There’s One Major Airline You Couldn’t Find on Google Flights—Until Now

23.05.2024 - 20:35 / afar.com / Bob Jordan

Big news from Southwest Airlines this week as the airline changed a long-standing policy and allowed its fares to be listed on a third-party website for the first time. Travelers will now be able to find Southwest flight pricing and details on Google Flights, a move the carrier calls a “pilot partnership.”

“We’re extending the reach of Southwest.com by giving users of Google Flights enhanced visibility into our available flights, fares, and the benefits of our products and services,” a Southwest spokesperson said in a statement to Afar.

All of Southwest’s more than 800 domestic and international flight routes and pricing will now be displayed in searches on Google Flights, but users will still have to go to the Southwest Airlines website to purchase the flights. Google Flights is not a third-party booking site like Expedia or Booking.com; instead, it serves as a travel search engine and users are sent directly to airline websites to make the final booking.

The change in policy comes as Southwest faces financial challenges, reporting losses earlier this year amid promises from CEO Bob Jordan to shake things up at the airline. Southwest has already announced changes like the elimination of some unprofitable routes, and it may even reconsider its industry-unique no-seat-assignment boarding process.

Southwest Airlines’ full array of flights and pricing are now listed on Google Flights searches beside other airlines in the website’s standard format.

When you search for flights using Google’s search engine, Southwest options are now displayed.

Courtesy of Google Flights

Once users click on the Southwest Airlines option, Google Flights displays the selected route and price along with other Southwest pricing for that flight. The Google Flights search function finds the lowest available Southwest fare (typically the “Wanna Get Away” discounted option). Once users click on the fare, a second page will also include other ticketing options including “Wanna Get Away Plus” with priority boarding and “Anytime” fully refundable fares.

Google Flights even breaks down the different booking options Southwest offers, which then leads a user to the Southwest website to finalize the flight reservation.

Screenshot of a Google Flights Southwest booking

If users click on the “Continue” button, they are taken directly to Southwest Airlines’ website to book the flight.

Google Flights’ price-tracking button is enabled on the Southwest fare page, meaning travelers will get notifications should the price on a given flight drop after purchasing or searching the fare. Given Southwest’s no-penalty flight change policy, this will give travelers a great tool for price protection.

Southwest Airlines’ agreement with Google Flights will