Southwest Airlines expands partnership with Icelandair: How to book a connection to Iceland and onto Europe
Editor's Note
Southwest Airlines is officially expanding its partnership with Icelandair.
Next month, two additional international "gateways" will officially come online as part of the tie-up between the two carriers: Denver International Airport (DEN) and Nashville International Airport (BNA).
The upshot for travelers: You'll be able to book an itinerary that starts in one Southwest city, connect through Denver or Nashville, and then continue on via Icelandair to its hub in Rekyavik, Iceland (and even beyond to Europe, from there).
Bargain hunting: When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
Bookings are now open for flights departing on or after May 12.
This expansion comes after the two airlines in February launched Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) as the first airport on the U.S. side operating as part of the partnership.
Now, as TPG first reported in January, Denver and Nashville are up next.
A narrow partnership — at first
At the moment, this airline partnership — Southwest's first with an international carrier — is a bit limited, though that will change over the course of the next year.
For now, customers can book itineraries featuring connections between the two airlines using Icelandair's website, and certain third-party booking sites like Expedia (but not Southwest's website, yet).
That means you could:
- Start a trip with a flight on a Southwest jet
- Then, easily connect onto an Icelandair flight to Rekyavik at BWI, DEN or BNA. Your bags would seamlessly transfer, too
- From there, you could even continue onward, on the same itinerary, to additional destinations in Europe.
You also can’t earn or redeem Rapid Rewards points on these overseas itineraries just yet.
That’s set to change in 2026 when Southwest’s shift to assigned seating goes live. At that point, you’ll be able to book flights to Iceland and on to Europe through Southwest’s booking channels.
And you’ll be able to pay cash and earn Rapid Rewards points on those bookings, or redeem points for your trip — a shift that should be a big boost for the utility of Southwest’s points.
Still, the launch of this interline deal, for which TPG witnessed the formal signing earlier this year in Washington, D.C., was a major step for Southwest.
“This is an important milestone in our plan to expand how and where our customers can travel,” Southwest’s former executive vice president Ryan Green (who since left the company) said in January on the carrier’s earnings call.
How to book through the Southwest-Icelandair partnership
In the meantime, though, we want to show you how to book a Southwest-Icelandair itinerary under the partnership as it stands right now.
Read more: Southwest quietly unveils A-List perks for new assigned-seating setup
Flights to Iceland
Starting with Icelandair’s website, let’s say I want to take a March round trip from Dallas Love Field (DAL) — Southwest’s home airport — to KEF.
As you can see, Icelandair’s website offers up an itinerary featuring one leg from DAL to BWI aboard Southwest, followed by a connecting flight over to Icelandair for the BWI-to-KEF leg of the trip.
Alternatively, Icelandair's website may offer up a connection through Denver or Nashville, with those airports set to be included in the partnership starting in the next few weeks.
Here's an itinerary that starts in San Jose, California, featuring a Southwest flight to Denver, and a connection to Icelandair onward to Iceland.
There are similar options if you're booking through a third-party online travel agency, after Southwest recently began allowing sites in the Expedia Group portfolio to sell its flights.
The below trip includes a flight from DAL to DEN on Southwest, and then a connection onto Icelandair.
Adding Denver, alone to the interline agreement opens up the possibility of itineraries to more than three-dozen Southwest-served cities in the western U.S., the airline noted.
Booking flights to Europe
You can also technically book an itinerary to Europe through this partnership, though it may not be the most efficient way to get across the Atlantic; you'd have to go BWI, DEN or BNA, then KEF, before continuing on to Europe.
Still, it's possible.
Here’s a trip that starts at Chicago’s Midway International Airport (MDW) on Southwest and ends at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR).
You’d fly on Southwest to Baltimore before connecting over to Icelandair for the Reykjavik flight. Once at KEF, you could make a standard connection before the final leg to Europe — or spend a day or two (or more) in Iceland as part of a stopover; you can fit in stopovers of up to seven days.
Expansion of partnership coming soon
Less circuitous itineraries to Europe through this partnership should emerge as the airlines bring even Southwest bases online. And, the partnership should become increasingly useful to travelers as Southwest begins selling these itineraries through its own website — and especially once it allows Rapid Rewards redemptions on these trips.
Bottom line
Southwest’s new partnership with Icelandair is officially live and available for bookings via Icelandair’s website and some third-party sites. Though it’s limited right now (and not available yet for Rapid Rewards earnings or redemptions), it’ll expand significantly over the course of the next year.
During that time, Southwest also plans to announce a second international airline partner, so stay tuned.
Related reading:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards: Complete guide to earning, redeeming and maximizing points
- Best Southwest Airlines credit cards
- How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass
- Southwest A-List status: What it is and how to earn it
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- How to change or cancel a Southwest Airlines flight
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| 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. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
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 $6,000 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.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.