Southwest Airlines and Turkish Airlines are set to reshape low cost long haul connectivity across the Atlantic, unveiling a new partnership that will allow travelers to book one ticket for journeys linking Southwest’s vast U.S. domestic network with Turkish Airlines’ global hub in Istanbul from January 2026.

The agreement, announced on December 17, 2025, signals a major strategic step for Dallas based Southwest as it deepens its reliance on international partners rather than operating its own long haul aircraft, while giving Turkish Airlines broader access to secondary and mid sized U.S. markets traditionally dominated by domestic carriers.

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Details of the New Transatlantic Partnership

The cooperation between Southwest Airlines and Turkish Airlines is scheduled to begin in early January 2026, with full functionality expected during the first quarter.

According to the joint announcement, travelers will be able to purchase single itineraries that combine Southwest operated flights within the United States with Turkish Airlines services between U.S. gateways and Istanbul, and onward to destinations across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Rather than a traditional codeshare in which airlines sell seats on each other’s flights under shared flight numbers, the arrangement is built around streamlined ticketing and coordinated connections.

Customers will check in once, have bags tagged through to their final destination, and secure protection in case of missed connections within the combined itinerary, even though Southwest will continue to operate only Boeing 737 aircraft on domestic and near international routes.

The partnership will initially focus on ten U.S. airports served by both carriers, which will act as shared gateways for transatlantic transfers.

While the airlines have not publicly listed every airport, industry sources and existing Turkish Airlines schedules suggest that cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and potentially secondary hubs like Dallas and Houston are likely to feature prominently as connection points, giving passengers new one stop options from dozens of Southwest cities.

Strategic Significance for Southwest Airlines

For Southwest, long recognized as a point to point low cost carrier focused on domestic routes, the deal marks another important move in a gradual international pivot.

Throughout 2025, the airline has inked a series of agreements with overseas partners, including carriers such as Condor, EVA Air, Philippine Airlines, and Icelandair, positioning itself as a feeder network into multiple long haul operators rather than investing in widebody jets of its own.

Executives at the carrier have framed this approach as a capital light way to offer global connectivity while maintaining the simplicity of an all 737 fleet and a largely North and Central American operating footprint.

By leveraging Turkish Airlines’ vast intercontinental network, Southwest can immediately present its customers with access to more than 350 destinations in 132 countries via a single hub at Istanbul without taking on the financial and operational complexity of long haul flying.

The tie up also dovetails with broader commercial changes underway at the airline. Southwest plans to introduce assigned seating and extra legroom options beginning January 27, 2026, along with a redesigned cabin experience.

Those adjustments, significant for a carrier long associated with open seating and a single class cabin, are expected to make Southwest’s product more compatible with the expectations of international and corporate travelers flowing onto its flights from Turkish Airlines and other global partners.

How the Partnership Will Work for Travelers

Under the new arrangement, most customers traveling between smaller or mid sized U.S. cities and destinations beyond Istanbul will start their journey on a Southwest flight to one of the shared gateway airports.

There, they will connect to a Turkish Airlines service to Istanbul and, if needed, onward to another international destination on a single booking reference with harmonized minimum connection times and baggage handling.

Tickets will primarily be sold through Turkish Airlines, global distribution systems, and online travel agencies, although frequent travelers may also see packaged itineraries appear in corporate booking tools and through retail travel advisors.

For many U.S. based customers, the experience of booking will be similar to purchasing any other connecting international ticket, but with Southwest segments replacing the traditional U.S. legacy carriers on domestic legs.

In practical terms, passengers will likely check in with the first operating carrier on their itinerary, either Southwest or Turkish Airlines depending on direction of travel and airport facilities. Bags will be tagged through to the final destination, and customers will receive boarding passes for both segments.

The two airlines are also expected to coordinate disruption handling so that missed connections caused by delays on either carrier are re accommodated on the next available flights within the combined network.

Implications for Turkish Airlines and the Istanbul Hub

For Turkish Airlines, the partnership reinforces Istanbul’s role as one of the world’s most powerful connecting hubs, particularly for traffic linking North America with Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The flag carrier already boasts one of the largest international networks, and gaining structured access to Southwest’s domestic footprint allows it to offer more one stop options from secondary and tertiary U.S. cities that currently lack nonstop service to major European or Middle Eastern hubs.

The ten U.S. airports shared with Southwest will function as collection points for feed traffic, effectively widening Turkish Airlines’ catchment area far beyond the immediate metropolitan regions those airports serve.

Travelers from cities such as Kansas City, Nashville, San Antonio, or Raleigh Durham, for example, may soon find it easier to connect to Istanbul and beyond via a Southwest and Turkish itinerary than by backtracking through the congested East Coast gateways of competing alliances.

The move also strengthens Turkish Airlines’ competitive position against transatlantic joint ventures led by U.S. Big Three carriers and their European partners.

By tapping into Southwest’s scale in the domestic U.S. market, Turkish gains a new source of passengers without having to negotiate complex joint ventures or antitrust immunized revenue sharing agreements, while still benefitting from a more integrated network offering.

Competitive Landscape in Transatlantic and Connecting Markets

The agreement lands amid intensified competition across the North Atlantic, as legacy alliances, low cost long haul operators, and a growing number of independent carriers vie for passengers between North America and Europe.

While Southwest itself will not be operating nonstop flights to Istanbul under this deal, its decision to act as a domestic feed partner for Turkish Airlines is likely to exert pressure on U.S. rivals that rely on their own regional affiliates and alliance members to capture connecting traffic.

American Airlines and its Oneworld partners, Delta Air Lines and the SkyTeam alliance, and United Airlines with Star Alliance already maintain deep joint ventures with European carriers covering key transatlantic flows.

Many of those arrangements integrate schedules, pricing, and frequent flyer benefits. Southwest’s model is more modular, built on interline style single ticketing and customer friendly connections rather than full commercial integration, but the practical effect for passengers in smaller markets could be similar: more choices and potentially sharper fares on connecting itineraries.

Industry analysts suggest that secondary markets and price sensitive customers stand to benefit most. Turkish Airlines has a track record of aggressive pricing across its long haul network, particularly to destinations in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Africa.

Coupled with Southwest’s reputation for low domestic fares, the new partnership could introduce additional downward pressure on competing itineraries sold by U.S. and European carriers via their own hubs.

Customer Experience and Product Changes Ahead of Launch

Southwest is moving to align elements of its onboard and ground experience with the expectations of travelers embarking on long international journeys, even if its aircraft will remain configured for short to medium haul flights.

The introduction of assigned seating and extra legroom products from late January 2026 is seen as a key step in appealing to passengers who are used to pre selected seats, particularly those connecting from business and premium economy cabins on carriers like Turkish Airlines.

The airline is also in the process of rolling out an updated cabin interior, with revised seat materials, improved power options, and enhanced inflight Wi Fi and entertainment.

Although these changes are part of a broader modernization program, they are likely to carry added importance for travelers who view the Southwest segments as an integral part of an international journey starting or ending on a full service airline.

On the Turkish Airlines side, passengers originating in the United States will continue to see the carrier’s standard long haul offering, including multiple cabin classes, full service catering, and extensive inflight entertainment.

What changes is the ease of stitching those flights together with domestic U.S. legs, reducing the need for separate tickets, baggage re check, or overnight layovers that have sometimes discouraged travelers from booking mixed carrier itineraries.

Economic and Network Impact for U.S. Regions

Beyond airline level strategy, the Southwest and Turkish partnership carries economic implications for the U.S. regions served by the ten shared gateway airports.

Easier access to Istanbul and Turkish Airlines’ onward network could strengthen trade, tourism, and investment links between mid sized American cities and emerging markets across Eurasia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Local tourism boards and airport authorities are expected to highlight the new connectivity as a tool for attracting international visitors who previously might have limited their U.S. itineraries to New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles.

With smoother one stop options, visitors can more easily add destinations like Austin, Cleveland, or Kansas City to their travel plans using Southwest connections from Turkish Airlines flights.

On the export side, better connectivity can shorten travel times for business delegations and small and medium sized enterprises seeking opportunities in markets where Turkish Airlines maintains strong presence but direct links from the U.S. heartland have been limited.

For some communities, the partnership may function as a de facto gateway to regions that previously required multiple tickets and complex self connections to reach.

What Travelers Should Watch Before January 2026

Although the partnership is slated to begin in January 2026, many of the operational specifics will crystallize in the months leading up to launch.

Travelers interested in using the new connectivity should pay attention to when combined itineraries appear in booking channels, which exact U.S. gateways are designated for transfers, and whether baggage and rebooking protections are explicitly detailed in ticket conditions.

Frequent travelers may also watch for announcements about recognition of elite status or accrual of points and miles across the two carriers.

While the current framework centers on interline style cooperation rather than full loyalty program integration, both airlines have strong customer bases and may seek ways to sweeten the proposition for their most loyal passengers as the partnership matures.

As launch nears, schedule refinements are likely on both sides of the Atlantic to improve connection times at shared airports and at Istanbul.

Adjustments to bank structures in Istanbul, minor retimings of U.S. departures and arrivals, and possible additions of new domestic routes by Southwest to feed key gateways may all feature in the fine tuning process ahead of the first passengers traveling under the new arrangement.

FAQ

Q1: When does the Southwest and Turkish Airlines partnership start?
The partnership is scheduled to begin in January 2026, with operations ramping up through the first quarter as ticketing and schedules are fully integrated.

Q2: Will Southwest operate its own flights across the Atlantic to Istanbul?
No. Southwest will continue to operate its existing fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft on domestic and short haul routes, while Turkish Airlines will operate the transatlantic flights between U.S. gateways and Istanbul.

Q3: How will I buy a ticket that includes both Southwest and Turkish Airlines flights?
Combined itineraries will be sold primarily through Turkish Airlines, travel agents, corporate booking tools, and major online travel agencies, allowing you to purchase a single ticket covering all segments.

Q4: Will my bags be checked through to my final destination?
Yes. For itineraries issued under the partnership, checked baggage is expected to be tagged through to your final destination, so you will not need to reclaim and recheck your luggage during connections between the two airlines.

Q5: Which U.S. airports will serve as connection points?
The partnership will use ten shared U.S. gateway airports served by both carriers. While not all have been publicly confirmed, major hubs such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are expected to feature as key transfer points.

Q6: Can I earn frequent flyer miles on both airlines for a single itinerary?
Details on loyalty program reciprocity have not been fully announced. Travelers should check closer to launch whether miles can be earned or redeemed across the two carriers on partnered itineraries.

Q7: Will Southwest’s move to assigned seating affect these partnered flights?
Yes. Beginning January 27, 2026, Southwest plans to introduce assigned seating and extra legroom options, which should make connections for international travelers more predictable and better aligned with Turkish Airlines’ seating model.

Q8: How will missed connections be handled if one of my flights is delayed?
On a single ticket issued under the partnership, you should be protected if a delay on one carrier causes you to miss a connection on the other, with rebooking handled according to the combined itinerary’s conditions and available seats.

Q9: Does this partnership mean new nonstop routes from smaller U.S. cities to Istanbul?
No. The nonstop flights to Istanbul will continue to operate from larger U.S. gateways. The change is that passengers from smaller cities will have easier, integrated connections via Southwest to reach those gateway departures.

Q10: How is this different from a full codeshare or alliance joint venture?
The arrangement focuses on one ticket journeys, coordinated connections, and through checked baggage, but it does not appear to involve full revenue sharing or deep joint venture integration. It is a more flexible model that still delivers many practical benefits to travelers.