Southwest Airlines experiences delays in launching overnight connecting flights
Travelers flying with Southwest Airlines may be able to grab some shuteye on their next flight.
Southwest recently announced it would soon offer overnight flights.
The original date for the launch of sales for the new flights was Monday, June 26. That date has been delayed, however, according to a statement released by the airline. “The work has been delayed and we do not have a sell date and we’re working on communicating this update to our employees this week.”
According to View From The Wing, the new flights won’t be the preferred red eye flight, but will use their current schedule to sell itineraries that involve an overnight at six airports. The select cities where the overnight connections will be offered include Baltimore, Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago Midway, and Oakland.
The outlet provided a breakdown of some of the carrier’s longest flights and how they will now look with overnight connections. The trip from Honolulu to Houston will now have one overnight stop. Passengers will depart from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu at 3:00 p.m. local time and then connect at Oakland International Airport overnight. They will arrive in Houston by 10:45 a.m. the following day.
The newly offered itinerary from Seattle to Cancun will allow travelers to hit the beach early.
Passengers will depart from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 10:00 p.m. local time and connect to Denver International Airport. They will be feeling the Cancun sun by 12:15 p.m. local time.
The outlet did add a disclaimer stating that because of “operational needs, staffing, and airport services available,” unaccompanied minors can’t book these connections.
The airline is offering passengers first dibs on overnight accommodations if there are any issues with plane operations. However, the outlet states they are also open to choosing daytime itineraries if the instances happen.
The overnight connectors may indicate Southwest is taking steps to begin offering red eye flights.
View From The Wing claims that the airline’s reservation system can now support those requests, but the company’s limited pilot capacity could be a hindrance.
Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her favorite things to cover include “person of interest” pieces, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything about Beyoncé. Her bylines can be found in Blavity, Black Excellence, Signature Bride, Black Wall Street Times, and HipHop Weekly. Martie can be reached via email at martiebowser@detourxp.com.
This story was originally published June 26, 2023 at 1:27 PM.