Southwest passenger lounges on a flight without paying for first class
A women climbed into the overhead baggage bins on a Southwest Airlines flight as other passengers were boarding.
Together at last.
Travelers looking for airfares on Google Flights will now see Southwest ticket prices listed alongside other airlines.
It’s a big change for Southwest, which previously only advertised fares on its own site. For years that’s made comparison shopping more complicated for travelers in Southwest’s cities with users having to check multiple websites for every trip.
The change was first reported by Thrifty Traveler, and appears to have gone into effect only recently.
Southwest confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY that would-be travelers can search for its fares on Google Flights as part of a pilot now, but bookings must still happen through the airline’s website.
“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. In our initial piloting of this partnership, we’ve made it possible for Google Flights users to compare our different fare options and click directly into Southwest.com to book their selected itinerary,” the statement said.
The airline did not specify how long the pilot would go on, or if fares will eventually be listed on other third party booking platforms as well.
Southwest Airlines’ CEO Bob Jordan signaled other possible changes to the airline’s business model during its first quarter earnings call last month.
He said Southwest is exploring moving away from its signature open seating model. The airline may begin assigning seats, though he did not announce a timeline for that change.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.