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It's been a busy year for Southwest Airlines — for better or worse. When we started 2025, it was business as usual: Southwest was a solo airline, operating a mostly domestic flight schedule with open seating and a unique boarding process. Over the course of the year, Southwest has revamped its flying experience and added airline partners left and right.
As we approach 2026, Rapid Rewards members now have partnerships brewing with six different international airlines. The latest partnership to be announced is with Turkish Airlines, offering greater connectivity throughout Europe and Asia.
Here's everything you need to know about the new Southwest-Turkish partnership.
Southwest Adds Turkish Airlines to International Partner Lineup
Rapid Rewards members have far more options than they did a year ago. Southwest loyalists can now take advantage of six different international airline partnerships:
- Icelandair
- China Airlines
- EVA Air
- Philippine Airlines
- Condor Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines, the sixth international airline partner for Southwest, will begin accepting bookings that include Southwest in January 2026 through Turkish Airlines and third-party booking channels. Turkish Airlines connects passengers to 350 destinations in 132 countries from its hub in Istanbul. Of all the airline partners Southwest has added this year, Turkish Airlines might be the most impressive.
At the beginning of the partnership, you'll be able to book joint international itineraries connecting through the following airports:
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Boston (BOS)
- Chicago (ORD)
- Denver (DEN)
- Detroit (DTW)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Miami (MIA)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Seattle (SEA)
- Washington D.C. (IAD)
This new partnership means that you can fly Southwest from anywhere in the U.S. to one of the above connection cities, then connect to a Turkish Airlines flight headed to just about anywhere in the world. Since you're flying under one itinerary, you won't need to recheck your luggage or go back through security during your layover. If you're prioritizing seamless travel in 2026, this partnership allows you to do just that.
As with the rest of Southwest's partners, you won't be able to book flights directly through Southwest. Ideally, the booking platform will begin accommodating itineraries with partners next year, but only time will tell. If this were to happen, not only would Southwest credit card holders be able to earn bonus points on paid bookings, but Rapid Rewards members would also be able to redeem miles for partner flights.
Bottom Line
Southwest's adding Turkish Airlines as an international airline partner was an unexpected but surprisingly good move. Although the airline recently added Germany's Condor Airlines as a partner, Turkish Airlines offers much better worldwide connectivity.
Southwest might not offer comparable routes to Delta Air Lines or American Airlines, but these international partners make Southwest a compelling option when you're ready to book your next flight.
Stay tuned for when bookings become available in January 2026.
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