Southwest Airlines unveils 10 new Chicago O'Hare, Colorado Springs routes
Southwest Airlines will launch 10 new routes when it begins flights to Chicago O'Hare and Colorado Springs early next year, two of nine new destinations that it is adding to its map during the coronavirus pandemic. The carrier will debut with five routes at each the cities.
Flights to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) begin in February with introductory one-way fares beginning at $39, Southwest said Wednesday. Flights to Colorado Springs (COS) begin a month later, with one-way fares beginning at $29. Tickets are on sale now for the new flights.
Gary Kelly, CEO of the Dallas-based carrier, has described expanding Southwest's map during the pandemic as "playing offense" in an effort to gain U.S. marketshare coming out of the crisis. Flights to Miami (MIA) and Palm Springs (PSP) begin in November; ski destinations Montrose (MTJ) and Steamboat Springs (HDN) in Colorado begin in December; and Chicago O'Hare; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH); Jackson, Mississippi (JAN); and Savannah (SAV), Georgia, in 2021.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free new biweekly Aviation newsletter!
Southwest will begin service to O'Hare with 20 daily flights on Feb. 14:
- Baltimore/Washington (BWI) four-times daily
- Dallas Love Field (DAL) four-times daily
- Denver (DEN) six-times daily
- Nashville (BNA) four-times daily
- Phoenix (PHX) twice daily
The new flights complement the carrier's existing base at Chicago Midway (MDW) airport on the city's south side. On Oct. 22, Kelly said capacity limits at Midway blocked Southwest from growing there and prompted the expansion to O'Hare on the north side of the city.
"If we don't move now, we risk never getting in there," he said.
Southwest will operate from common use gates in Terminal 5 at O'Hare, said spokesperson Dan Landson.
Related: Southwest Airlines expands again, adds three more cities to its route map
The carrier begins service to Colorado Springs with 13 daily flights on March 11:
- Chicago Midway twice daily
- Dallas Love Field three-times daily
- Denver four-times daily
- Las Vegas (LAS) twice daily
- Phoenix twice daily
Colorado Springs flights expand Southwest's presence in the Front Range region of Colorado, a roughly 175-mile long corridor stretching from Pueblo in the south to Fort Collins in the north. At the region's center is Denver, where the airline already has a large base.
Related: Palm Springs is booming with new flights during the pandemic
Southwest continues to fly far less than it flew a year ago owing to the coronavirus. During the three months ending in December, it plans to fly roughly 35% less than in the same period in 2019.
The airline hopes to resume flying at 2019 levels by the end of 2021, said Kelly earlier in October. However, it expects a full recovery in air travel from the pandemic to take longer.
Southwest has not released schedules for its new flight flights from Houston Intercontinental, Jackson or Savannah.
Related: 5 reasons to ski at Steamboat Springs this year
Updated with Southwest's terminal location at O'Hare.
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.