Southwest Is Launching These Routes to Florida in Time for Winter Travel

Southwest Airlines is bringing back a few popular domestic routes to connect travelers to warm-weather destinations early next year.

Starting in January, the airline will launch a few seasonal routes just in time for peak winter travel. These new services will operate with varying frequencies for several weeks before concluding in early March: 

• Providence (PVD) to Palm Beach (PBI): Up to 4x weekly
• Columbus (CMH) to Miami (MIA): Up to 6x weekly
• Pittsburgh (PIT) to Miami (MIA): Up to 6x weekly
• Chicago (MDW) to Palm Springs (PSP): Up to 4x weekly

“We continue to optimize our schedule for today’s customer—listening to their preferences and responding accordingly,” a spokesperson for Southwest said in a statement shared with T+L. “Southwest is happy to connect these traditionally colder locales with sunny skies and sand during the wintertime.”

All of these flights can be booked directly on Southwest’s website, where travelers can also find the full schedule for each new service. To meet travel demand after the holidays, the airline mentioned to T+L that these seasonal routes are more likely to be offered on popular travel days, such as Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, rather than on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

While Southwest will be the only airline to operate service between Chicago-Midway and Palm Springs, American Airlines and United Airlines both offer nonstop service from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to the Sonoran Desert. Other carriers, such as JetBlue and American Airlines, already operate the other new seasonal routes listed.

Additionally, Southwest allows travelers to bring two free checked bags, a major differentiator from other carriers. The announcement of these new flights comes days after Southwest announced an overhaul to its open-boarding policy recent overhaul of its open-boarding policy. Although it’s not yet confirmed when assigned seating will take effect, this marks a significant change after 50 years of open seating.