Earlier this month, Southwest Airlines announced its plans to add service to yet three new destinations this year. Myrtle Beach, S.C., Eugene, ORE., and Bellingham, Washington later this year.

Southwest is launching flights to Myrtle Beach (MYR) starting on May 23, 2021, with nonstop service from Baltimore (BWI), Chicago (MDW), and Nashville (BNA); followed by Dallas (DAL) and Pittsburgh (PIT) on May 29, 2021; and Atlanta (ATL), Columbus (CMH), Indianapolis (IND), Kansas City (MCI), and St. Louis (STL) on June 6 2021

Austin (AUS) will get several new destinations as well starting June 6, 2021 with Burbank (BUR), Miami (MIA), Minneapolis (MSP), Salt Lake City (SLC), and Orange County, Santa Anna, Calif. (SNA), including weekend-only service to Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (VPS).

Additionally Bozeman/Yellowstone (BZN) starts on June 6, 2021 with service to Dallas (DAL), Chicago (MDW) and Phoenix (PHX) both operating one roundtrip on both Saturday and Sunday.

Bottom Line

Southwest Airlines has added a whopping of 17 new airports since the pandemic began, and have said that most are preforming well. Previous seasonal destinations Steamboat Springs and Telluride will now be extended through the summer of 2021 based on increased demand.

These additions are a direct result of increased result of leisure flying over business travel, which the airline hopes to capture additional revenue as they enter new markets.

This news comes after Southwest Airlines Announces Santa Barbara and Fresno, CA,  Southwest Airlines Announces Sarasota, Florida, Southwest Airlines Plans to Serve Chicago (O’Hare) and Houston (Bush Intercontinental), Plans to Serve Miami and Palm Springs in addition to Montrose (Telluride), all of which come in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and Southwest looking at ways to capitalize on additional revenue in new markets.

Do you think these new destinations make sense to the Southwest Airlines network make sense for the airline in the long run? Feel free to share your thoughts below.