Southwest Airlines and China Airlines are in discussions to create an interline partnership in early 2026, with connections expected to go on sale later this year.
Leadership from both airlines met this week at IATA’s 2025 annual general meeting (AGM) in India to jointly announce the partnership.
Southwest said customers would benefit immediately from having access to connections overseas through China Airlines, with the agreement allowing passengers travelling with the Taiwan-based carrier to transfer at four US airports - Los Angeles, Ontario, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Passengers will then be able to transfer to more than 30 inland cities within the US.
Kevin Chen, president at China Airlines, noted that in the future travellers will be able to book interline tickets for China Airlines and Southwest flights and domestic legs within the US operated by Southwest through the China Airlines website.