Southwest Airlines. Photo: PR (Southwest Airlines) More ways to connect across the Pacific. One of the world's most admired and awarded airlines that carried over 140 million customers in 2024, Southwest Airlines, has added the Philippines’ flag carrier and only full-service network airline, Philippine Airlines, to its network of international partners.
The partnership expands travel options between Asia and the United States, with bookings now available through Philippine Airlines and major online travel agencies.
Philippine Airlines operates flights across Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and the Philippines. In the U.S., the partnership focuses on major gateway cities, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and Honolulu, where passengers can easily connect to Southwest flights. In Hawaii alone, Southwest runs nearly 50 interisland flights a day.
“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,” said Andrew Watterson, Chief Operating Officer. “With nearly 90 flights a day in our schedule that touch the Hawaiian Islands and as California’s largest air carrier, 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."
Southwest now partners with four international airlines and plans to further expand its global collaborations. The carrier is also preparing to introduce assigned seating and extra legroom options starting January 27, 2026, as part of a refreshed onboard experience.