Southwest adds 30 new routes, shakes up international Florida flights as it extends booking schedule
Southwest Airlines unveiled a whopping 30 new airline routes in its latest schedule update, which extends its booking schedule through Aug. 4, 2024.
The update brings new flights to cities across Southwest's route map, rolling out to destinations like Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Bozeman, Montana, in the West and cities like Pittsburgh and Albany, New York, in the East.
Southwest cities in Chicago, Dallas, Nashville and Burbank, California, are among those landing the most new routes. The carrier's 30 new routes include 24 brand-new ones and six that technically restore service that had previously been discontinued.
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But the biggest shake-up comes in Florida, where Southwest will end most of its international flying in Fort Lauderdale and shift it to Orlando.
Southwest plans to drop six international routes at Fort Lauderdale: Cancun, Mexico; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Havana, Cuba; Nassau, Bahamas; Providenciales, Turks and Caicos; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Five of those routes — all except Havana — will move about 200 miles north to Orlando, where Southwest operates a crew base and already offers a robust domestic schedule. Southwest will also add nonstop flights from Orlando to San Jose, Costa Rica.
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"Southwest is continuing its plans to better optimize its network in the post-pandemic environment, responding to leisure and business travel trends," the airline said in a statement. "Shifting the bulk of international service in the Sunshine State from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Orlando offers Customers more access to Southwest's vast domestic network with nearly 140 daily departures."
Some of Southwest's international service from Fort Lauderdale faced competition from rivals JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, which also have big bases there. However, Southwest also will overlap with both airlines — as well as Frontier Airlines — on several of those routes from Orlando.
Once the shift happens in June, Southwest will be left with a single international route — to Montego Bay, Jamaica — from Fort Lauderdale.
Elsewhere, California's Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) is getting the biggest boost in Southwest's schedule update, landing six new routes — including to Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri.
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Dallas Love Field (DAL) gets five new routes while Nashville International Airport (BNA) gets four — including an interesting seasonal weekend-only nonstop to Bozeman.
Another interesting route comes from Southwest's busy base at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), which will get daily nonstop service to Colorado Springs. The route will be Colorado Springs' only nonstop service to the Northeast and will become the longest regularly scheduled flight from the airport, surpassing Delta Air Lines' existing service to Atlanta.
Two other routes likely to be well received in their local markets will be Southwest's service to Denver from both Albany, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut. The flights restore two discontinued routes and give the midsize airports a connection to Southwest's busy western base in Denver, where there are plentiful connections to other destinations throughout the West.
And Southwest brings a cross-country route back to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), which will get weekend-only service to San Diego during the summer schedule.
A full list of Southwest's new, restored and discontinued routes is below. All cities getting more than one route are listed, meaning some routes are listed twice.
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Southwest's 30 new and returning routes
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
- Colorado Springs, Colorado: Daily service begins June 4.
Midway International Airport (MDW)
- Burbank, California: Daily service begins June 4. Restores previously operated route.
- El Paso, Texas: Daily service begins June 4.
- San Francisco: Daily service begins June 4. Restores previously operated route.
Dallas Love Field (DAL)
- Buffalo: Begins June 8. Seasonal, Saturdays only.
- Fresno, California: Begins June 8. Seasonal, Saturdays only.
- Greenville, South Carolina: Begins June 8. Seasonal, Saturdays and Sundays only.
- Spokane, Washington: Begins June 8. Seasonal, Saturdays only.
- Providence: Begins June 8. Seasonal, Saturdays only.
Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Albany, New York: Daily service begins June 4. Restores previously operated route.
- Hartford: Daily service begins June 4. Restores previously operated route.
Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)
- Boise: Daily service begins June 4.
- Chicago (MDW): Daily service begins June 4. Restores previously operated route.
- Kansas City, Missouri: Daily service begins June 4.
- New Orleans: Daily service begins June 4.
- San Antonio: Daily service begins June 4.
- St. Louis: Daily service begins June 4.
John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
- Kansas City, Missouri: Begins June 9. Seasonal, Sundays only.
- San Diego: Begins June 8. Seasonal, Saturdays only.
Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
- Burbank, California: Daily service begins June 4.
- Columbus, Ohio: Begins June 9. Seasonal, Sundays only.
Nashville International Airport (BNA)
- Bozeman, Montana: Begins June 8. Seasonal, Saturdays only.
- Grand Rapids, Michigan: Begins June 8. Seasonal, Saturday and Sundays only.
- Ontario, California: Daily service begins June 4. Restores previously operated route.
- Sacramento: Daily service begins June 4. Restores previously operated route.
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Cancun: Daily service begins June 4.
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: Daily service begins June 4.
- Nassau, Bahamas: Daily service begins June 4.
- Providenciales, Turks and Caicos: Daily service begins June 4.
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: Daily service begins June 4.
- San Jose, Costa Rica: Daily service begins June 4.
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
- Eugene, Oregon: Daily service begins June 4.
- Nashville: Daily service begins June 4. Restores previously operated route.
San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- Columbus, Ohio: Begins June 8. Seasonal, Saturdays only.
- Pittsburgh: Begins June 8. Seasonal, Saturdays only.
Southwest's discontinued routes
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
- Cancun: Shifts to Orlando after June 3.
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: Shifts to Orlando after June 3.
- Havana: Ends June 3.
- Nassau, Bahamas: Shifts to Orlando after June 3.
- Providenciales, Turks and Caicos: Shifts to Orlando after June 3.
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: Shifts to Orlando after June 3..
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Fort Myers, Florida: Ends June 3.
Related reading:
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- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- How to change or cancel a Southwest Airlines flight
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