Route change [speculation / observations] re: WN [next / recent] schedule extension
 

Any new rumors, speculations, predication?

The next schedule extension on February 18, 2016.

I hear those 2 stations will be closed. DAY & CAK will be closed and they will shifts to CVG or CLE.

Any new international city? New domestic flight?

I can see FLL-SAN or FLL-AUA 1 daily RT.

A new city? How about JFK or CVG?

Let the speculation begin.

I don't see CAK being closed, SWA company culture committee has CAK on it's list of station visits in October. Don't think they'd schedule that and then cut the station but weirder things have happened. I'm personally hoping for double daily CLE-PHX as well as a seasonal CLE-SAN added to existing schedules, no one serves it out of CLE and I certainly think the market exists. I'd love to see consolidation at CLE but all of CAKs flights that were cut are served by at least 2 airlines now so not really anything they could switch over.

I could see AUA out of FLL since it's planned to be a SWA international hub. AUA being pre-cleared helps until they finish the new terminal. Maybe a new international destination for HOU. I still think CVG will be added in the next few years though.

I may be mistaken but I don't believe they have actually announced any new international stations during a schedule extension and at most they might add some frequencies on existing routes. For example, when HOU international opened up they had already announced what routes would be in advance but waited until an extension to actually put them on sale.

IAD-SAN is ending on March 9, 2016
 

Unfortunately, they will be ending nonstop IAD-SAN on March 9, 2016. They tried, but they didn't work out well. :(

I am waiting to see if there are any timing changes on the non-stop LAX-LIR flights past Aug 5, 2016.

WN Next Schedule extension Feb 18, 2016
 

Please don't close DAY!

I would love to see CVG. SDF has been pretty stagnant, I could handle that swap. Closing DAY isn't close to funding the necessary airframe time to properly start a station though.

But of you want speculation, close down Phoenix and hub out of the more temperate Omaha. :D

I am poised to book the new LAX - HNL flights. :D

With UA dropping STL out of CLE in May i wonder if SWA moves the start date of CLE-STL up from June.

how often does SWA publish new schedules? I mean after 2/18 when do you guys think would be the next schedule publishing? I am asking cos I am looking for tickets for Thanksgiving and per website they would only be publishing till first week of Nov ...

Usually on average every 3 months or so though i think there was only about 2 months between the last one and this one.

I think the Thanksgiving-Christmas season schedules have opened mid-May for the last few years.

I'm really curious of what markets they intend to attack when there FLL CBP FIS comes online. The VFR heavier markets in Central America could be a good starting point beyond their current Costa Rica routes.

About one more week left to go. A new schedule release date for November 2016 extension.

Have they ever had a Philly to Norfolk or even Newark to Norfolk? I would love it if the had either one of those!

I'll never expect it but I would always want them to re establish a weekly EYW route and I would now really love it if they would add CUR to the mix.
But as someone mentioned schedule extensions are different than new route announcements so expect no new locations. Or Thanksgiving. Or Christmas.
There will be no Christmas at SW.

PDX-BNA please!

Is it bad that I anticipate WN schedule extension days much more than Christmas?

When does the schedule typically appear online? 12:01 AM (random timezone)?

Can't say I've ever been so anxious to buy WN tickets, but I've got some points in my account itching to get used for a trip in late August.

https://twitter.com/e_russell/status/700078643347857408

PDX-BUR/ONT will be starting.

Typically it goes live around 6am-8am central time.

Makes sense!

FLL-NAS
MKE-SAN
BWI-SMF
CLT-BNA
LAX-PIT

More new routes to be announced. Stay tuned.

is NAS a preclearance airport?

Yes, they do have a preclearance.

LAX-PIT??? Oh my.

Wonder how fast will AA pull out...

New schedules not live yet at 9.20 PM PT.....still see dates till 8/5/16 ...

Check back closer to 6am central.

It's live.

Guess I was wrong about new routes coming same time as schedule extensions. Crawls back in hole.

Here's a summary of all the changes:

http://airlineroute.net/2016/02/18/wn-aug16/

Thank you, I was surprised not to see this at sw.com

But does nothing for me, seems real light compared with other releases.

Sadly when FLL-NAS begins August 7th, BWI-NAS ends.

Why can't I book SMF-Harlingen, TX? No flights available, even though there's plenty of flights SMF-HOS and HOS-HRL!

Question from someone who (obviously) rarely flys on WN...

I'm looking at a trip almost 1 year from now - probably mid-February 2017. I know they only load their schedule for limited duration (compared to most airlines that typically load 11 months out). Looking now, I see flights loaded through early November 2016 (which is actually further out than I expected). I don't know how many times a year they do this exercise...

Can anyone estimate around when they would be loading their schedule which would include February 2017? (I see a post below suggesting that in May they should load the "holiday" schedule....don't have any idea how far beyond the holidays that covers...).

Thanks.

https://www.southwest.com/html/travel-tools/index.html

So June 2nd is the next extension, that goes out until Jan 4th.

If this is correct and doesn't change, then probably July at the earliest.

Yep. I'm going ALB-NAS in November and had to book through an entirely different airline because of it. Oh well Southwest, your loss.

This thread may help you: Official schedule extension prediction thread

WN Next Schedule Extension July 7, 2016
 

Hi All,

The next schedule extension is on July 7, 2017 for March 7, 2017.

Any Rumored, new service, and extended for year-round long? Closed some small cities?

Let the speculation begin!

Dreams: CMH-LGA, CMH-HOU, ATL-SJU, BOG, LIM, UIO

Realistic: DAY, CAK, FNT, GRR all shuttered

Here is the relevant thread:
Official schedule extension prediction thread

Why the new thread since there seems to be no new news since I posted the following on May 19th?