Southwest Airlines Releases Updated Flight Schedule
by Daine Taylor
Southwest is expanding its summer offerings. Photo: Shutterstock.com
As people begin to feel more comfortable making travel plans again in the wake of the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Southwest Airlines published its newly updated flight schedule effective from Oct. 31, 2020, through Jan. 4, 2021.
In addition to increasing frequency for key routes and providing more nonstop options for business travelers, the airline also announced several new routes to cater to leisure travelers for the holiday season.
“We’re rounding out our plan for this unprecedented year with our business travelers in mind with a fourth quarter schedule that brings them new routes across the country,” said Andrew Watterson, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Southwest Airlines.
Southwest plans to provide more frequencies and more nonstop flight options for business travelers by the end of 2020. The airline will add roundtrip service nonstop between Long Beach and Phoenix three times daily, as well as once daily nonstop service between Long Beach and Austin, effective Nov. 1, 2020.
It will also provide additional connections between Texas and California, with nonstop service between Ontario, California and Houston once a day (except Saturdays), beginning Nov. 1, 2020, and nonstop service once a day (except Sundays) between Nashville and Orange County/Santa Ana, California beginning Nov. 2, 2020.
On the leisure side, Southwest plans on adding several new nonstop links between popular U.S. cities beginning Dec. 17. The new schedule will offer once daily connections between Phoenix and Memphis, Tennessee; Denver and Birmingham, Alabama; Denver and Wichita, Kansas; and Denver and Little Rock, Arkansas.
The carrier will provide three daily roundtrips connecting Atlanta to Oklahoma City; and Omaha, Nebraska and Louisville, Kentucky.
Southwest also plans to resume operating service to 14 international destinations, including Mexico and the Caribbean via Cancun, San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos, Havana, Montego Bay, and Nassau on July 1, depending on governmental restrictions.
