Southwest flights now appear on Kayak. Here's why that's a big deal

06.08.2024 - 13:58 / thepointsguy.com / Steve Hafner / Andrew Watterson

From assigned seats to red-eye flights, it's a time of big changes at Southwest Airlines — and this week has brought another.

Travel search site Kayak now displays Southwest fares, the company announced Monday. This allows users to compare prices and itinerary options directly with those of other airlines.

It's a major shift. Historically, Southwest has not allowed third-party companies to display its schedule and fare data.

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That has started to change in recent months, though.

In May, TPG reported Southwest fares began displaying on Google Flights, boosting flight comparison options for users.

And on Monday, Kayak joined the short list of companies that can display Southwest's data.

A quick flight search confirms the change: You can see Southwest options pop up in search results for an October flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to Southwest hub Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). It includes both the carrier's Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares.

You can't book directly on Kayak's website. Once you find the Southwest itinerary you want, you can click and be transferred to the carrier's website for a direct booking. This is part of what Southwest is calling a pilot partnership.

"This is a great development for travelers," Kayak CEO Steve Hafner said in a statement Monday. "We first started showing Southwest in 2022 to Kayak for Business customers. We're thrilled to expand that relationship to the millions of leisure travelers who use Kayak."

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Allowing Kayak to display its fare data is the latest in a series of recent moves that amount to something of a transformation at Southwest, amid lagging financial performance in recent quarters.

On the company's July 25 earnings call, chief commercial officer Andrew Watterson cited its recent entry onto Google Flights, among "some of our other customer acquisition activities," as key in trying to fill more of its aircraft with passengers.

That same day, Southwest announced additional efforts to boost revenue, including ditching its longtime open-seating setup and adding extra-legroom options. It also revealed it would boost utilization of its jets through red-eye flights.

Of the expansion to Kayak, the airline said that it's hoping to offer customers "enhanced visibility" into its available fares and flight options.

"We're excited to continue finding ways to expose more consumers to the appeal of our unique combination of value, friendly and flexible policies, and breadth of flight service," Southwest said in a statement to TPG Monday.

The airline did not give