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Southwest Airlines has had a turbulent start to 2025, but the carrier continues to expand its international partnerships. Just months after signing deals with Icelandair and China Airlines, Southwest today announced a new interline agreement with Taiwan-based EVA Air.
Beginning today, August 25th, travelers can book single-ticket itineraries that combine EVA Air’s transpacific flights with Southwest’s US domestic network. The partnership will initially cover four major US gateways: Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). These are all airports where EVA Air already operates frequent nonstop flights to its hub at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).
Like Southwest’s earlier agreements with China Airlines and Icelandair, the EVA Air deal is an interline arrangement. That means customers gain conveniences without full codeshare or loyalty integration. This includes:
- Single itinerary booking through EVA Air’s website and major online travel agencies (such as Expedia)
- Through-checked luggage from origin to final destination. This eliminates the need to recheck bags at US airports
- Protected connections in case of delays, with the airlines coordinating to rebook passengers when necessary
Southwest says that there will be no reciprocal loyalty benefits. Passengers cannot earn or redeem Rapid Rewards points on EVA flights, nor can they accrue EVA Infinity MileageLands miles when traveling on Southwest.
For EVA Air customers, the deal opens access to more than 100 Southwest-served airports across the United States. For Southwest travelers, it provides an easier gateway to Asia, including destinations such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand (via EVA’s hub in Taipei).
EVA Air is consistently ranked among the world’s top carriers for safety, service, and onboard comfort, with its Royal Laurel Class (Business Class) and Premium Economy products well regarded. Pairing that reputation with Southwest’s domestic reach offers new flexibility for both US and Asia-based travelers.
The EVA deal is the latest sign that Southwest is rethinking its traditional go-it-alone approach. The airline, best known for its US domestic footprint and unique open-seating model (which shifts to assigned seating in January 2026), is increasingly building partnerships to broaden its appeal.
Earlier this year, Southwest announced its first international partner, Icelandair, with expectations of deeper cooperation down the line. It then added China Airlines (EVA’s main competitor in Taiwan).
These are basic interline partnerships, not codeshares, which means they provide convenience but limited upside to Southwest’s bottom line. Still, for customers, the benefit is clear: peace of mind when connecting internationally, smoother transfers, and more booking options.
Anthony’s Take: I’m not sure why Southwest added two partners that offer hubs in Taiwan and similar route networks, but these are simple interline agreements and it looks like Southwest is now trying to amass partners as it finds its way after completely changing its business model.
(Image Credits: Southwest Airlines and EVA Air.)
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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.
