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Southwest Airlines recently added Condor as its fifth airline partner. The German carrier is known for serving nearly 70 destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas from its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) hub. The collaboration strengthens transatlantic travel options and opens streamlined pathways for passengers traveling between the two airlines. Now, Southwest is back with another partner: Turkish Airlines. The collaboration will allow travelers to book one-ticket itineraries for seamless transatlantic travel between the United States and Istanbul (with onward access to Turkish Airlines’ huge global network).
Turkish Airlines currently serves more than 350 destinations across 132 countries from its hub at Istanbul Airport (IST) including ten US airports also served by Southwest. Under the partnership, international travelers will be able to connect through these shared gateways and continue their journeys on either airline with coordinated ticketing, schedules, and baggage handling. Tickets for these combined itineraries will be available next year through Turkish Airlines, travel agents, and major travel websites.
This collaboration marks Southwest’s sixth overseas partnership announced in 2025. It further extends the carrier’s reach into Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The move aligns with Southwest’s broader strategy to diversify its offerings and enhance the customer experience. With this development, Southwest now partners with six overseas airlines (others include Icelandair, China Airlines, EVA Air, Philippine Airlines, and Condor). The airline continues to broaden its international access and more partners will likely be signed in the future.
The airline is also rolling out significant upgrades to its onboard product. This includes a redesigned cabin and the long-awaited option to book assigned seating and extra-legroom seats on flights beginning January 27th. Together, these developments signal a major evolution for Southwest as it deepens its global connectivity and modernizes its travel experience.
Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines Chief Operating Officer, said:
Both Southwest and Turkish Airlines are known for the warmth of our Employees, the authenticity of our Hospitality, and the reliability of our airline operations. We’re grateful for this new relationship that will usher thousands of international travelers each week through experiences around the globe that showcase the best of both carriers and globally enhances awareness of the Southwest brand.”
Anthony’s Take: Southwest has been adding partners at a rapid pace. While benefits are limited across carriers, having these agreements in place makes travel more seamless as Southwest looks to grow internationally without adding flights itself.
(Image Credits: Southwest 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.
