Skift Take
It makes sense that Southwest is finally realizing what other airlines have known for years — partnering with international airlines makes good business sense.
Southwest Airlines seeks to negotiate new codeshare and interline agreements with international airlines that would allow many long-haul customers arriving from Europe, Asia, or elsewhere to transfer to Southwest domestic flights on the same ticket, executives said in an interview.
The airline eventually also may try to reach agreements with its U.S. competitors to ensure Southwest customers can switch to another carrier at no cost to them when their flight is delayed or canceled. Though it is becoming less common, many U.S. still airlines rebook customers on other airlines during operational crises, but Southwest rarely does so, and when it does, it must pay competitors the full ticket price, rather than a reduced rate. This was a problem in July, when Southwest's computer system failed, making it impossible for many passengers to reach their destinations.
Since the early 1970s, Southwest generally has pursued an independent strategy, preferring not to cooperate with other airlines. But as it has grown, it has determined it may be time to evolve, said Paul Cullen, Southwest's vice president for finance. In Europe, Southwest clone Ryanair has made a similar calcuation, with the airline's CEO saying it is also ready to pursue inter
