Summary
- Southwest Airlines launches recent nonstop SFO-STL route with slight delays in inaugural flights.
- Passengers can expect every day nonstop service between San Francisco and St. Louis for time-saving travel.
- Southwest expands services at SFO with recent routes planned, faces 737 MAX 8 delivery delays.
Southwest Airlines launched a brand new flight between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) today. The brand new route, initially announced in August 2023, is the most recent in a series of network expansions for the airline.
As of press time, the primary flights within the series were expected to depart barely behind schedule. Southwest flight 1949, the primary of the SFO-STL route, was estimated to depart fifteen minutes late. The aircraft operating the inaugural route, registered N8539V, was an hour behind schedule inbound to SFO from Denver International Airport (DEN), in keeping with Flightradar24.
Meanwhile, the inaugural flight to SFO from STL, Southwest 4252, was also estimated to be 20 minutes late in its departure. Unlike N8539V, an almost seven-year-old 737-800 operating the inaugural flight from SFO to STL, Southwest 4252 was scheduled to make use of a 737 MAX 8 that was lower than one yr old.
Small delays aside, the route will likely be a time-saver for passengers, as Southwest Airlines becomes the primary and only carrier to operate SFO-STL nonstop. While the airline operates as many as 65 flights between SFO and STL that include stops along the way in which, the nonstop flights will occur once every day.
As is standard for Southwest, those seeking to book a flight on the STL-SFO route can expect changes in departure times and aircraft equipment depending on the day. When attempting to book a flight on Southwest’s website, Easy Flying found that prices for flights departing and returning in May averaged around $205 for the most cost effective fare options chosen on the nonstop service.
Southwest Service Expansion
Southwest Airlines didn’t reply to press inquiries. The carrier currently operates a nonstop flight from Saint Louis to nearby San Jose (SJC) and Oakland (OAK).
While STL-SFO was announced in August 2023, this past October, the airline announced nearly 24 other recent routes, a few of which start or stop in SFO and STL, with the services starting this upcoming June. These flights include the resumption of service from Chicago Midway (MDW) to SFO.
Latest services will likely be launched in June, which may also include routes from STL to Burbank (BUK). While these recent routes are pending to be launched, Southwest Airlines can be facing some growing pains, equivalent to delays in 737 MAX 8 deliveries, which is one among just a few reasons the carrier has suspended recent pilot hiring in 2024.
Southwest Airlines, nevertheless, has been growing its presence at SFO, launching routes to the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Oahu, in addition to other airports in California, including Los Angeles, Burbank, and San Diego, amongst other destinations across the US.
The airline’s service from SFO might need the additional advantage of the supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The airline, days earlier had signed a $30 million agreement with SAF producer LanzaJet to buy the biofuel. SFO, for its part, is working on developing SAF logistics to supply biofuel on the airport, in keeping with the SFO website.