Next Southwest Schedule Extension
The next Southwest schedule extension is upon us, which means you can take a peak at several more months worth of flights. There are a lot of positives to Southwest & their 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 they have just extended out the schedule.
Update 3/21/24: The schedule has been extended again.
New Southwest Schedule Dates Available & Next Scheduled Extension
The newest Southwest schedule extension is as follows (usually live between 6AM and 7AM EST):
- On March 21, 2024 we will open our schedule for sale through January 6, 2025.
That means you can now book some early holiday flights.
- On April 25, 2024 they will open their schedule for sale through March 5, 2025.
Book Now With Points But Check Back Since Prices Are Inflated
If you already have the Rapid Rewards in your account then you can book the flights at schedule open. If you don't, and would need to transfer Ultimate Rewards, then you may want to hold off. That is because Southwest has been going against common sense and inflating prices on release day. We have often seen prices drop significantly just a day or two later. It should be the early bird gets the worm but Southwest is giving the early bird no worm for double the cost!
I say you might as well lock it in with points because if it drops you can always rebook and get the points back. You could do the same thing if you needed to transfer points into your account (rebook for less) but the refunded points would now be stranded in your Southwest account versus your Ultimate 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. This should all be prefaced with, if the price is well below the competition already then go for it!
Next Southwest Schedule Extension: ToP Thoughts
New Southwest schedule extension day is always exciting for Southwest loyalists but it isn't always the best deal as we noted above. I still check routes I am interested in to see if flight times etc. work. If I have the points needed I will even go ahead and lock it in since there is no downside. If I don't have the points already then I am more likely to wait a day or two to see if the price drops before moving any points over.
There is some risk that the price goes up but I think it is more likely they go down. At least that has been the pattern the last few times around. You can always compare it to other airlines on the same route to see if it seems like a good deal. If it is on the lower end of the spectrum then go ahead and book.
