Southwest Airlines is offering Arizonans a more convenient way to jet to Yellowstone National Park.
The catch: flights will only be available on Saturdays.
Southwest will begin a seasonal, Saturday-only route between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Bozeman Airport in Montana that starts in summer 2027. Bozeman is the closest airport to Yellowstone National Park.
Airlines have been meeting demand for more flights to airports near national parks from Sky Harbor in recent years.
This past spring, American Airlines debuted its own Phoenix-Bozeman nonstop, as well as routes to Kalispell, Montana near Glacier National Park and Rapid City, North Dakota near Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park.
When will Southwest's Phoenix-Bozeman route begin?
Southwest Airlines' Phoenix-Bozeman seasonal
route will begin on June 5, 2027. Nonstop flights will be available on Saturdays through July 31, 2027.
Southwest will operate the route on a Boeing 737-700 jet, which can seat up to 143 passengers.
The airline operated nonstop service to Phoenix and Bozeman in the past, last operating the route in September 2021, Southwest spokesman Chris Perry said.
How much will Southwest's Phoenix-Bozeman flights cost?
Fares for nonstop flights between Phoenix and Bozeman start as low as $229 one-way under Southwest's most restrictive Basic fare. Basic passengers on Southwest are assigned a standard seat in the back of the cabin at check-in, are the last to board and cannot make changes to their reservation once it's booked.
Flights booked on Southwest's standard economy fare, Choice, start as low as $269 one-way.
What is Bozeman, Montana, known for?
Bozeman is known for its close proximity to a couple of the United States' most beloved national parks.
It's about 80 miles from Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the nation and the world, famous for its hydrothermal wonders like Grand Prismatic Spring, geysers like Old Faithful and abundant wildlife that includes bison, bears, wolves and elk.
Bozeman is also 165 miles to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, near the valley of Jackson Hole. Grand Teton preserves about 310,000 acres of alpine mountain and forest landscapes and glacial lakes in the Teton mountain range.
Beyond the national parks, other adventures and outdoor activities near Bozeman include hiking to the waterfall at Palisade Falls, scenic driving along the Gallatin Canyon area on Route 191 and skiing at Bridger Bowl.
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Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New Southwest flight from Phoenix takes flyers to iconic national park
