Southwest Airways is closing in on its second partnership with a global airline.
Southwest on Monday mentioned it’s at present “in discussions” to launch an interline settlement subsequent yr with China Airways, based mostly in Taiwan.
As a part of the settlement, Southwest clients would finally be capable to guide China Airways-operated flights to Taipei by way of its web site and cell app. Ultimately, it is potential that Fast Rewards members would be capable to redeem factors on transpacific flights to Taiwan.
The information of the potential Southwest-China Airways tie-up got here almost 4 months after Southwest launched its first worldwide partnership, with Icelandair.
Right now, clients can use Icelandair’s web site or third-party instruments like Expedia to guide Southwest-Icelandair itineraries to Reykjavik (and even on to Europe). Count on that partnership to develop within the not-too-distant future, together with with reservations accessible through Southwest’s reserving channels and Fast Rewards redemptions.
It is secure to guess that Southwest has comparable hopes for a future China Airways tie-up, which might provide the airline its first hyperlink, of types, over the Pacific Ocean.
“This preliminary work to companion with Taiwan-based China Airways would permit for seamless trans-Pacific journeys throughout the Southwest community, furthering the attain of our Imaginative and prescient and Goal—to attach Folks with essential moments of their lives,” Southwest Chief Working Officer Andrew Watterson mentioned in a assertion Monday.
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Increasing its international attain
Final fall, when Southwest introduced sweeping modifications to its enterprise mannequin, the airline revealed it hoped so as to add a number of worldwide airline companions, in hopes of providing Fast Rewards members extra redemption choices.
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Right now, the airline operates home flights and short-haul worldwide flights to locations like Mexico and the Caribbean. Linking up with Icelandair and China Airways expands the Southwest “map,” so to talk.
China Airways, for its half, flies from Taipei to 5 U.S. airports:
- John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK)
- Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX)
- Ontario Worldwide Airport (ONT) in Southern California
- San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO)
- Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA)
The provider flies between Taiwan and the U.S. with more and more stiff competitors, attributable to rising networks from Taiwan-based rivals Starlux Airways and EVA Air.
Executives from the 2 airways met this week to hash out the main points of the brand new partnership on the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation’s Basic Assembly and World Air Transport Summit in India, a serious annual business gathering.
Southwest executives had informed TPG in January they hoped to disclose a second worldwide companion earlier than the tip of 2025 — a plan that appeared to come back true Monday.
Southwest provides 3 new worldwide gateways
One different bit of stories Monday: Southwest mentioned it plans to develop its Icelandair partnership to a few new U.S. airports subsequent month.
Beginning July 14, clients will be capable to guide Southwest-Icelandair connections by way of:
- Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO)
- Pittsburgh Worldwide Airport (PIT)
- Raleigh-Durham Worldwide Airport (RDU)
That is along with the three gateways the 2 airways launched earlier this yr: Denver Worldwide Airport (DEN), Nashville Worldwide Airport (BNA) and Baltimore/Washington Worldwide Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
Once more, it is a restricted tie-up for now, with no Fast Rewards earnings or redemptions accessible. For now, you can also’t guide any Icelandair flights by way of Southwest’s personal web site — solely by way of Icelandair’s channels or Expedia, Reserving.com and the like.
However Southwest has mentioned it hopes to develop the partnership and reserving choices to its personal channels within the close to future — across the similar time it places assigned seats on sale for the primary time, which is anticipated to occur someday between July and September.
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