You can now book Southwest Airlines flights on Expedia, Travelocity and 3 other sites
The changes keep coming at Southwest Airlines.
Starting Wednesday, flights covering the Dallas-based carrier's entire network of 117 destinations will become bookable through the online travel agency Expedia and other sites affiliated with the Expedia Group — such as Travelocity and Orbitz, among others.
Plus, travelers will soon be able to use the site to book Southwest connections onto Icelandair as part of the airlines' just-launched partnership.
Leaning into outside sites
While many airlines allow their flights to be listed on outside booking sites like Expedia, it's a big step for Southwest.
For decades, the carrier limited third-party sites from listing its inventory for third-party selling or comparison shopping.
But that started to change last year as Southwest kicked off a major business transformation — and travelers began to see its flights show up on sites like Google Flights and Kayak for comparison shopping.
Now, you can count booking giant Expedia among those sites. And, you'll also start seeing Southwest flights listed on additional Expedia Group third-party booking sites like Travelocity, Hotwire, Orbitz and CheapTickets, the carrier said Wednesday.
"We are pleased to broaden our distribution with this new cost-effective channel," Tony Roach, Southwest's executive vice president of customer and brand, said in a Wednesday statement announcing the Expedia tie-up.
Late-night flying: Southwest officially enters red-eye era with 5 overnight flights; more to come
How Southwest's Expedia rollout will work
While we didn't immediately see Southwest flights available for booking on Expedia early Wednesday morning, the airline told TPG its inventory should start showing up on the platform over the course of the day — with many more flights available by Thursday.
What's more, Southwest loyalists will soon be able to use Expedia to tap into the carrier's new tie-up with Icelandair.
Earlier this month, Southwest and Icelandair officially launched an interline agreement that allows travelers to book seamless connections between the two carriers on flights to Iceland — and even on to Europe.
But the tie-up early on, is limited: You can only book those joint itineraries via Icelandair's website and certain third-party booking sites. Expedia will be among them "in the near future," a spokesperson confirmed.
By 2026, you should be able to book Southwest-Icelandair connections on Southwest's website, too, and earn and redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards points in the process.
Should you book Southwest flights on Expedia?
There are some benefits to booking Southwest flights (or other airlines' flights) on Expedia beyond the "early access" of sorts it offers to the airline's partnership with Icelandair.
Travelers who like to have all their trip reservations — air, hotel, car rental and the like — bundled neatly in one location can find the booking site useful. And, frequent users of Expedia who take advantage of its One Key loyalty program that also encompasses Hotels.com and Vrbo can reap some perks.
Value check: Is the Southwest Performance Business Card worth the annual fee?
However, here at TPG, we generally recommend travelers book directly with their airline or hotel; booking with a third-party site can often complicate itinerary changes when air travel problems pop up. Plus, when it comes to hotels, travelers often can't earn points or take advantage of loyalty benefits.
That said, Southwest notes customers who book through Expedia will be able to earn points and enjoy A-List elite status tier benefits as long as they enter their Rapid Rewards number during the booking process.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.