Southwest Airlines Makes Schedule Changes
The changes reflect a new leisure travel dynamic. Southwest stated on its quarterly earnings call
that it expects to make $500 million by reducing midweek flights and adding over 20 destinations.
Southwest CEO Robert Jordan anticipates business travel to recover slower
than leisure travel. Southwest, for instance, is expanding flights to Phoenix and Florida.
The airline faces more competition in Phoenix as American Airlines expands its hub.
Southwest will reduce capacity on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, often business travel days,
to accommodate the new destinations. The airline will cut its less profitable late-night and early-morning trips.
Southwest plans to deploy more planes for leisure trips while reducing business routes.
Some efforts were made to beat a quarterly profit that topped Wall Street projections by $60 million.
The best and the cheapest places to travel in Europe
Learn more