Southwest Airlines’ decision to pull out of Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles may seem minor in the airline’s broader network reshuffling, but it could turn out to be a significant gift for United Airlines, which operates major hubs at both airports.
Southwest first began flying from O’Hare in 2021, operating up to roughly 20 daily departures to destinations including Dallas, Denver, Nashville, Phoenix, Orlando, and Tampa. But those flights represented only a small fraction of Southwest’s Chicago operation, which remains overwhelmingly centered at Chicago Midway Airport (MDW).
Now those flights are going away entirely.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
