Southwest has unveiled its holiday flight schedule and Low Fare Calendar

Southwest Airlines is spreading the holiday cheer early this year by releasing its flight schedule through January 7, 2024. The move was made in anticipation of travelers who are looking to plan their holiday vacations ahead of time.

“We know some [customers] already are thinking about holiday plans and we want them to know we’re ready. Ahead of winter, we are delivering on our plans to add capabilities, tools, and equipment to reliably connect Customers to people and places that matter most in their lives.” Southwest Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson said in a statement.

In addition to releasing their schedule for the major fall and winter occasions including Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas, Travel + Leisure also reports that Southwest has made their Low Fare Calendar accessible for these dates. Experts say that the release of this schedule could mean that now is the best time to purchase tickets for holiday travels.

“Just like winter coats are cheapest in the summer, so too are winter flights. While Christmas is one of the toughest times of the year to find cheap flights, your best odds of scoring one are in the summertime,” Scott Keyes, founder of bargain flight site Going.com, said to Travel + Leisure in a statement.

One-way fares for popular Thanksgiving destinations in 2022 were as low as $145 on routes such as Chicago (MDW) to Orlando, and $173 from Phoenix to Dallas (DFW), according to AAA.

Southwest hasn’t solely allocated savings for the latter months of the year. In May, the airline ran a promotion for summer fights, with fares as low as $59 one way. The sale began on May 23 and ended June 1, and was eligible for continental U.S. travel from June 13 to November 1, 2023.

Roshae Hemmings is an arts and culture magazine journalist from St. Louis, MO. A graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism, Roshae has bylines in the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine and 5280 Magazine discussing topics ranging from pop culture, social justice and eat and drink. She is a foodie at heart and enjoys eating food as much as learning about the story behind it. You can reach Roshae via email at roshaehemmings@detourxp.com.

This story was originally published June 12, 2023 at 9:10 AM with the headline "Southwest has unveiled its holiday flight schedule and Low Fare Calendar."