When will Southwest release August and September 2025 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…
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The good news?
The Southwest Flight Schedule is now open for booking through January 26, 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 Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club 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 Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club.
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 my Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club, where I share a simple system—built from 25+ years as a professional travel journalist—to make travel more affordable and less stressful.
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 January 26, 2026.
Southwest has announced the next flight release date will be July 29th for booking through March 4, 2026.
Southwest often changes that date and as a member of Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club, you get real-time alerts when those changes and updates happen.
My Favorite Travel Credit Card: Chase Sapphire Preferred
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?
Thanks for using my affiliate links within this post to apply for any travel cards to help support my small business. I greatly appreciate it!
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