When will Southwest release August and September 2026 flights?
That’s a question many of you want to know so you can get your late summer and early fall plans in order.
Southwest Airlines typically releases flights in batches of about one to two months at a time with new flights and dates released about every four to 10 weeks.
Keep reading to find out when you can book these flights for your late summer and early fall travels…
A simple system to use miles & points with the support you need for success...
Introducing Families Fly Free, my proven system to maximize your miles and make more memories.
Get my repeatable Fly Free Formula™, a personalized travel rewards blueprint and the expert support you need to finally use your points with confidence—without the overwhelm or wasted perks.
Trusted by hundreds of families with more than $6 million in travel savings. If you're ready to stop doing this alone and make free travel your new normal, learn more HERE.
Fly your family free FOREVER
The good news?
The Southwest Flight Schedule is now open for booking through October 31, 2026.
Find out when the next release will be released below…
What Time Can You Book Flights on the Day of Release?
Southwest will not officially say WHAT TIME they release flights on the scheduled release date. We’ve found them as early at 7 a.m. ET and as late at 10:30 a.m. ET, but it varies wildly.
You never know exactly WHEN they will be released, and often there seem to be “software bugs,” which cause a delay.
Be sure to check both the app AND the website on the release date, as sometimes they release in one medium before the other.
Additionally, they seem to release them in batches, so keep checking!
We also alert our Families Fly Free members via text as soon as Southwest flights are released so you can be one of the first people to book flights!
Book as Soon as Flights Are Available
Many of our readers report that they get cheaper flights by booking AS SOON AS flights are released.
It definitely helps when it comes to the most expensive times of year to fly, which includes July, as well as the winter holidays, or for popular destinations like Florida and Hawaii.
Readers report flights increased by as much as $50 or 3,000 points just a few hours after they booked them at the crack of dawn on the release date :)!
Flight releases are also a good opportunity to book cheap Southwest Hawaii flights that have not yet been released.
Even if you end up not needing the flights, remember you can always cancel and re-book with NO CHANGE FEES on Southwest.
How ONE Person Can Always Fly FREE With You on Southwest!
Did you know you can bring someone with you FREE on ANY Southwest flight?
All you have to do is earn the Southwest Companion Pass!
The Southwest Companion Pass lets you bring one person with you FREE, not just once like most airlines, but from the time you earn it until the END of the FOLLOWING year.
That can be almost TWO full years and it’s hands-down the BEST deal in travel.
You’ll get a personalized plan to earn and always have a Southwest Companion Pass for your family as a member of Families Fly Free.
How to Earn Companion Pass-Qualifying Southwest Points
To quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass, your best bet is to apply for 2 Southwest credit cards:
- 1 personal and
- 1 small business
With these cards typically offering a 40,000- to 80,000-point bonus after meeting the required minimum spend, two cards can quickly get you all 135,000 points you need to earn the Southwest Companion Pass.
Want More Points for Free Flights on Southwest?
Check out the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit 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.
See my full review of the Southwest cards.
Keep in mind you can only hold ONE personal Southwest card at a time, though you can hold 2 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 travelers inside Families Fly Free, where I share a simple system to always fly your family for free together with the 1-on-1 support and real-time information you need to be successful year after year.
You can compare and contrast all the Southwest cards and see each card’s benefits HERE.
When Will Southwest Release August and September Flights?
Currently Southwest flights are available for booking through October 31, 2026.
Southwest has announced the next flight release date will be April 2nd for booking through January 4, 2027.
Southwest often changes that date and as a member of Families Fly Free, you get real-time alerts when those changes and updates happen.
My Favorite Travel Credit Card: Chase Sapphire Preferred
[Read My Full Review]
If you want to earn EVEN MORE Southwest points, check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, my FAVORITE travel credit.
- 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, streaming and online grocery purchases
- 2X points on travel purchases
- 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.
You can only use them to book free flights on Southwest (and on other airlines or at select hotel chains).
The Southwest Companion Pass DOUBLES these Chase points, because for every point that lets YOU fly FREE, someone else can also fly free with you, too!
That’s a heckuva deal!
What plans do you have for winter and spring?
To apply for credit cards in this post, please click on Cards in the Main Menu at the top of the page (shown below) to help support my small business. For Southwest and Capital One, you can also use the links within the post. I greatly appreciate it!
Here are some of our recommendations for great destinations to visit on Southwest:
- 35 Suntastic Activities in San Diego
- 19 Not-to-Miss Things to Do in Hawaii
- 7 Walt Disney World Secrets From a Seasoned Pro
- Your Marco Island Beach Vacation Checklist
- Ultimate Guides to US National Parks: Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons
- 21 Stunning Things to Do in Santa Barbara
- Check out ALL of our Destination posts
