Southwest Airlines: Red-Eye Flights On The Radar

BOGOTA—Southwest Airlines is planning for future red-eye flights, an evolution of its existing network model.

“We don't have a specific date, but it’s in the plans and we're working on it,” confirmed CCO Ryan Green at Routes Americas 2024 in Bogotá. Elaborating on timing further, he projected that overnight flights could start as soon as two years from now, seeing Las Vegas and Hawaii as two of the markets where it might work well for the carrier.

Some logistics remain before overnight flying can begin, he noted.

“There's some technology to work through, there's some labor agreement stuff to work through,” Green said. “I think there's probably early opportunity of 50 flights a day maybe that are red-eye flying, so it's definitely on the radar and I would put it kind of in the, I would just say, ‘couple year’ horizon.”

A cornerstone of its network, the carrier currently operates 1,732 weekly flights to Las Vegas, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data for the week commencing March 25, 2024, and 604 to Hawaii.

More News And Analysis From Routes Americas 2024

“I think Vegas is going to be a place where we can do some red-eye flying, use the aircraft—sweat those assets a little bit harder—that allows us to generate ASMs without having to buy aircraft, which is helpful from a cash-flow perspective,” Green said. “But Vegas is one of those markets that I think will fit in nicely with red-eyes.”

He added, “This would definitely be a benefit to some of our Hawaii service.”

The carrier is in the midst of a cabin modification, featuring larger bins—big enough to eliminate the need to gate-check bags, Green said—as well as in-seat power, an overhaul of its Wi-Fi product and, beginning at the end of 2024, pending any capacity issues, new Recaro seating.

Another item on the carrier’s radar would build off trials completed in Sacramento, California, several years ago: dual boarding, from front and rear doors. Though not being actively pursued in earnest at present, it is a potential efficiency measure the carrier believes could provide benefit in certain cities.

“It's easy to do that in good-weather places like Sacramento, it's harder to do that in bad-weather places where it rains a lot and snows a lot,” Green noted. “It is something that is out there as we think through all of our different efficiency initiatives—is that one of the things that might make sense in some places?”