Southwest Airways is constant to broaden its community of associate airways. Subsequent up: Turkish Airways.
Southwest on Wednesday introduced a brand new settlement with the Star Alliance service that may take impact subsequent month.
As a part of the Southwest-Turkish tie-up, you’ll be capable of e book itineraries that characteristic flights on each Southwest and Turkish, and you may make seamless connections between the 2 airways.
This implies you may e book an itinerary that features a Southwest flight to a serious U.S. hub served by Turkish after which hook up with one among Turkish Airways’ wide-body planes for a long-haul journey to Istanbul.
And, as a part of that hyperlink, your checked luggage will switch identical to they might on some other connection.
Finally, this association may open the door to Southwest Speedy Rewards redemptions on Turkish Airways flights to its Istanbul Airport (IST) hub and onward to its tons of of locations around the globe.
How Southwest’s new Turkish Airways partnership will work
From the beginning, it’ll be a extra restricted association.
Southwest simply launched airline partnerships in 2025, and it is nonetheless getting up and operating with know-how that may assist reserving, incomes and making redemptions on associate carriers.
Just like its different partnerships, you’ll be capable of e book Southwest-Turkish connections by way of Turkish Airways’ web site and reserving channels, in addition to by way of sure third-party websites like Expedia.
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Within the not-so-distant future, Southwest hopes to supply associate bookings by way of its personal web site and cellular app.
The Dallas-based service has additionally been very clear: A giant purpose behind establishing these partnerships with worldwide airways is to ultimately permit Speedy Rewards members to earn and redeem factors on flights to faraway worldwide locations.
Southwest’s rising record of companions
Thus far, Southwest has created partnerships with a half dozen abroad carriers:
- Europe and the Center East: Condor Airways, Icelandair and Turkish Airways
- Asia: China Airways and EVA Air
- South Pacific: Philippine Airways
As of this month, Turkish Airways serves a complete of 14 U.S. cities from its Istanbul house base: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York Metropolis, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Southwest stated that the partnership between the 2 airways will initially give attention to 10 U.S. gateways.
Turkish Airways deepens US ties
As a Star Alliance member, Turkish already companions with each United Airways and Air Canada in North America.
Moreover, its Miles&Smiles loyalty program is a 1:1 switch associate of a number of main transferable factors packages, together with Bilt Rewards, Capital One and Citi ThankYou Rewards.
So, as soon as this tie-up with Southwest will get underway, it’s best to be capable of switch your factors from Bilt, Capital One and Citi to Turkish. After which, you’ll be able to e book an itinerary that features a Southwest flight.
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