Southwest Airlines adds more Hawaii routes, expands in Baltimore
Southwest Airlines is again expanding in Hawaii and will boost its schedules in Baltimore and Houston.
For Hawaii, the low-cost airline will add service from a fourth mainland city while also adding to its schedule on interisland flights within the state.
San Diego (SAN) becomes the carrier’s newest city on the U.S. mainland to land Hawaii flights. That service begins April 14, when Southwest starts daily nonstop service to Kahului Airport (OGG) on the island of Maui. A second Hawaii route begins April 20 with daily nonstop service to Honolulu (HNL) on the island of Oahu.
The Hawaii service had long been expected for San Diego, with Southwest announcing that San Diego would among its first four cities to land flights to Hawaii. But San Diego had been left off the list as Southwest launched service to the state in March and subsequently expanded its schedule there. Now, with the carrier's spring schedule update, San Diego will finally get its flights to Hawaii on Southwest.
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“We’re grateful for the steadfast loyalty of our San Diego Customers and we’re adding a Southwest heading to their compass of nonstop options,” Andrew Watterson, Southwest's chief revenue officer, said in a statement.
With the addition of the San Diego schedule, Southwest says it now offers 28 flights daily between California and Hawaii.
Southwest also flies to Hawaii from Oakland, Sacramento and San Jose, offering a combined 10 routes to the state from those three airports.
Additionally, Southwest will beef up its intra-state schedule between Honolulu and Maui/Kahului. Starting April 14, Southwest will fly six daily round-trip flights on the route, up from the current four.
Related: Exciting New Airline Routes for September 2019 and Beyond
On the mainland, Southwest said it planned to grow its schedule at Baltimore/Washington International (BWI), already one of the carrier’s busiest bases. Southwest will add 17 additional daily departures to its spring schedule from BWI “on established and popular routes."
In Houston, Southwest will grow its presence on two routes within Texas. Southwest’s nonstop service between Houston Hobby (HOU) and Lubbock (LUB) and Amarillo (AMA) will go to daily service in mid-April. Currently, both routes operate only on Sundays.
Elsewhere, Southwest announced the return of several seasonal routes Wednesday as it extended its booking schedule through early June. The carrier said no routes were permanently ending in its latest schedule update.
Highlights of seasonal routes returning to the schedule include the following.
Domestic
Boston-Austin
Daily service resumes April 14
Boston-Dallas Love
Daily service resumes April 14
Related: Snapshot: A Look at Southwest Airlines by the Numbers
Denver-Charleston, South Carolina
Weekend-only service resumes April 18
Denver-Norfolk, Virginia
Weekend-only service resumes April 18
Albuquerque, New Mexico-Orlando
Saturday-only service resumes April 18
Rochester, New York-Fort Lauderdale
Saturday-only service resumes April 18
Kansas City, Missouri-Pensacola, Floida
Saturday-only service resumes April 18
Related: Southwest’s ‘Second Wave’ of Hawaii Expansion Is Now Underway
Austin-Indianapolis
Sunday-only service resumes April 19
Dallas Love-Cleveland
Sunday-only service resumes April 19
International
Atlanta-Cancun, Mexico
Weekend-only service resumes April 18
Atlanta-Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Weekend-only service resumes April 18
Oakland-Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Weekend-only service resumes April 18
New Orleans-Cancun, Mexico
Saturday-only service resumes April 18
Related: The Best Southwest Airlines Credit Card for Family Travelers
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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
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- 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.