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 a lot 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 they have just extended out the schedule.
Update 4/23/26: The schedule is now open into early 2027.
New Southwest Schedule Dates Available & Next Scheduled Extension
The newest Southwest schedule extension is as follows:
- On April 23rd, 2025 the schedule is now for sale through January 5, 2027.
That means you can now book some fall flights now.
The next extension will be on May 28th, 2026, and it will open the schedule through March 3, 2027.
Book Now With Points, But Check Back Since Prices Are Inflated
If you already have 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 historically Southwest has gone against common sense and inflates prices on release day. Also, lately, we have seen occasional sales and promotional codes from Southwest that can lower the price even further. 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!
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 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, then go ahead.
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.
Next Southwest Schedule Extension: ToP Thoughts
New 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.
Will you book your Southwest flights today for the newly released dates? Or will you take a wait-and-see approach? Have you noticed flight prices increase or decrease a few days after the calendar opens? Come and tell us your thoughts in the ToP Facebook group.
