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No more PHL-LAS nonstop service

npfeifer
Explorer C

Anyone else here have any idea why Southwest discontinued nonstop service from PHL to LAS? I have been a SW customer for a while and fly this route 8-10 times a year each way and am now noticing no nonstop service at all? This sucks and will likely cause me to get rid of my SW Visa. I know PHL is a small operation for SW but everytime i flew on this flight it was always full; there was very rarely open seats on this flight. American sucks but given that they fly direct to LAS 3x a day, looks like thats where my business will be going to in the future, which is really unfortunate because i really like SW and the way they run. I know its a long flight direct but with layovers it turns a 5.5 hour flight into 7-8 hours making for a very long travel day. Was just curious if anyone had any other insight into this or may have some ideas that i am not seeing.

2 REPLIES 2

Re: No more PHL-LAS nonstop service

SWDigits
Aviator A
I think the only folks able to provide a definitive answer are on the Southwest Network Planning Team. Here is the wording from the March 15, 2019 route press release:
"Our Network Planning Team constantly reviews our service to address the needs of more than 130 million annual Customers who want nonstop service to places and at times that work for them," said Adam Decaire, Southwest's Vice President of Network Planning.

Source:
https://www.swamedia.com/releases/release-c06a3e840c57c0ad7c0871e84c0ed4fa-southwest-airlines-adds-n...

I think with each iteration of the flight schedule we'll see changes though as Southwest grows my hope would be that the number of cities served by direct flight connections continues to grow.

Customer | Home airport DCA

Re: No more PHL-LAS nonstop service

NicoleAshley
Employee
Employee
Solution

I’m sorry to know you’re disappointed with our flight schedule changes regarding nonstop service between PHL and LAS. 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. 

 

We are constantly reevaluating our performance and our flight schedules, so check out Southwest.com the next time we release a new schedule. I know that an explanation does not solve the problem of getting you from point A to point B on a nonstop flight, and I’m truly sorry to know that we might lose your patronage for even one trip as a result of our schedule changes. My 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