In the summer of 2023 Southwest Airlines (Love) Initially, there were hints that red-eye routes would be introduced.
The airline, founded in Dallas in 1967 and making its first flight in 1971, has become known over the years for its unique business model. Travelers don’t receive assigned seats, but instead board based on fare class and choose from available seats. And Southwest offered two free checked bags, even in coach (that open-seating policy may be on its way out).
That said, the airline also relied on a reservation system that excluded routes that departed one day and arrived the next morning.
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After confirming that its first night flights will begin in February 2025, Southwest has now specified the new routes.
Southwest Air: Major expansion in Hawaii and Nashville
Centered in Hawaii due to the time difference with the continental United States, the new routes will run from Honolulu to Las Vegas and Phoenix, from Kona on the Big Island to Las Vegas and from Kahului on Maui to Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Routes to Las Vegas will begin in February 2025, while those to Phoenix will join the list on April 8. All will operate daily. All will depart and arrive at similar times: around 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. the day before and arriving around 6:00 a.m. Hawaii time the next day.
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“The five new flights will increase connectivity from the Hawaiian Islands to dozens of destinations in the Southwest,” the airline says of the new routes.
While not overnight flights, the airline also announced a major expansion of Nashville with new daily flights to the city from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Jackson, Mississippi, as well as six-times-weekly flights from Providence, Rhode Island, and five-times-weekly flights from Albany, New York.
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Southwest Air's presence in Nashville reaches 'all-time high'
“The new flights will increase Southwest's scheduled presence in Nashville to an all-time high of 174 Sunday departures in April and May 2025,” the airline said in an additional statement.
Some of Nashville's routes are also making historic comebacks; Southwest used to operate the Nashville-Albuquerque flight in the 1970s and early 1980s but eliminated it in May 1988, while the Providence route was canceled in November 2011.
All of these changes come as Southwest is under scrutiny for its business decisions and lagging financial performance.
Elliott Investment Management, which recently purchased enough shares of the company to call a special shareholder meeting, is calling on investors who agree with its assertion that Chief Executive Bob Jordan should be ousted to buy back shares and vote at a meeting that could be held as early as next week.
In turn, Southwest Air leaders have been saying that they are already taking steps (including new routes and the introduction of night flights) to improve the company's finances.
“We are entering a new era at Southwest, moving with speed and deliberation to transform the company by elevating the customer experience, improving financial performance and driving sustainable shareholder value,” Jordan said in a statement.
