Together at last.
Travelers searching for airfares on Google Flights will now see Southwest flight prices alongside other airlines.
It’s a big change for Southwest, which previously only promoted fares on its own site. For years, travelers in Southwest cities had to check multiple websites for each trip, making comparison shopping complicated.
The change was first reported by Thrifty Traveler and appears to have only recently gone into effect.
In a statement to USA Today, Southwest confirmed that as part of a current test, potential travelers can search for its fares on Google Flights, but bookings must still be made through the airline’s website.
“We are expanding Southwest.com’s reach by better informing Google Flights users about available flights, fares and product and service benefits. The first test of this partnership allows Google Flights users to compare different fare options and click directly to Southwest.com to book their selected itinerary,” the statement said.
The airline did not say how long the trial would last or whether the fares would eventually be listed on other third-party booking platforms.
Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan hinted at other possible changes to the airline’s business model during the airline’s first-quarter earnings call last month.
He said Southwest is considering moving away from its signature open-seating format and that the airline may begin offering assigned seats, but did not provide a timeline for the change.
Zach Wichter is a New York-based travel writer for USA TODAY. He can be reached at zwichter@usatoday.com.
