Southwest’s 2025 Schedule Is Here — and It Includes a New Cross-country Route

Southwest Airlines has expanded its booking calendar through next fall and plans to introduce several new and returning domestic routes.

Flights are now bookable through Oct. 1, 2025, Southwest shared with T+L. Along with the announcement, the airline will launch a handful of new domestic routes on Aug. 5, 2025, with a notable expansion out of Orlando: 

• Nashville (BNA) to/from Louisville (SDF): 6x/weekly
• Orlando (MCO) to/from Los Angeles (LAX): Once daily
• Orlando (MCO) to/from Miami (MIA): Once daily
• Orlando (MCO) to/from Sarasota (SRQ): Twice daily

On the same day, Southwest will resume several domestic flights, including once-daily service between Austin (AUS) and San Francisco (SFO), last flown in 2019; twice-daily service between Indianapolis (IND) and Chicago (MDW), which was discontinued in 2020; and twice-daily service between Orlando (MCO) and West Palm Beach (PBI), absent from the schedule since 2002. 

That’s not all, though. Beginning Aug. 10, 2025, Southwest will introduce a new seasonal service between Phoenix (PHX) and Santa Barbara (SBA). This West Coast connection will operate just once weekly, exclusively on Sundays.

Southwest Airlines, known for extending its booking calendar every two months, plans its next schedule release on February 6, 2025, covering travel through November 1, 2025. These updates often include the announcement of new routes.

The announcement also follows Southwest’s decision to shift its business model to a “24-hour operation,” launching red-eye flights in February 2025, primarily on cross-country routes and services between the mainland U.S. and Hawaii. 

Additionally, in 2025, the airline will begin introducing its new (and somewhat controversial) seats on newly delivered Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX-8 aircraft. While maintaining the familiar 3-3 configuration, the redesigned seats will feature a slimmer profile, adjustable headrests, and increased under-seat storage space.