Southwest May Soon Have Red-eye Flights — Here's What the CEO Had to Say

12.11.2023 - 13:51 / travelandleisure.com / Bob Jordan

Southwest Airlines doesn’t operate red-eye flights, but that may soon change.

That’s because CEO Bob Jordan called the overnight flights a “logical evolution” for the airline in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. 

“We have the aircraft, it’s a great way to use an asset that you already have and use it more productively which means more hours in the day,” he said. “So, we will be doing red-eyes.”

While the idea is likely on the horizon, that doesn’t mean Southwest customers should expect late-night flights immediately. Jordan told the paper the concept of red-eye’s would work in “certain markets” and “there’s a world” where the airline would operate them, but it was something Southwest still had to figure out.

A representative for Southwest did not respond to a request for comment from Travel + Leisure on the possibility of red-eye flights.

Overnight flights are a popular choice for jumping ahead across multiple time zones, especially when headed from the West Coast to the East Coast or to Europe. It allows travelers to go to sleep on the airplane and wake up in a new city in the morning.

But while it’s certainly convenient, it can also lead to jet lag. To beat that, travelers can try to adjust their sleep schedule before their flight, book a red-eye flight that most closely matches their normal sleep habits, pick a seat that allows them to relax (we’re looking at you window seats), and pack whatever gear you need to chill out.

The concept of launching red-eye flights comes as Southwest is in the process of upgrading its onboard experience as well as making it easier for customers to earn status in 2024. Southwest has also made it easier to earn a popular Companion Pass for a limited time by giving registered travelers who fly by Nov. 30 double Companion Pass qualifying points on those flights.