Southwest Airlines is continuing to expand its network of partner airlines. Next up: Turkish Airlines.
Southwest Airlines on Wednesday announced a new agreement with Star Alliance airlines that will take effect next month.
As part of Southwest’s partnership with Türkiye, you’ll be able to book itineraries that include flights on Southwest and Turkey with seamless transfers between the two airlines.
This means you can book an itinerary that includes a Southwest Airlines flight to a major U.S. hub served by Turkish Airlines, then transfer to a Turkish Airlines wide-body aircraft for a long trip to Istanbul.
And, as part of that link, your checked baggage will be transferred just like on any other connection.
Ultimately, this arrangement will open the door to Southwest Express Award redemption for Turkish Airlines flights to its Istanbul Airport (IST) hub and hundreds of destinations around the world.
How Southwest Airlines’ new partnership with Turkish Airlines will work
From the outset, it will be a more limited arrangement.
Southwest just launched airline partnerships in 2025 and is still up and running with technology that supports partner airline bookings, earning points and redemptions.
Similar to other partners, you can book Southwest Airlines – Turkey connecting flights through Turkish Airlines’ website and booking channels, as well as through certain third-party websites such as Expedia.
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In the near future, Southwest hopes to offer booking services to partners through its own website and mobile app.
The Dallas-based airline is also very clear: A big reason for entering into these partnerships with international airlines is to finally allow Rapid Rewards members to earn and redeem points on flights to far-flung international destinations.
Southwest’s growing list of partners
To date, Southwest has partnered with six overseas airlines:
- Europe and the Middle East: Condor, Icelandair and Turkish Airlines
- Asia: China Airlines, EVA Air
- south pacific: Philippine Airlines
As of this month, Turkish Airlines flies from its Istanbul headquarters to 14 U.S. cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Southwest said the partnership between the two airlines will initially focus on 10 U.S. gateways.
Turkish Airlines deepens ties with U.S.
As a Star Alliance member, Turkish Airlines already partners with United Airlines and Air Canada in North America.
In addition, its Miles&Smiles loyalty program is a 1:1 transfer partner with several major transferable points programs, including Bilt Rewards, Capital One and CitiThankYou Rewards.
Therefore, you should be able to transfer your points from Bilt, Capital One, and Citi to Türkiye once the partnership with Southwest Airlines begins. You can then book a trip that includes flights on Southwest Airlines.
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