Next Southwest Schedule Extension
The next Southwest schedule extension is upon us, which means you can take a peek at several more months worth of flights. There are plenty of positives to Southwest and its Rapid Rewards program, but one downside is they don't release flights 11 months out like many other airlines. That means at times you only have a 4-month or so window to lock in flights. Not ideal, but today is a good day since the airline has just extended out the schedule. UPDATE 8/27/26: The schedule is now open through June 2, 2027, meaning you can grab flights for late spring and early summer.
New Southwest Schedule Dates Available & Next Scheduled Extension
The next Southwest schedule extension lineup is as follows:
- The schedule is now on sale through June 2, 2027. That means as of August 27, 2026, you can now book some summer 2027 flights.
- The next extension is currently set for October 15, 2026. The airline will then open the schedule through August 2, 2027, meaning you can make more summer plans. Southwest notes that this date is subject to change, though, so you can monitor updates here.
Southwest Strategy: Book Now With Points, But Check Back Later
If you already have Rapid Rewards in your account, then you can typically be ready to book the flights whenever the next Southwest schedule extension hits. If you don't, and would need to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards or Bilt Rewards, then you may want to hold off. Historically, Southwest inflates prices on release day. We have often seen prices drop significantly just a day or two later. And lately, we have seen sales and promotional codes from Southwest that can lower the price even further.
If you are a frequent Southwest flyer, or know you will use the points later either way, you might as well lock it in with points now. Because if it drops, you can always rebook and get the points back. Keep in mind that if you transfer points to Southwest to book a flight and later decide to cancel or rebook, the refunded points would now be stranded in your Southwest account instead of your Ultimate Rewards or Bilt Rewards balance. That may not be a big deal for some who use Southwest regularly, but it is something to be aware of if you are an infrequent Southwest flyer. And of course, if the price is better than what you see on competitor airlines for the same route anyway, you are winning either way.
Next Southwest Schedule Extension: ToP Thoughts
The next Southwest schedule extension day is always exciting for Southwest loyalists. But as we noted above, it isn't always the best deal. We recommend checking the routes you are interested in to see if flight times work. If you have the points needed, you can even go ahead and lock it in since there is no downside. Otherwise, wait a day or two to see if the price drops before moving any points over. While there were a lot of negative changes to Southwest recently, there's still a lot of utility in the program. Especially for anyone who already holds a Southwest credit card or the famous Companion Pass. Have you noticed Southwest flight prices increase or decrease a few days after the calendar opens? Come and tell us your thoughts in the ToP Facebook group.
