Southwest Airlines cancels hundreds of flights from July to Sept.

It's been a tough few years for the airline industry, with companies taking one hit after another. First, people stopped traveling due to Covid, then there was the problem of inflation that sent prices soaring and made vacations seem out of reach for many.

Tariffs and further economic uncertainty have not exactly had people rushing to book vacations, either. In fact, one Bankrate survey found fewer than half of Americans were planning summer trips, with affordability being the biggest obstacle.

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Within this challenging environment, some airlines can handle the headwinds better than others. Southwest Airlines does not seem to be one of them.

In fact, Southwest Airlines has not exactly been racking up the wins lately. The airline reported a net loss of $149 million in the first quarter of 2025 and seems to be on a mission to destroy all that customers loved about it, from free checked bags to open seating to generous options for companion passes in its loyalty program.

With so much going wrong at Southwest, it should come as no surprise that the airline needs to make some operational changes. In fact, based on recent announcements, the airline has opted to cut hundreds of flights over the coming months.

Travelers flying Southwest may have fewer options.

Image source: William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

Southwest is making big changes to its summer flying schedule

Southwest Airlines made a big change recently, which will have a major impact on flyers at one particular airport. Southwest is one of the leading carriers at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, but it will be flying far fewer flights out of that airport in the coming months.

The St. Louis Business Journal highlighted the changes in Southwest's scheduling, indicating that the airline would be cutting a total of 247 flights during the months of June, July, and August.

This change is a year-over-year change based on the number of flights that occurred during the same time period in 2024. It was identified using data from Cirium, a consulting firm with an aviation focus.

Cirium's data showed that, in total, the seats flown by Southwest Airlines from Lambert will see a 0.5% drop over the coming months.

Some of the flights impacted by the change include:

San Jose flights: There will be just five flights traveling from Lambert International Airport to San Jose, while there were a total of 92 during the same time period the year prior.
San Diego flights: There is a 41% decrease in planned flights to San Diego during July, August, and September. Only 109 flights total will be run.
Portland, Oregon flights: These are taking a big hit, with a 49% reduction in flights. Just 26 remain.

This is a substantial decrease in flights, especially to certain key destinations, which may now be much harder to access from Lambert International Airport.

Travelers need to be prepared for changes

Southwest is not the only airline making changes to its flight schedule in light of reduced demand.

United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest have all lowered their outlooks for 2025 as a result of reduced bookings, and several airlines, including Southwest, declined to reaffirm their full-year 2025 guidance during their most recent earnings reports.

Ongoing uncertainty over tariffs and their domestic and global economic impact could also cause further chaos within the airline industry in the coming months.

More on travel:

As airlines respond to changing conditions and economic challenges, travelers may find that their favorite airline no longer goes as many places or offers as many options.

Shopping around for travel early and making sure to look at all carriers when booking flights can help to ensure it's still possible to get to your chosen destination.