Southwest Airlines is extending its flight schedule into early next summer and introducing new destinations from its Nashville hub. The airline, which usually releases its schedule eight months in advance, has just released its booking calendar through June 4, 2025, announced Wednesday. With the schedule update, the carrier has announced several key updates across its network. For starters, the carrier will expand significantly out of Nashville International Airport (BNA), which has been one of Southwest's fastest-growing hubs and newest crew bases. Starting April 8, 2025, the carrier will begin daily service from Nashville to Albuquerque, Jackson, and Tulsa; as well as up to 6x weekly flights to Providence and up to 5x weekly flights to Albany. In addition, the airline will offer “intra-Tennessee service for the first time” with its brand-new, once-daily service from Nashville to Memphis. “The new flights will boost Southwest’s scheduled presence in Nashville to an all-time high of 174 Sunday departures in April and May 2025,” the airline wrote in a statement. The new route announcement comes as the airline is undergoing notable changes, as Southwest will introduce its first-ever overnight flights to its network next February. With today’s announcement, the airline shared a few more routes that will see redeye service — flights from Honolulu to Las Vegas and Phoenix, Kona to Las Vegas, and Maui to Las Vegas and Phoenix will be offered as red-eyes starting April 8, 2025.
Capitalize on Alaska-Hawaiian merger: Potential strategies to maximize your miles, elite status and more
20.09.2024 - 22:07 / thepointsguy.com / Clint Henderson
Attention, points and miles enthusiasts: You've probably been keeping up with the breaking aviation news regarding Alaska Airlines' acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. On Tuesday, the merger was finalized, and details were revealed regarding how the two airlines would continue to operate while maintaining their distinct brands.
Details cited in the document outlining the agreement between the airlines stated they will eventually utilize one loyalty program, with further details to come in mid-2025. For now, Alaska Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles members will retain their current miles and, later this month, be able to transfer their miles between accounts at a 1:1 ratio.
This is huge news for members of both loyalty programs, as you can plan to maximize your miles between the two airlines to book award tickets. Hawaiian Airlines is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards. Alaska Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance. Now there will also be a status match offered by the carriers. This opens up all kinds of intriguing possibilities.
Here are some actionable steps you can take to strategize how you can potentially capitalize on the Alaska-Hawaiian merger.
In August, the Department of Justice decided not to block the merger proposal between the airlines. Before the news was announced that miles would transfer between the loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio, TPG's managing editor Clint Henderson took a gamble and decided to open not one but two Hawaiian Airlines cobranded credit cards.
Related: Hawaiian Airlines-Alaska Airlines merger: Loyalty program details revealed
With the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®, you can earn 70,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 90 days. This card includes two free checked bags on eligible flights, a $100 companion discount for round-trip travel between Hawaii and North America on Hawaiian Airlines after each account anniversary, a one-time 50% discount on a companion ticket, discounted award flights and more.
With the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®, you can earn 50,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days; plus, earn an additional 20,000 bonus miles if you spend $50,000 to $99,999 — or 40,000 bonus miles if you spend $100,000 or more — in annual purchases.
The information for the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Why I applied for 2 Hawaiian Airlines cards on the same day
Alaska Airlines also offers two cobranded credit cards, the Alaska
Four Seasons Is Debuting a Brand-new Private Jet Trip in 2026 — With Stops in Napa, Vietnam, Istanbul, and More
Luxury hospitality company Four Seasons is wowing travelers with a brand-new around-the-world private jet trip from California back to Canada, touching on three different continents.
Things We Love: The Matador Team's 10 Favorite Pieces of Travel Gear and More This Month
The best thing about August isn’t the searing heat – it’s the fact that summer has matured and there’s been (hopefully) plenty of time to get out and test new gear. Matador’s editors tested everything from socks and underwear to luggage to mountain bike gloves this month, and below is the stuff we loved most. The editor who recommended each is listed, so if you have beef – or a competing product – you know who to contact. Preference was given, as it should be, to brands working towards more sustainable production methods.
No more Blade helicopter rides: JetBlue scraps unique Mosaic elite status perk
JetBlue made a major splash last week when it revealed that it will open its first-ever airport lounges in New York and Boston, a move that will bolster the allure of top-tier elite status in its TrueBlue loyalty program.
Check your account: Earn American Airlines Loyalty Points on award flights (targeted)
Attention, American Airlines members: If you're chasing elite status with the carrier, you should check your American Airlines AAdvantage account, as you may be targeted for an end-of-the-year promotion. A few TPG staff members were targeted with a new American Airlines promotion to earn Loyalty Points on award flights.
JetBlue CEO’s Outlook on Mergers, Lounges and Engine Issues
Nearly nine months into the job, JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty has dealt with an activist investor, Pratt and Whitney engine issues and the fallout of JetBlue’s failed merger with Spirit Airlines.
What to Know About the Alaska Airlines Merger with Hawaiian Airlines — and Why the Government Approved It
Alaska Airlines’ merger with Hawaiian Airlines was finalized on Wednesday with both carriers maintaining their brand identity.
I visited Waiheke Island, the 'Hamptons of New Zealand,' where Taylor Swift has vacationed and the ultra-rich reside. Take a look around.
Waiheke Island, off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand, is known to attract a wealthy crowd.
U.S. to Allow Alaska-Hawaiian Merger to Proceed
The Department of Transportation said Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines can proceed with their $1.9 billion merger after it secured a set of consumer protections from the two carriers.
Alaska-Hawaiian merger will protect frequent flyer miles as part of major DOT agreement
The Department of Transportation said on Tuesday that it had taken a major step towards approving the merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, effectively allowing the two airlines to close the deal.
JetBlue's Latest Sale Has Flights to Maine, Florida, and More Starting at $19 — but You'll Have to Book Soon
JetBlue has slashed fares on dozens of popular flights for travelers who book by the end of today — and tickets are available from a record-low $19 one-way.
American Airlines to Cut These Routes to Las Vegas, Orlando, and More — Here's Why
American Airlines is going back to basics in Austin after experimenting with dozens of new nonstop flights during the pandemic. The carrier will no longer be an option for Austinites eager to visit Bourbon Street in New Orleans after October or soak up the history of Boston’s Freedom Walk after November. Nonstop flights to both cities are among the seven that will end in the next few months. Also gone are American’s nonstops from Austin to Las Vegas and Orlando in October; Nashville and Raleigh-Durham in November; and Orange County, Calif., in January 2025, Cirium Diio schedule data shows. The reductions bring to an end a pandemic experiment for American that peaked at nonstop flights from Austin to more than 45 cities in early 2023. The cuts are part of a “continuous evaluation” of American’s network, an airline spokesperson told Travel + Leisure on Monday. “American will continue to offer customers access to our comprehensive global network of more than 350 destinations with one-stop connections,” the spokesperson added. Other factors include the rapid airline industry growth in Austin during the pandemic and the now slowing travel recovery.