"After Southwest added its first partner, Icelandair, in 2025, it has partnered up with China Airlines, EVA Air, Philippine Airlines, Condor, and Turkish Airlines. In less than a year, the proudly domestic Southwest has definitely begun an international strategy in a big way."
"What we do know from LinkedIn posts by Southwest's Global Account Manager and Regional Manager International is that, as of March 10, 2026, Southwest and ANA customers can purchase itineraries from shared gateways in the U.S. to destinations served by both airlines."
"Upon reviewing both Southwest and ANA's websites, it doesn't appear that flights from the new partnership are populating yet. This has also been the case with several other recent Southwest partnerships. For now, that means it's not possible to book these itineraries with Rapid Rewards points."
Southwest Airlines continues its strategic shift toward international partnerships by adding Japan's ANA as its seventh airline partner in less than a year. This marks a significant departure from Southwest's historically domestic-focused operations. The partnership allows customers to purchase itineraries connecting through six major U.S. gateway airports—Honolulu, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington-Dulles—to destinations served by both airlines. ANA becomes Southwest's fifth Asian airline partner, following agreements with Icelandair, China Airlines, EVA Air, Philippine Airlines, Condor, and Turkish Airlines. While partnership details remain limited, the integration is still rolling out, and booking functionality through Rapid Rewards points is expected to follow.
#southwest-airlines-partnerships #ana-airline-alliance #international-expansion #rapid-rewards-program #airline-codeshare-agreements
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