Southwest adds 2 new weekend routes as it extends schedule into April

Southwest Airlines is adding two new nonstop routes to its map. The updates were announced Thursday, when the carrier extended its booking schedule through April 10.

Denver International Airport (DEN) will get a new nonstop to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO), which Southwest will launch on March 11. The airline will operate one round-trip flight each Saturday. Southwest already flies from Denver to the Costa Rican city of Liberia (LIR).

Southwest’s other new route will be a seasonal nonstop between San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Oregon’s Eugene Airport (EUG). That service also begins March 11 and — similarly — will operate only on Saturdays.

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Beyond the two new weekend routes, Southwest touted growth in both Denver and Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) that the carrier says will give it its busiest schedules ever in both cities. Aside from the new Denver-SJO route, Southwest’s growth in the markets will not result in new destinations. Instead, it comes from additional flights on existing routes.

Once the new schedules take effect in March, Southwest will offer up to 270 departures a day from Denver – and increase of 27 from February – and up to 243 daily departures from Las Vegas, an increase of 12.

“We continue strengthening our network across North America with some of our largest schedules ever for our Denver and Las Vegas Customers, and we’re thrilled to give everyone an ability to book now and plan their spring vacations early,” Adam Decaire, Southwest’s vice president of network planning, said in a statement detailing the new service. “With dozens of seasonal routes bolstered with two new and never-before-served routes, a destination for everyone is available on Southwest.com for our schedule now extended out into early April 2023.”

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Featured photo by Justin Sullivan, Getty Images