Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

LAX-SLC nonstops no longer

cabinfly
Explorer C

Our first booking attempt since before COVID. After 28 years, there are next to no non-stop flights between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, a major route. The fares for connecting flights are astonishingly expensive. I tried to call SW twice and was offered 93 minutes and 87 minutes wait time respectively to speak with a representative.  Is this a temporary, COVID or 737-MAX related situation and will non-stops return, or has SW given up on the route?  And what's with the lack of phone assistance? Do we have to fly Delta, now? Thx ahead for any enlightenment on this.

16 REPLIES 16

Re: LAX-SLC nonstops no longer

jksobonya
Aviator A

Considering Southwest is recovering from 2 separate technological issues this week alone, things are busier than normal. Southwest normally has a faster response on social media (Facebook/Twitter message) than the phone lines. 

 

And yes, flights are a bit more expensive as well. Welcome to the post-COVID era lol. Southwest is having a sale this week though (today is the last day) so take advantage of any sale fares that you can, because they may go up even higher tomorrow. 

 

--Jessica

Re: LAX-SLC nonstops no longer

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

I'm not really sure what you were hoping to hear when you called.  A front line phone rep can help you complete a booking, but is not going to have any information about why something changed or if/when it will change again.  Yes, SLC-LAX may be a "major route", but it is connecting 2 of Delta's major cities.  I doubt any airline can compete with Delta and make any sort of decent return on that route so Southwest and other airlines in similar situations are going to move planes to where they can make money, thus the plethora of new cities and routes Southwest has announced in the past few months.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: LAX-SLC nonstops no longer

cabinfly
Explorer C

SWA has operated multiple, daily non-stop flights between LAX and SLC since they acquired Morris Air in the '90's.  It has always been a busy route.  A rep should know what's up with a major route, including  whether it is COVID related and temporary or not.  Thanks for your reply, but I'm looking for information, not speculation. 

Re: LAX-SLC nonstops no longer

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Happy Friday to you too.

The past is past. If you think any business should just stick with the old and not adapt to more profitable things then you aren't going to be very successful. 

This is a customer to customer forum clearly you keep asking questions of the wrong people if we aren't good enough for you. No one here or answering the phone at a reservations call center is going to have a definitive answer for you. 

 

Have a lovely day

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: LAX-SLC nonstops no longer

jksobonya
Aviator A

@cabinfly wrote:

SWA has operated multiple, daily non-stop flights between LAX and SLC since they acquired Morris Air in the '90's.  It has always been a busy route.  A rep should know what's up with a major route, including  whether it is COVID related and temporary or not.  Thanks for your reply, but I'm looking for information, not speculation. 


What you may think of as a "major route" Southwest might not, especially these days when routes are constantly changing due to increasing or decreasing demand. All we can do is speculate since we are not Southwest employees, just fellow passengers like you. If you want to talk to anyone who might give you a definite answer, you need to contact Southwest directly.

 

--Jessica

Re: LAX-SLC nonstops no longer

cabinfly
Explorer C

I tried. But I did not have "93 minutes approx. wait time" to wait for a rep to answer the phone.  Delta, United and SWA have all serviced this "major route" with multiple, daily non-stops for decades. My suspicion is that it is COVID related and hoping that someone the forum can confirm that. Thanks, again, Jessica. It's okay not to know the answer.

Re: LAX-SLC nonstops no longer

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

@cabinfly wrote:

It's okay not to know the answer.


Remember that when the person answering the phone can't provide you with any information.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: LAX-SLC nonstops no longer

NicoleAshley
Employee
Employee

@cabinfly 

I’m sorry to know that you’re disappointed with our flight schedule changes regarding nonstop service between SLC and LAX. With many destinations coast to coast and more on the way, our Network Planning Department has a very big job to do.  Dozens of factors come into play in determining if a flight may or may not be profitable, such as the number of discounted fares offered on a given flight, airport costs, and many other things that eventually determine if a flight may or may not be a profitable one. For that reason, it’s hard to determine the success or failure of a route or a flight segment simply by looking at the number of Passengers onboard. 

 

Since we don’t have an unlimited number of aircraft and Employees, we have to make the most out of what we have and create a flight schedule that maximizes our resources, ensures cost savings (and low fares!), and offers the best overall product to our Customers. While we don't have an update on the future of your route, our hope is that when we service a route that fits your travel needs, you’ll continue to choose Southwest as your patronage means the world to us.

 

Nicole
Community Manager

Re: LAX-SLC nonstops no longer

cabinfly
Explorer C

What do you have to do to get a straight answer on this forum? You'd think that I dropped the proverbial t**d in the cheerleader squad's punch bowl. I only asked to understand the status of this route.  Nicole, if I am accurately translating corporate-speak, SWA has indeed cut non-stop service between SLC-LAX, and not temporarily due to COVID or MAX issues. I think you meant that these non-stop SLC-LAX routes are currently not profitable enough for SWA to sustain. Fair enough. My hunch is that will change. I am disappointed because this move to preserve profits "(and low fares!)",  means the N/S flights I've taken for decades are now hours-long connecting flights at fares roughly double what I paid for your direct flights. And I'm really disappointed that I will now have fly surly Delta, because their fares are half of SWA's on non-stop flights. Let the market decide. Hope to fly with you again.