Southwest Airlines will be back flying to all of its early 2020 international destinations by mid-November. The news is part of a bundle of announcements Southwest Airlines made on Thursday. On the same day, the airline also confirmed new domestic flights to Bellingham, Washington, and Syracuse, New York.
Southwest heading back to Belize City, Nassau, Grand Cayman, and Providenciales
Southwest intends to resume services to all of its previously served international destinations by November 7, 2021. The airline is already flying to several destinations in the Caribbean and Central America. In addition, services to Belize City (BZE) will resume on November 7, services to Grand Cayman (GCM), Nassau (NAS), and Providenciales (PLS) will resume on October 7.
Flights to Grand Cayman, Nassau, and Providenciales will operate daily to and from Fort Lauderdale (FLL). Commencing November 7, Southwest Airlines will resume flights between Fort Lauderdale and Cancun (CUN) and Montego Bay (MBJ). These flights will also operate daily.
But it is not all about Fort Lauderdale. Houston also sees an international service resume. Southwest's service to Belize City will fly daily from Houston's Hobby Airport (HOU). Flights between Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and Cancun will commence on November 7. This is a seasonal service, complementing Southwest's existing Cancun from Chicago Midway (MDW), and will operate over the upcoming northern winter.
Cancun is getting a lot of love from Southwest Airlines. The airline says they'll fly to Cancun from 17 airports across the United States this upcoming winter. That also includes a Saturday only service from Kansas City (MCI), beginning November 13.
Other new Saturday only international services include flights between Denver (DEN) and Liberia (LIR), Costa Rica, flights between St Louis (STL) and San Juan (SJU), Puerto Rico, and flights between Buffalo/Niagara Falls (BUF) and San Juan. All of these flights will kick off on November 13.
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Southwest expands its footprint across the United States
At the same time, Southwest Airlines is significantly expanding its footprint across the United States. Beginning November 14, the airline will start flying three times a day between Baltimore/Washington (BWI) and Syracuse (SYR).
"Our latest destination in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York not only allows New Yorkers easier access to our growing network but brings the offerings of Upstate New York to our existing customers,” says Southwest's Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Watterson.
From November 7, Bellingham (BLI) will start hosting Southwest flights from Las Vegas (LAS) and Oakland (OAK). The Las Vegas flights will operate daily, while the Oakland flights will run twice daily. Southwest Airlines hopes their new Bellingham services will prove a hit with travelers heading to southern British Columbia.
Southwest had previously announced it was ramping up its flights to Hawaii from Los Angeles (LAX), Las Vegas, and Phoenix (PHX). On Thursday, the airline also added a new flight between Sacramento (SMF) and Kona (KOA) on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, starting December 19.
Sacramento will also see a new daily Southwest service to Palm Springs (PSP) from October 7. From November 7, the airline will also connect Palm Springs to Dallas Love Field (DAL) with a weekly Sunday service (with additional services during peak periods). Over east, Reagan National Airport (DCA) will see daily Southwest services to Sarasota (SRQ) from November 7. On the same day, five day a week services between Sarasota and New York's La Guardia Airport (LGA) will kick-off.
Southwest Airlines says these destinations are proving popular, and the new flights are all about offering their passengers easier access and more choices. Either way, November is going to be a big month at Southwest.