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Spring 2017 Flights are Now Available—With Awesome New Service!

Bill
Employee
Employee

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Today we opened our new schedule making Southwest Airlines available for sale out through April 24, 2017.  We’ve got some great new nonstop markets to look forward to—let’s discuss!

In the domestic network, we will add several new nonstops that are sure to start a few high-fives in the field.  

 

We will add new double-dailies between Newark/Liberty and Ft. Lauderdale!  This gets Southwest Airlines into the New York—South Florida market, one of the largest markets in North America  (And that’s yet another phrase I never thought I’d write).  We will also add new, daily nonstop between Houston/Hobby and Omaha.  And seasonally, we have the usual list of eliminations and additions, but one seasonal addition in particular is certain to make a lot of Customers and Employees alike happy—we’re adding nonstop between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Las Vegas!  This joins more than 20 other domestic markets we’re adding seasonally—see attached PDF for details.

Internationally, we’ve got some awesome news.  Our new service between Oakland and both San Jose Del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta are now available, effective February 12! The Southwest hook-up between the Bay and the Beaches of Mexico makes Oakland our eleventh international gateway.  In addition, we’ll add seasonal, weekend service between Denver and Belize, the first time these two airports have ever had nonstop service.  

Overall the March/April schedule reflects the travel pattern shift from winter into summer—and, at 3,955 daily departures, continues our inexorable climb to the 4,000 flights-each-day mark. Until we reach that milestone, make plans now to fly in March and April!  And if you have questions, as usual I’ll be here to answer.

17 Comments
ober7212
Adventurer C

 So MSP-LAS is only seasonal?  Why not daily, year round?

70812910
Explorer C

I am puzzled about about DCA-MDW six roundtrip fligihts service.  

 

When the service was first inaugurated there were nine daily roundtrip frequencies plus service out of IAD and BWI, so this is a huge loss.  With the March change there is no early morning departure from MDW to DCA which will force high yield passengers to make their way up to ORD and a subsequent loss of marketshare.   The first departure doesn't get into Washington until 10:10 am meaning a whole morning worth of meetings will likely be lost for many people. We cannot afford any more disappointed business travelers. None of the other MDW departures to major East Coast business markets leave so late. Could you please provide an explanation.

 

Howard Marks

Rapid Rewards Member and Shareholder

Washington, DC

mikebarnbaum
Explorer A

Looking forward to the continued expansion of flight to/from SMF, which, I believe, if I am not mistaken, includes the inaugural SMF-BWI nonstop this Sunday. One thing I read carefully is what Southwest predicts when its next schedule opening will occur. Looking earlier today, I noticed that the next schedule extension is forecasted, for now, to take place on November 1st, with flights available that date until June 2nd. Here is what gets me as far as that is concerned. Why is Southwest waiting about three months to extend the schedule of available inventory, yet once that happens, it will only add 39 days of flying past the 24th of April? This does not quite seem to add up to me. Could someone perhaps, at their convenience, please respond to my puzzling inquiry. I'd love to read and be educated on the response. Thank you so very much.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Mike Barnbaum, Rapid Rewards Member

Sacramento, California

RobH
Adventurer C

Thanks for the always very detailed and FUN updates Bill!!

stevejmccoy
Explorer C

Thanks for the new OMA-HOU service!

Bill
Employee
Employee

Howard, I'm confused.  I'm looking at every weekday schedule going out through April and we always have an MDW-DCA flight in the 0600-0700 hour.  Did I misunderstand you? And, well yes, after going both-feet-in at DCA we had to right-size our MDW-IAD and MDW-BWI frequencies to match capacity with demand.  I still think we have a good "bidness" schedule from MDW into the Washington area.

 

Bill

Bill
Employee
Employee

ober7212, I'm serious when I say MSP-LAS was always a highly requested route, so we're hopeful that the traffic results will justify year-round service!

 

Bill

ober7212
Adventurer C

Thanks for the info Bill!  I'm hoping for the same.  It looks like the BWI-MSP service which began this past April is doing well and even goes up to some 3x/day service. 

I'm betting MSP-LAS will stick and I am wishing you all the best on it!

 

Steve

70812910
Explorer C

Bill:  I checked Southwest.com and it still shows the earliest MDW-DCA weekday departure in April, 2017, as #4791 leaving MDW at 7:25 am and arriving DCA at 10:10 am.  Maybe you are using an internal website or there is something wrong with the public site.  I'd LUV to be proven wrong. 

 

 

susigibbs
Explorer C

Will the spring schedule open up past April 24th in September?

ober7212
Adventurer C

Susigibbs,

 

November 1st is the next schedule extension (subject to change) and will extend to June 2.

 

https://www.southwest.com/air/flight-schedules/index.html?clk=GSUBNAV-AIR-SCHEDULES

 

 

Mwg2
Explorer C

AirTran had non-stop flights from the DC-BWI airports to Huntsville, AL.  Once SWA purchased AirTran the flights ceased to exist.  Literally thousands of folks fly between DC area and HSV to support Army, MDA and NASA every month.  Any chance SWA will reinstate the non-stop flights from DC/BWI area airports to and from HSV?  Thanks! 

promom1
Explorer C

My family and I would LOVE to see a flight from Huntsville to Detroit as well!  We have to drive to Nashville to get nonstop flights and Huntsville flights are way to expensive!

jadrma
Explorer C

What happened to the mid-day nonstop flight from SAN to SEA???? It started up a couple of years ago and now.....phhhhht...gone!! We fly between SEA and SAN frequently and thankfully it's still available southbound but no longer northbound. 

saac
Explorer C

Can we arrange one great, convenient parking for all of us at Hobby Airport? It seems the lots are scattered around the airport. It would be great to get 300 places just for us at the big parking structure at the foot of the airport entry ramp

 

Stuartsch
Explorer C

Are there any plans for direct non stop service from LAS to SJD ?  It seems like smaller airports like OAK and SNA have recently started direct non stop service to Cabo whereas Las Vegas is larger and can really use a direct non stop daily route to the Baja.  

astone161
Explorer C

Delta owns the connection between Memphis and Atlanta.  Boo! Life would be so much better if SWA had a direct flight.