Southwest Airlines Adds 2 Routes, Extends Schedule Into 2020
Southwest Airlines is adding two nonstop routes to its schedule, announced by the carrier on Thursday as it extended its booking schedule through Jan. 5.
From its base at Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Southwest will add daily nonstop service to Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina (GSP). The route, which will begin Nov. 3, restores service that Southwest last offered in 2016.
Southwest also will add Saturday-only service between Boston (BOS) and Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FLL). The route is a competitive one, already served by Delta, JetBlue and Spirit.
Elsewhere, Southwest also adjust its schedules at Long Beach, California, where it is juggling shifting slot availability at the capacity controlled airport. Beginning Oct. 1, Southwest will offer the following schedule there:
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- Oakland (OAK): Four daily flights.
- San Jose, California (SJC).: Four flights a day on weekdays and three flights on Saturdays and Sundays
- Sacramento, California (SMF): Four flights a day on weekdays and three flights on Saturdays and Sundays
- Las Vegas (LAS): Two flights a day on weekends. Also, for October only, an additional round-trip flight each Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Denver (DEN): For October only, one round-trip flight each Saturday and Sunday.
"Southwest’s schedule offering for Long Beach Customers is built using a combination of slots allocated both longer-term and monthly by the airport," Southwest said in a statement to The Points Guy. "This leveraging of unused slots enables us to offer a published schedule of up to 16 departures a day this summer, for example, through our current allocation of 12 structural slots. We appreciate the airport ensuring that unused capacity is made available."
THE POINTS GUY: Southwest Schedule Extended: Book Your Winter Flights Now
Southwest said no routes were being permanently discontinued in its latest schedule update. However, several are being ended seasonally – a common practice at Southwest as it shifts capacity between its winter and summer schedules. Dropped markets are largely being replaced in the winter schedule with warm-weather options, such as Austin (AUS), Texas, to Cancun (CUN), Mexico, and Denver (DEN) to Belize (BZE).
Overall, the schedule extension was a relatively quiet one for Southwest, with few new routes added to the schedule. While Southwest made no specific mention of it in its statement, the indefinite grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX has certainly become a headache for schedule planners at the carrier. Southwest currently has 34 737 MAX 8s in its fleet, making it the largest MAX operator in the US. When it first took the jet out of its schedules, Southwest said it was canceling up to 150 flights a day to compensate for the loss of the aircraft. Going forward, Southwest now cannot count on an aircraft it expected to be in its schedules.
NEW ROUTES
Baltimore/Washington-Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina
Daily service. One daily round-trip flight begins Nov. 3.
Direct competition: None.
Boston-Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Saturday-only service. Begins Nov. 9.
Direct competition: Delta, JetBlue and Spirit currently offer daily service between Boston and Fort Lauderdale. American also flies from Boston to nearby Miami. Delta begins Boston-Miami service in December.
SEASONAL RESUMPTIONS
Daily service begins Nov. 3:
- Austin-Cancun, Mexico
Saturday-only service begins Nov. 9 between the following city-pairs:
- Houston Hobby (HOU)-Aruba (AUA)
- Nashville (BNA)-Cancun
- Milwaukee (MKE)-Cancun
- San Antonio (SAT)-Cancun
- Baltimore/Washington-Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR)
- Baltimore/Washington-San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)
- Denver (DEN)-Belize (BZE)
- Chicago Midway (MDW)- Los Cabos, Mexico (SJD)
Seasonal suspensions
The routes being suspended for the winter schedule: St. Louis-Panama City, Florida; Indianapolis-New Orleans; Indianapolis-Oakland; Kansas City, Missouri-Portland, Oregon; Chicago Midway-Pensacola, Florida; Chicago Midway-Reno, Nevada; and Minneapolis/St. Paul-Oakland.
Schedules on those routes are a mix of daily and weekend-only service, and Southwest notes some will temporarily resume during the busy travel windows around the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.