Southwest Airlines Launches New Summer 2026 Routes to Alaska, Mexico, and Beyond

Winter may still be months away, but summer vacation options are already heating up.

Southwest Airlines will expand its routes just in time for summer 2026, launching new flights to California, Mexico, and beyond, according to the airline. The carrier also plans to increase service on several of its most popular routes.

“In designing our summer 2026 schedule, we examined industry trends and identified locations… where we are able to provide Customers more choices when they’re booking travel,” Adam Decaire, the senior vice president of network planning and network operations control at Southwest Airlines, said in a statement. “Additionally, we’re boosting service in locations where we’ve always had a strong presence to offer Customers even more service than ever before in those cities.”

Starting June 4, 2026, Southwest will launch a new route between Boston and San Diego. The airline will similarly plan to launch new daily flights between Austin and Cincinnati, but didn’t specify when they would start.

Also on June 4, Southwest will add brand-new service between Las Vegas and Cancun, offering what it calls the only nonstop between the two cities. The carrier said it will launch new flights between Sin City and both Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico as well.

In addition, Southwest will increase the frequency of flights on dozens of routes across its network, including service from Las Vegas, Orlando, Austin, and more. In California, the carrier will also plan to increase service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Jose.

Finally, Southwest will plan to launch its inaugural service to Anchorage on May 15, 2026. These flights will operate daily through the summer and connect the Alaska city with both Denver and Las Vegas.

The summer route expansion is the latest growth move for the airline. Last year, Southwest set its sights abroad with new routes to Europe thanks to a partnership with Icelandair, and next spring the carrier will launch new flights to Sint Maarten from both Orlando and Baltimore.

It also comes on the heels of Southwest’s decision to introduce a new assigned seating policy in January 2026; end its long-enjoyed, 54-year-old policy of offering free checked bags; and overhaul its fare classes.

Next year, Southwest will similarly change its policy for plus size travelers, no longer guaranteeing some passengers a refund on an additional seat. The decision coincides with the airline’s move away from its current open-seating system.