Southwest Airlines disclosed 25 new and returning Southwest new nonstop routes in its latest schedule update, including 22 domestic markets and several leisure markets. Twelve of the 22 domestic markets had not previously had nonstop flights with Southwest, and 3 of those entries had not had nonstop flights by any airline before.
Southwest Airlines schedule update
The update adds BWI to PHL with twice-daily service, Boise to LAX with daily service, Dallas Love to DTW with six weekly service, and DTW to Austin with six weekly service. It also adds LAS to Boston with six weekly service, LAS to Miami with daily service, BNA to Des Moines with daily service, BNA to Wichita with daily service, and New York LaGuardia to Orlando with three daily service.
Other additions include Orlando to Pensacola with daily service, Richmond to Tampa with daily service, Birmingham to FLL with Saturday service, BNA to St Thomas with Saturday service, Indianapolis to Destin-Fort Walton Beach with Saturday service, LAS to Knoxville with Saturday and Sunday service, Louisville to Miami with Saturday service, Milwaukee to Panama City with Saturday service, Minneapolis to Fort Myers with Saturday service, Oklahoma City to Tampa with Saturday service, Omaha to Fort Myers with Saturday service, San Diego to Kona with Saturday and Sunday service, and San Diego to Lihue with Saturday and Sunday service.
March 13 departures
On March 13, Southwest will begin AUS to San José with Saturday service, BNA to Aruba with Saturday-only service, and CMH to Punta Cana with Saturday-only service. AUS to San José will leave Texas at 10:25 AM and arrive back at 7:20 PM, with the same 737 MAX 8 scheduled to operate both legs.
Southwest said AUS was the US's fourth-largest unserved market to the capital of Costa Rica, while BNA to Aruba had not had flights by any carrier before. Milwaukee to Panama City also had not had nonstop flights by any airline before, showing that the schedule update is adding both new airport pairs and routes that return after a gap.
Spring Break routes
Some of the airport pairs in the update will only exist for Spring Break and will have short operating periods and limited flights. That leaves passengers in those markets with a narrow window to book and fly the service, while the March 13 routes mark the clearest fixed starting point in the update.
The practical read for travelers is simple: Southwest added 25 routes, but not all of them carry the same schedule commitment. Some are daily or twice-daily additions, some run only on Saturday or Saturday and Sunday, and a few begin on March 13 with the kind of limited service that can disappear after Spring Break.
