Southwest Airlines Expands Its Global Reach: New Flights to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Mexico, Alaska, and Beyond in 2026

Published on December 24, 2025

Southwest Airlines is preparing one of its most expansive annual schedules in years. The 2026 plan focuses on leisure destinations, secondary airports and point‑to‑point links rather than the traditional hub‑and‑spoke model. After years of pandemic‑related schedule adjustments the airline is returning to growth and exploring markets it has never served before. The schedule’s expansion underscores its return to growth after years of restrained capacity. The list below summarizes each new route by season, highlighting where and when service begins without delving into operational minutiae.

February–April 2026: Caribbean, Tennessee and West Coast openings

• St. Thomas (5 Feb) – Orlando–St. Thomas daily service starts; from 7 Feb peak‑day flights link Baltimore/Washington to the island.
• Knoxville (5 Mar) – Twice‑daily Knoxville–Nashville flights and daily Knoxville links to Baltimore/Washington, Dallas and Orlando put eastern Tennessee on the Southwest map.
• San Diego (5 Mar) – The new Terminal 1 sees year‑round daily flights from San Diego to Eugene, Kahului, Portland, Puerto Vallarta and Seattle; seasonal Saturday flights to Bozeman and Spokane follow on 7 Mar.
• Santa Rosa (7 Apr) – New service from California’s Wine Country includes daily San Diego and Las Vegas flights, Burbank flights five days a week and a Saturday link to Denver.
• St. Maarten (7 Apr) – A daily Orlando–St. Maarten roundtrip launches; on 9 Apr weekend flights add Baltimore/Washington–St. Maarten.

These early‑year additions underscore the leisure and regional focus. Caribbean flights to St. Thomas and St. Maarten expand its island reach, Knoxville and Santa Rosa bring the airline to new domestic cities, and San Diego’s Terminal 1 connects Southern California to Hawaii, Mexico and the Pacific Northwest. Taken together, these routes span Caribbean islands, Tennessee and California, showing investment in domestic and international markets and diversifying departure points.

May–June 2026: Alaska, Mexico and Hawaii

• Anchorage (15 May) – Once‑daily summer flights link Anchorage to Denver and Las Vegas, making Alaska Southwest’s 122nd destination.
• Las Vegas–Mexico (4 Jun) – New nonstops connect Las Vegas to Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, giving Nevadans direct access to both Caribbean and Pacific resorts.
• San Diego–Boston (4 Jun) – A daily link bridges Southern California and New England without connections.
• Southern California–Honolulu (4 Jun & 4 Aug) – Ontario gains daily Honolulu flights on 4 Jun; Burbank adds peak‑day Honolulu service on 4 Aug, complementing existing Hawaii gateways.

The second wave of launches expands Southwest’s range with long‑haul and international additions. Anchorage becomes the airline’s first destination in Alaska, allowing passengers to reach the Last Frontier without changing carriers. Nonstop routes from Las Vegas to Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta signal its ambition to turn Nevada’s tourism capital into a resort gateway. A Boston link provides a direct east‑west flight to San Diego, and new Hawaii flights offer Southern California travellers more Honolulu gateways. Together these moves show a strategy spanning Alaska, Mexico and the continental U.S.

August 2026: West Coast connectors and Santa Barbara service

• San Diego–Santa Barbara (4 Aug) – Once‑daily flights connect the two California cities.
• Long Beach–Portland/Seattle (4 Aug) – Six‑day‑per‑week service links Long Beach with Portland and Seattle.
• Burbank–Honolulu (4 Aug) – Peak‑day flights add another Hawaii gateway for Los Angeles‑area travellers.

By August the focus turns to linking secondary airports on the West Coast. New flights between San Diego and Santa Barbara and between Long Beach and Portland or Seattle, plus Burbank–Honolulu service, provide alternatives to Los Angeles International and shorten regional trips.

Why these routes matter

These launches show Southwest broadening its footprint without abandoning its core point‑to‑point model. Adding Alaska and the U.S. Virgin Islands opens leisure markets, while flights from Las Vegas to Mexico give Nevadans direct access to popular resorts. Linking mid‑sized cities like Knoxville and Santa Rosa reduces dependence on congested hubs and strengthens intra‑state travel. Expanded Hawaii options and seasonal flights illustrate how the airline tailors capacity to demand peaks. Some routes operate only on select days; booking early is advisable. Overall, the 2026 schedule underscores Southwest’s focus on leisure travel and alternative airports, offering customers more nonstop options and simpler journeys.

Reference List

• Southwest Airlines investor relations press release “The Golden State Growth Goes On: Book on Southwest Today for Late Summer 2026” (Nov. 25, 2025)[1].
• Southwest Airlines investor relations press release “The Summer We Turned Plenty of Vacation Dreams into Reality: Book Summer 2026 on Southwest Today!” (Oct. 9, 2025)[2][3].
• Southwest Airlines investor relations press release “Island Increase: Southwest to Serve St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Beginning in Early 2026” (July 14, 2025)[4].
• PR Newswire release “Choose What You Prefer! New Fare Bundles, Extra Legroom Seats, Assigned Seating, and St. Thomas, USVI, Now on Sale” (Nov. 2025)[5].
• Southwest Airlines investor relations press release “Tennessee One, Two, Three! New Southwest Service at Knoxville and Spring Break Schedule Available for Purchase” (Aug. 14, 2025)[6][7].
• Southwest Airlines investor relations press release “Fly for Peanuts! Southwest to Serve Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in April 2026” (Sept. 10, 2025)[8].
• County of Sonoma press release “Charles M. Schulz — Sonoma County Airport welcomes new Southwest Airlines service” (Sept. 10, 2025)[9].
• PR Newswire release “New Places, New Partner: Southwest Sets Sights on St. Maarten and Begins New Relationship with EVA Air” (Aug. 26, 2025)[10][11].
• Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport announcement “From Big Sky to Beach Vibes! BZN is Gearing Up for Summer 2026 Service to Long Beach, CA and Expanded Service to San Diego, CA on Southwest Airlines” (Oct. 9, 2025)[12].
• Southwest Airlines investor relations press release “The Golden State Growth Goes On: Book on Southwest Today for Late Summer 2026” (for Burbank–Honolulu and Long Beach–Portland/Seattle flights)[13].
• PR Newswire release “Choose What You Prefer! New Fare Bundles, Extra Legroom Seats, Assigned Seating, and St. Thomas, USVI, Now on Sale” (for St. Thomas schedule details)[5].