Southwest Airlines has extended its flight schedule into early next year, allowing Customers to begin booking their travel for the 2023 holiday season.

“Our Summer operational performance is off to a strong start with Customers taking much-needed vacations and important business trips,” said Andrew Watterson, Chief Operating Officer at Southwest Airlines^®. “We know some already are thinking about holiday plans and we want them to know we’re ready. Ahead of winter, we are delivering on our plans to add capabilities, tools, and equipment to reliably connect Customers to people and places that matter most in their lives.”

However the pilots may interupt the planned schedule, threathening to strike if a new contract is not signed.

Meanwhile SWAPA issued this statement:

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) will be conducting a 24-hour informational picket June 15-16 outside Southwest Airlines’ headquarters starting at 8 a.m. CT.

SWAPA has become increasingly frustrated with Southwest’s lack of commitment to meet during this negotiation cycle. SWAPA leaders have repeatedly requested more frequent bargaining dates in order to reach an agreement, but so far, SWA Labor Relations has committed to just 15 days of negotiations between now and Labor Day. 

This 24-hour picket is meant to symbolize that just as Southwest leaders depend on our pilots both day and night, weekday and weekend to get our passengers from point A to point B, we depend on our company to earnestly come to the table — day or night, weekday or weekend — to reward the most productive pilots in the industry. Our pilots stand ready to work and to negotiate any time.

SWAPA and Southwest have been in negotiations for a new contract for more than three years and in federal mediation since September 2022.