When will the Southwest flight schedule for October, November and December 2024 flights be released?

The airline has currently opened the Southwest Flight Schedule for booking through November 2, 2024. So you will have to wait to book those holiday flights!

The holidays can be a busy time to fly with high fares, so the next flight release day will be a great time to purchase your flights for the holidays.

If you want help paying as little as possible for Southwest fares, I highly encourage you to join my Families Fly Free membership below, where I show you all my INDUSTRY INSIDER hacks to help you pay 1/4 of the price (in points OR dollars) for Southwest flights!

Want to learn the EASY way to fly for free by collecting and redeeming travel rewards? Join us in Families Fly Free, the premier online travel club where you can learn our SIMPLE, step-by-step system and save thousands of dollars in the process, while enjoying 1-on-1 support, a vibrant community and timely travel webinars and alerts. It's helped hundreds of families and thousands of people be able to travel MORE while spending less -- all while making priceless memories with their families.

 

See what members have to say...

 

 

Why Is It Important to Schedule Southwest Flights on the Day They Are Released?

Southwest only releases about 4-12 weeks of flights at a time, and fare prices when they are first released, especially on popular routes, are often at their lowest.

Many of our readers say they see prices go up by $50-$100 within a matter of hours on the release date! So it’s important to try and book flights as early as you can on the Southwest release date if you want to save.

That said, when booking a flight on Southwest, you can still always continue to check and see if the price has dropped from what you originally paid.

If it has, you can re-book online if you paid with points and get the points difference put right back into your account.

If you paid in cash, you can also re-book online or by calling Southwest at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA and get a “credit” back for the difference in fare if you purchased their cheapest Wanna Get Away fare.

 

How Do I Book Southwest Flights on the Release Date?

Southwest Schedule Flights

It’s helpful if you can book flights as soon as they are released, but what time is that? Unfortunately, Southwest will not say what TIME on the release date they will release flights, though generally we have found that release times range between 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET.

Members of our Families Fly Free membership program are alerted via text as soon as Southwest flights are released so they can take full advantage. This is one of many benefits of membership.

When you get on to book flights on the release date, if you don’t see flights on your mobile device, try your desktop or vice versa, as sometimes they are available on one platform first. I’ve most recently seen them first on desktop in Southwest’s Low Fare Calendar.

Additionally, they typically release flights in batches, so you may see them appear on one route before others. Just keep checking!

 

What Are Other Ways to Save on Southwest Flights?

A southwest airlines plane is taking off from the runway.
Credit: Brian from Toronto, Canada via Wikimedia Commons

A simple way to save on Southwest flights after you’ve booked them on the release date is to continue to check and see if the price of the fare has dropped.

Because Southwest does not charge change fees, you can either get a credit or your points back for the difference in the fare price when you re-book at the lower price.

If you purchased a Wanna Get Away fare in dollars, you’ll get a Southwest Travel Fund (credit) for the difference. These no longer expire, but they are not transferrable.

If you purchased the fare originally with points, the points difference goes immediately back into your account when you re-book at the lower fare.

 

Booking Southwest Airline Hawaii Flights

Southwest Airlines Hawaii
Credit Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines’ Hawaii flights are some of the most popular, so buying when they are first release is a GREAT WAY to save on the cost of airfare to Hawaii.

Southwest flies directly to:

  • Oahu
  • Maui
  • Kauai
  • Big island of Hawaii

You can fly direct from:

  • Long Beach
  • Oakland
  • Sacramento
  • San Diego
  • San Jose
  • LAX
  • Las Vegas
  • Phoenix

Here’s everything you need to know about Southwest Airlines Hawaii flights.

Southwest wing Hawaii Maui beach

You can also learn how to fly free AND stay free in Hawaii inside our Families Fly Free membership, which has multiple webinars on traveling free to Hawaii.

My family flew from Chicago to Maui for 30,000 points for FOUR people with a Southwest Companion Pass over spring break and Easter weekend! We can show you how to get deals like that as a member, as well.

 

Earning the Southwest Companion Pass

Southwest_Companion_Pass
Credit: Southwest Airlines

If you’d like to bring someone free with you on your Southwest flights, I highly recommend earning the Southwest Companion Pass, which is good for up to 2 years.

Once you accrue 135,000 points, you’ll have a pass where one person can always fly free with you (aside from the $5.60 mandatory government security fee per way).

Southwest Companion Pass

The Southwest Companion Pass lasts from the time you earn it until the end of the FOLLOWING year, but all qualifying points must be collected in one calendar year: January 1-December 31.

Want More Points for Free Flights on Southwest?

card_name

 

Check out the Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Visa cards, which let you earn tens of thousands of points that you can use to book free flights on Southwest!

These points also qualify for the 135,000 you need to earn the Southwest Companion Pass, so one person can fly free with you for up to 2 years.

These include...

    • card_name  (Personal: bonus_miles after a $1,000 minimum spend in 3 months)
    • card_name  (Personal: bonus_miles after a $1,000 minimum spend in 3 months)
    • card_name  (Personal: bonus_miles after a $1,000 minimum spend in 3 months)
    • card_name  (Small business: bonus_miles after a $5,000 minimum spend in 3 months; annual_fees annual fee)
    • card_name  (Small business: bonus_miles after a $3,000 minimum spend in 3 months; annual_fees annual fee)

Keep in mind you can only hold ONE personal Southwest card at a time, though you can hold two Southwest business cards.

To ensure you time these cards in the best way possible to easily ALWAYS have a Southwest Companion Pass, join hundreds of others inside our Families Fly Free membership, the simplest, most organized, most supportive system for flying your whole family for free.

Read this post to compare/contrast all Southwest credit cards.

When Will Southwest Airlines Schedule October, November and December Flights?

Southwest sale
A Southwest plane over Washington, DC

You can currently book flights through November 2, 2024. So you will need to wait to book those holiday flights.

Southwest has announced the next flight release date will be March 21, 2024 for booking flights through January 6, 2025.

Southwest typically releases flights every 4-6 weeks, though these dates are subject to change, so check back frequently.

Also note that Southwest often CHANGES the release date after first announcing it. If you want to get a text alert if and when that occurs, as well as be notified as SOON as flights are posted ON the release date, we recommend joining our Families Fly Free membership.

As a member, you’ll get these notifications, as well as many other benefits to develop a plan for your family to simply and easily fly free and access to live weekly webinars about travel-saving topics.

______________________________________________

My Favorite Travel Credit Card: Chase Sapphire Preferred

card_name

 

If you want to earn EVEN MORE Southwest points, the card_name, my FAVORITE travel credit card, offers bonus_miles after meeting a $4,000 minimum spend in the first three months and a low annual_fees annual fee.

Thanks for using our affiliate link to apply below...

card_name

  • Flexible points transfer to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio instantly and are worth DOUBLE if you have a Southwest Companion Pass
  • 3X points on dining 
  • 2X points on travel
  • 10% points bonus annually on spending
  • Primary car rental insurance
  • Trip interruption and cancellation insurance

Please note, this card’s points DO NOT qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass but CAN be used to book FREE flights on Southwest.

Read my full review of Chase Sapphire Preferred.

______________________________________________

Where do you hope to travel next? Our family would highly recommend checking out San Diego, Marco Island, Pigeon Forge or some of our country’s amazing National Parks.

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Here are our posts on these fabulous destinations:

Author