Southwest Airlines has established a second cooperation with international airlines.
Southwest said on Monday that a delivery agreement with Taiwan-based Chinese airlines is currently “under discussion.”
As part of the agreement, Southwest customers will eventually be able to book flights to Taipei Airlines through their websites and mobile apps. Ultimately, it is possible that fast reward members can be redeemable for trans-Pacific flights to Taiwan.
News of a potential Southwest Airlines partnership comes nearly four months after Southwest established its first international partnership with Iceland Airlines.
Today, customers can book Reykjavik (even to Europe) using Iceland Airlines’ website or third-party tools such as Expedia (such as Expedia). This partnership is expected to expand in the not too distant future, including bookings and quick reward redemptions through Southwest’s booking channel.
It’s safe to bet that Southwest has similar hopes for future Chinese airlines, which will provide airlines with the first connection in the Pacific.
“This initial work, initially working with Chinese airlines based in Taiwan, will allow for a seamless trans-Pacific journey on the Southwest network, further fostering the impact of our vision and purpose – connecting people with important moments in life,” Andrew Watterson, Southwest Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement Monday.
Read more: Southwest CEO Floats First Class, Lounge and Long-High Flights: “We Will Follow Consumers”
Expand its global influence
When Southwest announced a comprehensive change to its business model last fall, the airline revealed it hopes to add multiple international airline partners in a bid to provide more redemption options for fast reward members.
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Today, airlines operate domestic and short international flights to places like Mexico and the Caribbean. It can be said that the connections with Iceland Airlines and Chinese Airlines have expanded the “map” of the southwest.
Chinese airlines fly from Taipei to five U.S. airports:
- John Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Ontario International Airport (ONT) in Southern California
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Ocean)
Competition between Taiwan and the United States is becoming increasingly fierce as Taiwan rivals Starlux Airlines and Eva Air continues to grow.
Executives of the two airlines met this week to reveal details of the new partnership at the International Air Transport Association’s shareholders’ meeting and the World Air Transport Summit in India, a major annual industry gathering.
Southwest executives told TPG in January that they hope to reveal a second international partner by the end of 2025, and the plan appears to be implemented Monday.
3 new international portals added to the Southwest
Another news on Monday: Southwest said it plans to expand its Icelandic aviation partnership to three new U.S. airports next month.
Starting July 14, customers will be able to:
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Pittsburgh International Airport (pit)
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
This is a complement to three gateways launched by the two airlines earlier this year: Denver International Airport (DEN), Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
Again, it is currently a limited collaboration with no quick rewards or redemptions. Currently, you can’t book any Iceland Airlines flights just through Iceland Airlines’ channel or Expedia, Booking.com, etc.
But Southwest said it hopes to expand partnership and booking options to its own channels in the near future — around the same time as the seats that will be allocated will be released for the first time, and is expected to take place sometime between July and September.
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