Southwest Airlines announces 4 new routes, accelerates Hawaii plans
Southwest Airlines took longer than expected to ramp up its new service to Hawaii, but now the low-cost giant is making up for lost time.
Southwest said on Thursday that it's adding one new Hawaii route and will move up the start date for two others because of customer demand. The latter had been scheduled to launch in January, but the airline says they'll instead begin in November. The new route will come March 7, when Southwest adds nonstop flights between Sacramento, California, and Kahului on the island of Maui.
Four other Hawaii routes also get a boost, moving to daily service. Routes connecting each of the California airports of Oakland and San Jose to Lihue on Kauai and Kona on the "Big Island" of Hawaii currently have schedules of three or four weekly flights.
"Demand is strong for our Hawaii service and we're not just increasing those routes to daily service for our customers, we're also moving up our timeline on two routes set to begin in January, and instead will fly them this year," Adam Decaire, Vice President of Network Planning for Southwest, said in a statement.
The routes getting an earlier start are Southwest's Sacramento-Honolulu route as well as an inter-island route between Honolulu and Lihue on the island of Kauai.
Beyond that, Southwest also announced two new routes on the U.S. mainland. Those new routes — Atlanta-Memphis and Denver-Des Moines, Iowa — also begin March 7.
The new Denver service comes amid an ongoing expansion by Southwest there. In March, the carrier's Denver schedule will grow to a peak of 235 daily departures to 65 cities – "a record high for the Southwest operation at Denver International Airport," according to the airline.
Also being added to Southwest's schedule is a seasonal, Saturday-only nonstop between Baltimore/Washington and Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos that — pending regulatory approval — will begin March 7.
Related: Southwest schedule extended: Book your spring break flights now
That's the same date that Southwest's Houston Hobby-Cozumel route begins. The service was previously announced, but Southwest had not revealed a start date. Introductory fares on that route start at $99 one way.
The new routes came as Southwest updated its schedule, extending its booking window through April 13. Prior to today, Southwest's flights had been bookable only through early March. The extension now puts the popular spring break window into play for bargain hunters seeking Southwest flights.
Southwest said it did not cut any non-seasonal routes in its latest schedule update. All of the latest additions are below.
Sacramento-Kahului/Maui, Hawaii
Begins March 7; daily service
Baltimore/Washington-Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Begins March 7; Seasonal, Saturday-only service
Denver-Des Moines, Iowa
Begins March 7; daily service
Atlanta-Memphis
Begins March 7; two daily flights (one on Saturdays)
Related: Snapshot: A Look at Southwest Airlines by the Numbers
Related: Southwest Airlines Is Ending All Flights From Newark Liberty
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees