The new year has brought about a shift in philosophy for Southwest Airlines. The company’s first overnight (or red-eye flights) took to the skies last week marking a sharp change in the carrier’s schedule and business model.
For the company’s first 50-plus years in business, Southwest shunned late-night departures. Now, in a major shift—aimed at improving profitability and remaining competitive—the airline is giving a big hug to overnight flights.
The airline’s first five red-eyes took off February 13 from Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix and all landed in destinations east of the Mississippi River on Valentine’s Day, where passengers were greeted with gift bags and commemorative cards.
Currently, the airline operates the following five daily red-eye flights. By June, Southwest will offer 33 overnight flights daily.
– Las Vegas (LAS) to Baltimore/Washington (BWI)
– Las Vegas (LAS) to Orlando (MCO)
– Los Angeles (LAX) to Baltimore/Washington (BWI)
– Los Angeles (LAX) to Nashville (BNA)
– Phoenix (PHX) to Baltimore/Washington (BWI)
Here in Las Vegas, Harry Reid International Airport will have the largest number of eastbound red-eyes with flights heading to five destinations. And starting April 8, Las Vegas will receive three of Southwest’s five overnight flights from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland allowing passengers to easily connect to other Southwest flights and continue their journey during daytime hours.
“While red-eye flights will make up a small portion of Southwest’s overall schedule, they bring additional connectivity and more itineraries to transcontinental and Hawaii markets,” the airline said in a statement. “As an example, Southwest will offer Honolulu (HNL) to Las Vegas (LAS) in April, and this one red-eye flight increases the number of itineraries the airline can offer customers by 50 percent as they connect to other parts of the network.”
The Southwest red-eyes aren’t the only new or ongoing flights connecting to Las Vegas. Both Aer Lingus and Norse Atlantic Airlines have launched direct routes to the city as well.
Aer Lingus: Nonstop to Dublin
In November, Aer Lingus launched nonstop flights between Dublin and Las Vegas. The airline currently serves 16 destinations in the United States and will expand to 18 by summer. This is the first regularly scheduled direct service between the two cities. Flights operate three times a week, departing Dublin and returning from Las Vegas every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, on a widebody Airbus A330-300. The inaugural flight was celebrated in typical Vegas fashion with showgirls greeting the plane.
Norse Atlantic Airways: London to Las Vegas
With three flights per week, Norse Atlantic Airways has started nonstop service from London-Gatwick airport to Las Vegas. The flights depart on Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Norse launched in March 2021 and currently flies to 13 destinations, including five in the United States: Las Vegas, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and Miami.