New option for bargain-hunting travelers: overnight Vegas layover

Southwest Airlines will start connecting passengers with overnight itineraries later this summer, but they aren’t the free stopovers other air carriers offer.

A Southwest spokesman said Wednesday that a small number of itineraries would be added to the airline’s schedule that will connect passengers through six cities, including Las Vegas, with flights that arrive late at night and depart early the next morning.

Officials said that scheduling would be available for passengers traveling through Baltimore-Washington International Airport; Chicago’s Midway International Airport; Oakland, California; Denver; Phoenix; and Harry Reid International Airport.

Late-night and early-morning Southwest flights often have the benefit of having the least expensive fares.

Specific routes haven’t yet been determined. The spokesman indicated stopovers on the overnight flights “could be relatively short or a few hours.”

Southwest is by far the busiest commercial airline operating at Reid International, carrying 1.7 million of the 4.8 million passengers that flew in and out of the airport in April.

Several foreign air carriers offer free stopovers on lengthy international journeys. TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Iberia, Icelandair, Qatar Airways and Etihad are among the airlines with free stopover programs.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.