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Southwest Airlines adds 8 new routes as it extends schedule into fall 2025

Dec. 16, 2024
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4 min read
Southwest Boeing 737 LGA LaGuardia
Southwest Airlines adds 8 new routes as it extends schedule into fall 2025
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Southwest Airlines is making some interesting new additions to its route map.

The Dallas-based carrier filed plans over the weekend to add eight new domestic routes, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.

The full list of new routes is available below.

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  • Austin to San Francisco
  • Nashville to Louisville
  • Indianapolis to Chicago Midway
  • Los Angeles to Orlando
  • Orlando to Miami
  • Orlando to West Palm Beach, Florida
  • Orlando to Sarasota, Florida
  • Phoenix to Santa Barbara, California

All of the new routes take off next summer in August 2025.

Southwest has previously flown three of the new routes, though Orlando to West Palm Beach had been long dormant, having last operated in April 2002. Coming back after a much shorter hiatus is Indianapolis to Chicago Midway, a route Southwest last flew in August 2020.

Most of the new routes will operate on a daily basis. The exceptions are Phoenix to Santa Barbara, which will only be flown on Sundays, and Nashville to Louisville, which will operate six days a week with Saturdays off.

Southwest's additions include some interesting new city pairs — especially in Florida. Four of the eight routes are from Orlando, one of Southwest's operating bases. While the city will see a new transcon to Los Angeles (which is already well served by American, Delta and United), three of the routes will be short intra-Florida services.

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Two will be to South Florida (Miami and West Palm Beach), while the third will be an incredibly short 104-mile hop to Sarasota. (Odds are that you'll end up taxiing for longer than you're in the air; the flight is blocked for an hour.)

Airline insider: A behind-the-scenes look at Southwest's Dallas headquarters

Orlando to Miami is already served by American and Delta (and Spirit recently had a short stint in the market that's since been cut).

Elsewhere, Southwest's addition in Austin follows Delta's addition of the exact same route just a few weeks ago. While Southwest is the largest airline in Austin, Delta has been growing there in recent years.

Finally, the new route from Nashville to Louisville comes as Southwest seems to be refocusing its energy in the Southeast away from Atlanta and into Nashville.

Earlier this year, the airline opened its newest flight crew base in Nashville, and it plans to increase its Sunday departures from the city to its highest-ever level next year.

The airline added six new routes from Nashville in September, while it simultaneously cut 15 markets from Atlanta. Interestingly, Southwest is also trying intrastate service in Tennessee with new service from Nashville to Memphis next year.

All of these moves come as the airline recently extended its booking window to Oct. 1.

Southwest declined to provide a statement about the new routes, but it referenced its latest 8-K report filed earlier this month that provides a snippet into the carrier's plans to boost profitability.

"Tactical actions include improving network optimization and capacity rationalization, marketing and distribution evolution, and continued efforts to advance revenue management techniques," the filing says.

Related reading:

Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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