Southwest Resumes San Jose-Orlando Nonstop After 6 Years

Southwest Airlines will resume nonstop service between Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) on November 21, Simple Flying reports.

The route, covering 2,416 miles, becomes Southwest's second-longest from San Jose after its Baltimore/Washington flights. From Orlando, it's the airline's longest nonstop in its network, edging out the current year-round service to Sacramento.

Southwest previously operated this route between 2018 and 2020. No other airline currently flies it nonstop. The carrier is banking on pent-up leisure demand from the Bay Area to Florida.

Flights will run on a limited schedule. This winter, Simple Flying says, Southwest plans five rotations: November 11, November 18, December 19, December 26, and January 2. The route then goes dormant until next June, when it returns for the 2027 Northern Hemisphere summer with weekly flights from June 12 through July 31.

Southwest will use the Boeing 737 MAX 8 on all flights, configured with 175 all-economy seats. The westbound flight from Orlando to San Jose takes about six hours; the eastbound from San Jose to Orlando runs just over five hours according to the carrier's published schedule.

Southwest is the largest operator at San Jose, with a 58% market share and 5.8 million passengers annually, the report notes. Adding Orlando brings the airline's total destinations from SJC to 26.

What this means for your next trip

If you're in the Bay Area and heading to central Florida, this nonstop option saves a connection. But the service is far from daily. Check the specific dates above, and keep in mind that the winter flights are limited. If you're flying from Orlando to the West Coast, this is now Southwest's longest nonstop out of MCO—useful to know if you prefer avoiding a layover.

• Boeing 737 MAX
• MCO
• nonstop route
• Orlando
• San Jose
• SJC
• Southwest Airlines