When will Southwest release June, July and August 2026 flights for booking? Southwest flight releases and the Southwest flight schedule are something I have studied firsthand since 2015. They do set specific dates but they often change, so I keep this post updated so you’ll always have the latest schedule and date.
The Southwest Flight Schedule is now open for booking through September 30, 2026. So you can book those flights now.
Southwest has announced the next release of flights will be January 29th for booking flights through October 31, 2026.
About Southwest Flight Schedule Releases
Southwest Airlines releases flight schedules in batches of about 2 months at a time. New flights and dates are typically released about every 4 to 10 weeks.
Southwest releases new flight schedules on the release date in batches, usually between around 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. ET. It might be early or it might be really late. Bottom line: You just never know…
As a member of Families Fly Free, you’ll know as SOON as flights are LIVE via text alert direct to your mobile device!
Additionally, flights are often available online versus mobile or the app first or vice versa. So be sure to check all places!
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Why Should I Book As Soon As Flights Are Released?
Many of my readers report that booking AS SOON AS flights are released gets you the cheapest possible price.
This is definitely true when it comes to the most expensive times of year to fly, which are over the Christmas holidays, as well as July. You’ll also find this is the case with Southwest Hawaii flights and often times flights during the summer months to popular destinations.
If you want to grab a good deal, I recommend making yourself a note, setting your alarm, and joining Families Fly Free to get real-time updates. Then book your planned flights as soon as they are available!
Remember, you can always cancel and re-book with NO CHANGE FEES on Southwest.
Reader Jim S. said he booked at 5 a.m. and just a couple hours later the flights were already $50 more, and reader Lynsie said she booked her flights around 8:30 a.m. ET the day of the release only to see them go up by 3,000 points just a few hours later!
This also happened with Southwest first released flights to Hawaii. The original $49 fares only lasted a few hours and our readers were some of the first to know about them!
How to Bring a Loved One With You FREE!
Did you know you can bring a loved one with you FREE on ANY Southwest flight? You can earn this privilege by getting the Southwest Companion Pass!
The Southwest Companion Pass is good from the time you earn it until the END of the FOLLOWING year, which can be almost TWO full years.
This is different than other airline Companion Passes, which are typically only good ONE time. Listen to my podcast episode on the difference between Delta and Alaska’s Companion Passes compared with Southwest’s!
To earn the pass, you’ll need to accumulate 135,000. It’s actually quite easy to do with help from Families Fly Free!
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.
I see MANY people make this mistake!
Those points DO transfer at a 1:1 ratio to Southwest Airlines (as well as other airlines and hotel loyalty programs) allowing you to book free flights, however.
The Southwest Companion Pass effectively DOUBLES all of those Chase points. Because for every point that lets YOU fly FREE, someone else can also fly free with you, too!
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.
Keep in mind that Southwest often changes the flight release date, so be sure to become a member of Families Fly Free if you’d like to be notified instantly of that change.
Good luck booking your flights!
