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Southwest Airlines has officially added Philippine Airlines as its newest interline partner. This opens the door for travelers across Asia and the Pacific to connect seamlessly to Southwest-operated flights within the United States. The agreement, which took effect this week, provides dozens of new one-ticket travel options across the Pacific (available through Philippine Airlines’ website and leading third-party travel platforms such as Expedia).
The collaboration allows international travelers flying on Philippine Airlines to easily transfer onto Southwest flights via Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). These four airports serve as the connecting gateways where both airlines operate.
For example, a passenger could now fly from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) on Philippine Airlines and then continue on to Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) or another US destination on Southwest (all under one booking).
This new link significantly enhances travel flexibility for passengers journeying between the Philippines and hundreds of US cities. It also provides smoother access to Southwest’s extensive interisland service in Hawaii, where the carrier operates nearly four dozen daily flights across the islands.
The deal marks Southwest’s fourth international airline partnership, following recent tie-ups with Icelandair, China Airlines, and EVA Air earlier this year. These partnerships expand the airline’s global reach beyond North America and align with its strategy to offer more connectivity to Asia-Pacific and transoceanic markets without operating its own long-haul international flights.
While the Philippine Airlines partnership is limited to interline bookings at launch, it sets the stage for broader collaboration. In the future, travelers could see Rapid Rewards points redemptions extended to destinations across the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the South Pacific.
The partnership announcement coincides with a major customer experience overhaul at Southwest. Beginning January 27, 2026, the airline will roll out its redesigned cabin, featuring assigned seating and extra legroom options (a first in the airline’s history).
This evolution underscores Southwest’s ambition to become more competitive on premium and international connections, providing a more comfortable and flexible experience for both domestic and connecting passengers.
Andrew Watterson, Chief Operating Officer at Southwest Airlines, said:
Each airline partnership brings unique and incremental reach to places around the globe for both carriers and gives more consumers an opportunity to begin or end their journey with Southwest. With nearly 90 flights a day in our schedule that touch the Hawaiian Islands and as California’s largest air carrier1, Southwest is positioned like no other airline in serving Philippine Airlines’ passengers arriving or departing the United States.”
Christoph Gaertner, Vice President of Revenue Management at Philippine Airlines, added:
Our interline partnership with Southwest Airlines enables seamless connections and single-ticket journeys across both of our networks. As we continue to expand PAL’s global reach, this collaboration provides more travel options and greater flexibility, giving our guests access to a wider range of destinations in the United States.”
Anthony’s Take: Southwest is doing a lot to reinvent itself. It will be great when it can offer members the ability to redeem points for award seats on flights around the world.
(Featured Image Credit: Southwest Airlines and Philippine Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
