Anonymous210
Explorer C
"We're continuing our growth at Denver by adding 11 more flights--one added roundtrip each between Denver and Detroit, Indianapolis, La$ Vega$, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phoenix, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tucson, and the already-discussed second roundtrip to Washington/Dulles--bringing us to a total of 144 daily departures." The PDF also notes 2 additional LAX-DEN flights. FYI.
blusk
Aviator C
anonymous @ 11:40. Great eagle eye; Bill caught that and the post has been updated.
David13
Explorer C
The all-cities schedule still has the same problem I've mentioned before: Every other page is blank! Is this ever going to be fixed?
Robert_S
Explorer B
Bill, thanks as always for your story behind the schedule changes and the detailed PDF. In addition to the Washington/Dulles restructuring, it looks like Orange County has also become a little more network oriented, with reductions in intra-California funding increases to the much more connection capable PHX, LAS, and MDW. Is this also an increased focus on network connectivity given the slot constraints at Orange County? A correction--"We're deleting 83 roundtrip flights while adding 25 roundtrips, or a net decrease of 116 flights from the network." Should be a net decrease of 58 flights... right?
Anonymous2262
Explorer C
I'm guessing by the new schedules that the Austin to Philadelphia non stop has been dropped?
Bill
Employee
Employee
David, First I've heard of this--have you reported it before? And I'm assuming you're talking about southwest.com, correct?
Anonymous1998
Explorer C
When will WN add a MKE-DEN flight? F9,FL,YX and UA have flights Non Stop to DEN!
swafan08
Explorer A
what does washington dulles restructuring mean does that mean they are getting new flights?
scottnearsmf
Adventurer B
83 roundtrip flights is 166 flights. So it's correct. We'll IAD EVER be expanded? Are you waiting for the additional runway/terminal? Or are the loads at IAD so poor they don't deserve expansion. What's the story at IAD?
jms
Explorer C
I'm very sorry to see that your non-stop service between Dulles (IAD) and Orlando (MCO) was eliminated. I used those flights weekly pretty much ever since you operated them. What was the reason for elimating them? They seemed to be full most times I flew on them, granted I typically flew on Thursday/Friday and Sunday.
juls
Explorer C
Bill, will they use my new hand made, custom, titanium wheelchair (over 5,000-), as their cart for baggage, strollers and golf clubs at these new locations? BTW that was after they threw it from the cargo area to the ground. My husband was waiting at the window (gate) and saw it, as well as a SWEST Pilot. Many pics made. See the one here. SWEST has the invoice for the chair.. what is the hold up? I always tell ppl to fly SW. We will see... Julie
blusk
Aviator C
Juls, I am sorry for the problems with your wheelchair. (Incidentally, the blog doesn't have the capabiliity to post photos in comments) You haven't given us any way to identify you, II was going to forward your comment to Customer Relations but you didn't leave us an e-mail address. If you will reply and include a valid e-mail we can forward your thoughts to the appropriate people. Brian
David13
Explorer C
Bill, I reported the every-other-page-blank PDF for the system-wide timetable to WN's customer service via the contact page a few months ago. I also believe I posted it on Nuts a few weeks before that. I want to say that posting was about the time the LGA service went live. The blank pages are only in the system-wide timetable, not the city timetables.
Jason28
Explorer C
Wouldn't expanding IAD have some consequences on BWI under the current setup? As much as it's a pain to get to either from inside the Beltway, there are many people in Virginia who would benefit from more IAD flights. (Out of full disclosure, I'm inside the Beltway and am very loyal to BWI and Southwest and would groan if a bunch of BWI's flights were moved to IAD).
jms
Explorer C
I'm interested to hear of any future plans for IAD routes. For example, with the direct fights to MCO and TPA resume in the Winter months? Was the reason for the change light loads, or just a change is direction to focus on the Chicago and Denver, or both? Thanks!
Anonymous1129
Explorer C
Is there any talk of adding more non-stop service to Pittsburgh anytime soon?
Anonymous1129
Explorer C
Is there any talk of adding more non-stop service to Pittsburgh anytime soon?
Bill
Employee
Employee
David, Let me check with the .com guys to see. Updates here on this blog as soon as I hear anything! Bill
Anonymous2886
Explorer C
It's a shame to see the additional cutbacks in your FLL-MCO service. I fly it regularly and the flights always seem full, but I guess you really don't want to be bothered with the quick-hop intra-Florida business anymore and would rather just do the $$$ long hauls. Hopefully Florida will finally build the bullet train from MIami to Orlando, as it's going to be difficult structuring my business travel around your four flights a day. I think CO still flies FLL-MCO, though it is with 19 pax turboprops; not the most comfortable plane in the world but I may have to suck it up if the schedules are better and more frequent.
Craig10
Explorer C
Bill, Thank you for the information about the new schedules. As a traveler out of Dulles, I am extremely disappointed that you are eliminating Orlando, Vegas, and Tampa. How are these cities not profitable? The other airlines I will now have to fly charge for seats, bags, drinks, etc. which I will now have to pay. If you increased the ticket price,to these cities, I and other travelers from this area would be willing to pay, because we would be paying what the other airlines are charging us for everything else.Have you been to the DC area? We who live in VA and DC do not want to take 2-3 hours to drive to BWI, pay for parking, possibly lodging when we have to fly to a business meeting or for pleasure. By the time I add the cost of gas, lodging, parking,, food, I'll pay the additional ticket price any day. Have you thought about those factors? In fact, I only hear and see Southwest ads to cities from BWI and not IAD. Why don't you advertise service from Dulles? I just don't understand, so please help with a response. Hopefully, this is a short term decision and I will see more flights from Southwest out of IAD. In the meantime, what airline do you recommend I fly out of IAD to Orlando and Tampa? Non-stop Vegas, I only have one choice, United. And you can't raise the Vegas ticket price competing with United? Thank you for going to Denver, Just like flying out of Dulles on Southwest! Thank you for your time!
Annette3
Explorer C
Not happy with the decreased service out of ISP, especially late on Sundays. I like to leave later in the afternoon on Sunday to return home to MCI. And now I can't do that! Last flight leaves 1:45pm. Very disappointed.
Anonymous210
Explorer C
@Anonymous — Tue, 03/23/2010 - 15:43 When will WN add a MKE-DEN flight? F9,FL,YX and UA have flights Non Stop to DEN! +++++ Maybe that's why WN doesn't serve it. It seems pretty well served. @Robert S — Tue, 03/23/2010 - 12:50 A correction--"We're deleting 83 roundtrip flights while adding 25 roundtrips, or a net decrease of 116 flights from the network." Should be a net decrease of 58 flights... right? +++++ That confused me at first too, until I realized it was ROUNDTRIPS. 83 roundtrips (166 segments) are being deleted while 25 roundtrips (50 segments) are being added. So -166+50 = -116 segments (flights)
holbrook22
Explorer C
It appears that Southwest is continuing to change its business model. From being a point to point airline to a semi-hub and spoke system centered around major city airports. Significant schedule cut backs and inconvenient flight times at its original customer base airports have caused some very loyal customers to have to look at other airline's flights. One has the feeling of being abandoned after supporting Southwest Airlines for so many years.
Anonymous4455
Explorer C
I use the dulles to tampa nonstop flight several times a month for the last 3 years, and for the last year, since they dropped from (2) daily non stops to (1) daily non stop the flights have been packed every time , So I dont understand why they want to drop that flight, it has to make money ???? I always thought southwest should try to increase there dulles operation instead of cutting needed nonstop flights to florida.
Anonymous2937
Explorer C
I am very disapointed with the elimination of non stop flights from dulles to tampa and orlando. I have been a loyal customer for 4 years. The flights from tampa to dulles and back are always full, so why eliminate an always full flight? The issue must be with dulles airport and maybe a battle with the competing airlines, one thing is for sure , the other airline (united ) will be a hard ticket to get, with their increased ridership of all the old southwest passengers.
Nashville4
Explorer C
American adds one flight to Miami as SW drops one to Fort Lauderdale. Way to step up for Nashville American! Just another alternative to the crappy cattle call. Southwest needs to stop throwing all their eggs in money losing Denver and grow in the southeast and move forward with their code-shares if you want to be relevant. Without that and your continued shift from almost 87 flights a day to 60 something in Nashville including almost 10 flights axed this time around you are becoming WORTHLESS. You've even moved your marketing employees out according to your website employee stats. Talk about a faltering commitment. We've lost way more flights and cities than we've gained in the last 8 years and you've never really brought Nashville to it's full potential or really tried to take major chances like BWI, MCO, and TPA. Grow some balls and go Atlanta, Charlotte, Memphis, CVG, and Columbia or get out. St. Louis, watch out, you're about to be in the exact same boat as us and as you can see SW is already backing out of Seattle before the service even starts. Don't count on them to replace what you've lost and grow long term because they are just opportunist favorite pickers who will never really finish the job and become a real airline. Nashville would be terrific if they would leave and someone else fill the void. I'd rather have the remaining carriers add more flights and upgrade plane sizes to their hubs and perhaps have AirTran, Delta, or Frontier add routes back into Florida in SW's absence than watch their presence rot to mediocre and stay just big enough to keep anyone else out. We keep growing and you keep shrinking. What gives? Because it isn't the market as we have all the right things. If DL in Memphis can work than you could do a lot more here.
A_Customer_of_B
Adventurer C
"Network Planning"? Way to become an arrogant hub and spoke carrier with the smallest network, least in-flight amenities(charge for or not), and only airline not to have international connections(note WestJet is canning you for SkyTeam) in the United States. Soooo....UNIMPRESSIVE! And with all of this new seasonal flying are you trying to usurp the legacies or Sun Country(even they have service to London coming with a 737....why didn't SW think about that?!?!?!?!). I used to be excited about this airline but now you're just low fares, low frills, low network, low everything and seem to have no motivation to do anything about except continue down the path of becoming Denver's new hometown regional airline. Every new schedule is delays on anything new, new downgrading from year round to seasonal service, and new routes from Denver and I'm bored with it and apparently so is WestJet.
Anonymous1134
Explorer C
Thanks SW for NOTHING! It’s hard to believe you are cutting the non-stop flights from IAD to MCO. I can't speak for everyone, but who wants to fly several hours in the wrong direction and changes planes. I guess I'll be paying higher prices with all of your former customers; to have non-stop with other providers.
Anonymous2937
Explorer C
the flights from tampa to dulles are packed full every time, when we get to dulles 98% of passengers get off there, then there are about 20 people waiting in the lobby to get on the plane and proceed to chicago. So the new schedule would have that packed plane go from tampa to chicago, then unload everyone and their baggage, then wait for a 1 hour layover, then everyone would get back onto a plane and goto dulles? How does this make sense? no one will want to do that. So southwest is taking what is a full flight every time and replacing it with a flight that will probably have about 20 people on it tto goto chicago, because all those passengers that were going from tampa to dulles is not going to do the new routine. any way you look at it, it dosnt make sense, so some other tyoe of reasoning is behind this decision.
rebleb
Explorer C
Bill-I just discovered these changes when I went to check schedules for travel between Dulles and either Orlando or Tampa for November-what a disappointment! We've used those non-stop routes exclusively to travel to Florida for holidays with our FLA families, and for our Disney trips-I can't imagine why you guys cancelled them. Every flight we took for the last three years, mid week to weekend was either fully booked or oversold. If you don't live in the DC area you may not be aware how long the commute to BWI is, from most of the DC metro area...this is such bad news. For families with children, especially with disabled children direct flights aren't a luxury, they are a neccesity...I really hope you guys reconsider, this is a hugh disservice to the DC area and won't be made up with some of the routes you've substituted in their place.
Kara1
Explorer C
I'm blown away that Southwest would discontinue nonstop service between Dulles and Orlando. Whose ridiculous idea was that? For people like me who live relatively close to Dulles, driving an hour and a half in crazy traffic with 2 babies so I can fly nonstop from BWI just isn't worth it. And I'm sure as heck not flying to Chicago and spending 7 hours traveling to get from Washington to Florida. I've been a loyal Southwest flyer for years, now I guess I'll be flying nonstop on Airtran instead. Bad idea Southwest, you're going to lose a lot of business. Talk to people that actually live in this area and you'd realize that BWI ain't just around the corner for us Washingtonians.
JFP
Explorer C
We too are extremely disappointed about the loss of non-stop service between Dulles and Orlando. We've been flying this route since it first started - even casually, we've flown it about 25 times as a family in the past 3 years. The flights are always full both coming and going and it has been on every day of the week imaginable. For those of us who live in Virginia, Southwest out of Dulles had been a godsend. Convenient, friendly, reliable, and affordable. There's no way we'd be flying to Chicago to get to Orlando, and the time and risk factor of attempting to get to Baltimore just doesn't work. I really hope that they can reconsider this one. I'd hate to give up on Southwest. As a former business traveler who flew United, American, and Midwest nearly at least 500 times over the years, I'd take Southwest any day of the week to get me there. It's really a shame.
lisa_Bell
Explorer C
We sure are upset about the elimination of NON-STOP FLIGHTS FROM WASHINGTON DULLES TO ORLANDO. Southwest Airlines will lose our business over that route change. We fly regularly from DC to Orlando and flights are always full it seems, so we were surprised to see the non-stop flights eliminated to Orlando. Again, it is a great disappointment to us as we were happy customers. Now, we will have to use JetBlue or another competitive carrier. Pointless to fly on Southwest now as we would have to fly from DC to Chicago - and then change planes to Orlando. No way to that route change!
elizabeth_price
Explorer C
I just went to begin planning a family trip to MCO from IAD and discover my surprise at not seeing a nonstop flight... it took time searching the web to find this information (though after reading Bill's message I know where it is -- your site search didn't even find it for me). We have used Southwest faithfully for years now to trave to FL for our family vacations and are greatly dissappointed to see the nonstop service stop. I know we have other options (AirTran, JetBlue, United, etc.) but I really enjoyed the service and I enjoyed supporting an airline who wasn't nickel and diming their customers. I wonder how much more response in a negative light this would get if this had been publicized more? I guess I will have to start looking for another airline to use for our upcoming trip this fall. I am sad to not be planning it on Southwest.
Kelli_in_VA
Explorer C
I am baffled as to why Southwest would discontinue non-stop service from Washingon/Dulles to Orlando and Tampa. What a shame! Families especially have no desire to make extra stops along the way with children in tow. And why would you decrease flights overall out of Dulles? Are you aware that Loudoun County is one of the fastest growing (and wealthiest) counties in the United States? Your loss, Southwest.
elizabeth_price
Explorer C
Just went to try and plan an impromptu trip because of the sale to Orlando from Dulles and was surprised to find no direct flights. After much searching I found this message from Bill and am very disappointed to read about the change in IAD to MCO flights... my family will now to need to look elsewhere for our trips to Orlando. The reduction in flights overall from Washington Dulles means that Southwest -- whom we've grown to love flying cannot be our first choice of airlines anymore. Guess we will need to look at AirTran and Jet Blue in the future. Sorry Southwest.
Anonymous3086
Explorer C
Happy Tuesday??? Not for us! Southwest is losing a family of customers by dropping service between Dulles and Tampa. We used the service about 20 plus times a year. The flights were generally full, so really don't understand the decision. Connecting through Chicago is not an option. We are all very disappointed and hope Southwest will reconcider...... We used to check southwest first no matter where we were headed because we used them so often to go to florida, now another airlines will be taking your place.
Anonymous512
Explorer C
We are extremely surprised that non-stop service during the fall and winter from TPA to IAD will be discontinued. Our flights in the past have always been full and have been so easy for us to visit family in VA as well as, in my husband's case, travel for business. For example, my husband has a meeting at a Hyatt Hotel at Dulles in early September and is flying UNITED now because it is rediculous that he has to go through Baltimore and spend 6-8 hours in transit! on SWA. WE HOPE YOU WILL RETHINK THIS!
Anonymous_in_VA
Explorer C
Count me with the long list of folks unhappy about discontinuing non-stop service to Tampa. The flight is always close to fully booked when we are flying. I can't imagine how this could be a good business decision. We fly this flight several times a year at least. We will now be considering another airline as Baltimore can be 3 hrs from Dulles in heavy DC area traffic. Flying through Chicago-Midway and tripling the travel time is also not an option. Please bring this back - stat!
Annetta
Explorer C
Guess I'll have to use Jet Blue and Air Tran from now on to get flights from MCO to IAD and back. Too bad I had learned to love Southwest, but I'm not taking 6 to 8 hours to make that flight when it should only take about 2. Bring back at least one direct flight each way per day and you'll get me back. Otherwise bye, bye.
Anonymous717
Explorer C
Just read up on the changes to the flight schedules and I'm shocked you won't be offering direct RT flights to ORLANDO from DULLES considering so many people have used the service for both business and pleasure over the past few years. I flew these routes atleast 3x per year and they were always full flights. I, for one, was once torn between Southwest and JetBlue for these flights and now the choice has been made for me.
Anonymous4566
Explorer C
Shocked and disappointed to find out that non-stop from IAD to MCO and TPA no longer exist. We have used that route for the past 3 years over and over for personal and business. Even have a SW Visa, 3 RTs saved up for no good reason now. BWI is too far for VA passengers to drive.
Anonymous4036
Explorer C
I'm not happy. By cutting the Tampa/Dulles flight, you have just lost these two customers. One of us is disabled and a 5 or 6 hour flight to Dulles from Florida with a detour in Chicago is a brutally long, unnecessary length of time. What's more, our destination in Virginia is west of Dulles, so Baltimore is not an option. I was ecstatic when you added Dulles from Tampa. You built a loyal customer base, and then destroyed it. Bad business decision. You have alienated a group of very loyal customers. If I have to take another airline for my regular trips to Dulles, I will go ahead and use another airline for all my other trips as well - and that includes Denver. Goodbye Southwest.
annoyedymous
Explorer C
Thanks a lot for deleting the IAD to MCO direct flights, and thanks for not letting me purchase tickets for my wife on my rapid rewards membership, either, so what exactly is the rapid rewards for anyway? IT SHOULD NOT TAKE A TRIP TO CHICAGO, AND AN ENTIRE BUSINESS DAY TO TRAVEL TO IAD from MCO or TPA... Southwest also does not seem to understand the logisitcs of driving 2 hours to BWI to save $20 on a flight, when your rental car is more expensive in Maryland than VA. What a BONEHEAD move. Except for the necessity of an emegrgency flight that now has to be to the Horrid BWI, (cowpie of the metro DC area airports), you have lost our personal and Business travel Business, SWA. Goodbye.
Alnonymous
Explorer C
All I can do is second what many other travelers have said about Tampa-Dulles flights being always full, but now discontinued. My wife and I used to make that trip at least once monthly (grandchildren are in Northern VA), but now we are using JetBlue out of Orlando. Prices are comparable to Southwest's, and there's no charge for the first checked bag; they do charge for curbside check-in, $2 per bag, and that must be on plastic - the only cash they'll accept is tips, but I've never had to wait to check-in inside the terminal. If you haven't tried Jetblue yet, I recommend you do.
Todd_in_NoVA
Explorer C
Bill, my wife and I live 10 min from Dulles and were elated when Southwest added the non-stop service between Dulles and Tampa. Every flight we took was sold out, and given all the similar posts I've read here, I don't understand the business rationale. With only 2 flights per day both ways, and heavy passenger volume, I was expecting more legs to be added.... I studied Southwest in MBA school and remember thinking "how smart those guys are compared to the buffoonery of the legacy carriers". And now this! You've lost two customers forever, as we refuse to make that obnoxious, traffic-jammed trip to BWI. Have you ever made that drive in the morning from NoVA to BWI? Probably not! And with all these posts complaining about this decision, where is your reply??? Not cool!