Southwest Airlines has been making a lot of changes lately. Some are controversial, such as the elimination of free bags for all and the move to assigned seating.
Other changes will likely be embraced by customers, such as the addition of free Wi-Fi for Rewards members.
But now Southwest may be on the “cusp” of making what the Dallas Morning News dubbed its most “monumental change” in the airline’s 54-year history. Long-haul flights to Europe. This would be a big change for Southwest, which is mostly known as a U.S.-based carrier.
Southwest Airlines May Consider Adding ‘Long-Haul Flights to Europe’ for the 1st Time
Southwest Airlines “may be eyeing an expansion to long-haul flights to Europe for the first time,” the Morning News reported, in addition to the airline’s latest efforts to be more competitive with airlines based in the U.S.
According to the Morning News, the longest route that Southwest currently flies is from Phoenix to Honolulu, about 2,900 miles.
Travel and Tour World also wrote that Southwest is expected to add more international flights in 2026.
In 2026, Southwest Airlines “intends to make some aggressive changes as the company is going to implement premium lounges, the introduction of long-haul international flights, and premium seats,” that site reported.
Currently, Southwest flies internationally to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. The company’s website says, “Book Southwest flights to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.”
Social Media Users Offered Mix Reaction to the Idea
On Reddit, people weighed in on the idea of long-haul European flights via Southwest. “They would have to seriously overhaul a lot lol i can’t imagine taking a 9+ hr trip to, for example, europe with the current customer experience,” wrote one person.
But another person was more optimistic about the idea. “There are certainly options though. Baltimore is a city with only two flights across the Atlantic – one to KEF and one to LHR. I could see an airline being able to fill in some gaps,” that customer wrote. “There are no direct flights from Baltimore to Dublin for example.”
Another person noted, “Intercontinental routes make money on premium cabin traffic. Southwest would have no credibility in that space going up against Delta One, Air France La Premiere, United Polaris, etc.”
On October 22, the company’s CEO stressed it was making progress in an earning statement release.
Bob Jordan, President, Chief Executive Officer, & Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, said: “We continue to make substantial progress as we execute the most significant transformation in Southwest Airlines’ history. We quickly implemented many new product attributes and enhancements, and the results are showing—we delivered a profitable quarter, with both unit revenues and unit costs performing better-than-anticipated, are reaffirming our full year 2025 EBIT (2) guidance, and expect meaningful margin expansion in the fourth quarter.”
He added, “We continue to deliver a strong operational performance and are currently in first place year-to-date based on our calculations of the Wall Street Journal’s airline rankings, an important indicator of success from the continued investment in our operation. These significant accomplishments reflect the strength of our plan, the quality of our execution, and the dedication of our Team.”
