Wine Flies Free on Select Southwest Airlines Routes Starting Tomorrow, April 24

Earlier this month, Southwest Airlines began nonstop service to Santa Rosa, California (STS), in the heart of northern California’s wine region.

Starting tomorrow, the carrier will launch its new Sip and Ship program, which allows passengers to check 1 case of wine for no charge between select West Coast destinations.

Here are the details of this new offering.

Southwest Passengers Can Check Wine for Free Starting Tomorrow

Southwest Airlines launches its Sip and Ship program tomorrow, April 24, 2026, which allows passengers to check 1 case of wine for no additional charge on flights between select West Coast destinations.

Southwest connects Santa Rosa with nonstop flights to Austin (AUS), Burbank, California (BUR), Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), and San Diego (SAN), with San Diego seeing up to 2 daily flights on peak dates.

However, the Sip and Ship program will be available on flights originating in a wider array of cities across California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, including the following:

Here are some rules and regulations regarding the Sip and Ship program that you should be aware of:

• Passengers must be 21 years of age or older to check a case of wine.
• Wine must be in its original, unopened bottles and professionally packaged in a leak-proof box or bag that contains up to 12 bottles and weighs no more than 50 pounds.
• All wine cases must be checked with an airline customer service agent at the ticket counter, and the top of the case must not be sealed before an airline employee inspects it.

Southwest will join Alaska Airlines in offering passengers free wine transportation. Alaska has offered its Wine Flies Free program for many years, and allows Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards members who are 21 and older to check a case of wine free of charge to and from the 32 destinations the airline serves across California, Idaho, and Oregon.

Both programs offer eligible passengers a more convenient and cost-effective way to take home the wine they’ve fallen in love with after visiting the nation’s preeminent wine region — a nice touch since shipping directly from a winery is often expensive and can take several days, depending on various factors.

Final Thoughts

Southwest Airlines now flies nonstop to Santa Rosa, California, and has joined Alaska Airlines in offering a program to check wine for free from select West Coast cities. If you’re planning to visit Sonoma County and/or the Napa Valley any time soon, taking advantage of this new program from Southwest (or the existing one from Alaska) can save you quite a bit of money and time if you want to take a case of your new favorite wine home with you.