Southwest Airlines is launching several new routes this summer, including a new service connecting two top Hawaiian destinations.
Beginning June 5, the airline will offer daily flights between Sacramento (SMF) and Santa Barbara, California (SBA), as well as weekly flights between San Jose, California (SJC) and Eugene, Oregon (EUG).
On the same date, the carrier will also increase frequencies on a number of routes within Hawaii Island, including service between Honolulu (HNL) and Maui, Hilo (ITO), Kona (KOA) and Kauai, and Kona and Maui.
The changes are part of a summer schedule adjustment the airline is making in response to increasing demand for business travel and growing strain on airline route networks thinned by coronavirus cutbacks.
“For a gamut of travelers seeking business opportunity, faraway fun, or family time, these new routes and additional flights put the Hospitality and value of Southwest Airlines in front of more of our Customers,” Andrew Watterson, the executive vice president, and chief commercial officer at Southwest, said in a statement.
“We recently extended our flight schedule to early November, and we’re making available new service sooner for planning early summertime journeys.”
In addition to the new routes, Southwest said it was adjusting frequencies across its network to boost routes in some West Coast markets.
Flights between San Diego (SAN) and Sacramento, San Jose and Oakland (OAK) will increase to up to 20 weekly flights.
Flights between San Jose and Las Vegas (LAS), Long Beach (LGB), Orange County (SNA), Boise (BOI), Spokane, Washington (GEG), Portland, Oregon (PDX), and Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) will gradually increase over the summer.
“For the summer and fall, we’ve given San Jose Customers more flights on California short-haul business routes and into Las Vegas,” said Adam Decaire, Vice President of Network Planning at Southwest Airlines.
“Based on currently published schedules, Southwest offers more service between Silicon Valley and the Northwest than any other carrier.”