Southwest Airlines recently announced changes to its Southern California-based flight roster, as the company prepares for the busiest travel season of the year. The company will stop service between Orange County’s John Wayne Airport (SNA) to both Chicago’s Midway International Airport (MDW) and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) on January 4, 2023.
Although Salt Lake City will lose its Orange County access, Southwest plans to begin flights between SLC and Long Beach Airport (LGB) one day later on January 5, The Points Guy reports. The new service will fly once a day.
Despite increased travel times and an ongoing pilot shortage, Southwest Airlines reported a $277 million profit for this year’s third quarter. The company’s revenue even managed to reach a record total of $6.22 billion, up nearly 33 percent from last year, CNBC reports.
Next year, the company was allocated room for 44 daily departures from the Orange County flight hub John Wayne Airport. This is 13 departures less than its 2022 allocation of 57, perhaps indicating passenger volume hasn’t met expectations.
Considering the fact that Orange County and Long Beach are neighbors, things could be worse for prospective SoCal travelers. Just imagine how early you’d have to get up to avoid traffic on the drive to Los Angeles International (LAX). And hey, at least you have updated wi-fi and power ports to look forward to.
Source: https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/southwest-airlines-orange-county-travel-news