Southwest Airlines adds 5 new routes and will restore 16 more that had been cut
Southwest Airlines is rolling out five new nonstop routes as part of its latest schedule extension, which also will see the carrier restore 16 nonstop routes that had been cut.
Southwest passengers can now book flights through Oct. 4 on some of the routes.
California's Long Beach Airport (LGB) was the big winner in Thursday's announcement, landing three new routes.
Daily nonstop service from LGB will begin on July 11 to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and El Paso, Texas. The third route – LGB to Albuquerque, New Mexico – starts Sept. 5.
Get Ben's newsletter: Sign up for TPG's biweekly Aviation update
They join two other two new LGB routes that Southwest had already announced: daily service to Kansas City and seasonal weekend service to Orlando.
LGB is one of the nation's few capacity-controlled airports where airlines must obtain "slots" to add new flights. Southwest says its latest additions were possible after the airport added "supplemental slots."
Once Southwest's new LGB flights begin, it will serve 22 seasonal and year-round destinations from the airport with up to 45 daily departures.
Southwest also will add two other nonstop flights to its map. Both begin Sept. 9, when the airline will add seasonal, Saturday-only service between Austin and Jacksonville, Florida, and between El Paso and Orlando.
Where'd that flight go? Wondering what happened to your favorite Southwest route? Here's what to know
In addition to the new flights announced in Thursday's update, Southwest will restore 16 routes that had been cut in recent years – many falling off the schedule during the depths of the pandemic. A full list of restored routes is below.
The move will resuscitate nonstop routes, including Austin–Pittsburgh, Baltimore–Oakland and Denver–Richmond, Virginia. It follows a pledge by Southwest executives late last year that the carrier would begin bringing back routes and frequencies as part of a broader effort to boost connectivity across the company's network.
"It's part of our overall restoration efforts ... responding to demand from Customers," Southwest spokesperson Dan Landson said in a statement to TPG.
Additionally, eight seasonal routes will return to the airline's schedule as planned. All operate only on weekends and include city pairs such as Buffalo–Sarasota, Florida; Charlotte–Denver; and Chicago Midway–Reno, Nevada.
Southwest says it is not terminating any routes, though some seasonal routes will pause until their planned resumption later schedules.
Southwest's new Long Beach nonstop routes
- Albuquerque: Daily flights begin Sept. 5.
- Colorado Springs: Daily flights begin July 11.
- El Paso: Daily flights begin July 11.
- Kansas City: Daily flights begin March 9 (previously announced).
- Orlando: Seasonal, Saturday-only flights begin July 15 (previously announced).
Southwest's other new nonstop routes
- Austin–Jacksonville: Seasonal, Saturday-only flights begin Sept. 9.
- El Paso–Orlando: Seasonal, Saturday-only flights begin Sept. 9.
Southwest's returning nonstop routes
- Austin–Pittsburgh: Sunday service, resumes Sept. 10
- Baltimore–Oakland: Daily service, resumes Sept. 5
- Charlotte–Houston Hobby: Sunday service, resumes Sept. 10.
- Dallas Love–Philadelphia: Saturday and Sunday service, resume Sept. 9
- Denver–Richmond, Virginia: Daily service, resumes Sept. 5
- Houston Hobby–Lubbock, Texas: Two Sunday round trips, resumes Sept. 10.
- Houston Hobby–Ontario, California: Sunday service, resumes Sept. 10.
- Houston Hobby–Philadelphia: Sunday service, resumes Sept. 10.
- Houston Hobby–Raleigh/Durham: One flight each Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday; resumes Sept. 7.
- Houston Bush Intercontinental–Phoenix: Sunday service, resumes Sept. 10.
- Las Vegas–Little Rock, Arkansas: Sunday service, resumes Sept. 10.
- Las Vegas–Minneapolis/St. Paul: Saturday service, resumes Sept. 9.
- Los Angeles–Portland, Oregon: Saturday and Sunday service, resumes Sept. 9.
- Long Beach–New Orleans: Sunday service, resumes Sept. 10.
- Nashville–Islip/Long Island, New York: Sunday service, resumes Sept. 10.
- Nashville–Omaha, Nebraska: Sunday service, resumes Sept. 10.
Related reading:
- Your complete guide to maximizing Southwest Rapid Rewards
- The best Southwest Airlines credit cards
- How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass
- What is Southwest Airlines elite status worth?
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- How to change or cancel a Southwest Airlines flight
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.