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Southwest Airlines is in the middle of a transformation. After decades of sticking to its unique model — no assigned seats, no change fees, and two free checked bags — the airline is evolving. Assigned seating is coming. Bag fees are already here.
Another big shift: Southwest has begun launching partnerships with other airlines — starting with Icelandair. This allows travelers to seamlessly book itineraries from Southwest hubs to Reykjavík — and beyond — while earning Rapid Rewards points and elite status credit.
Here’s what you need to know about the Southwest-Icelandair partnership, how it works today, and what’s still to come.
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How Southwest's Partnership With Icelandair Benefits Travelers
The primary benefit of Southwest's partnership with Icelandair is that it makes traveling to Iceland easier. In theory, you can book your entire trip through Southwest’s website, check your bags at your home airport, and not worry about them again until you arrive in Reykjavík — or potentially beyond.
And if you care about earning Rapid Rewards points or A-List elite status credits, this partnership will help you with that, too.
You Can Now Book Southwest and Icelandair Joint Itineraries
Starting in March 2025, Southwest and Icelandair launched joint itineraries beginning with connections through Baltimore/Washington (BWI) and onward to Keflavik (KEF), the international airport just outside Reykjavík. More recently, airlines have begun allowing itineraries connecting through Denver (DEN), Nashville (BNA), Orlando (MCO), Pittsburgh (PIT), and Raleigh-Durham (RDU).
Here is an example of a one-stop flight from Phoenix to Iceland for $689 in Economy Standard, available via the Icelandair website:
Economy Standard is the lowest class of travel available when booking an itinerary operated by both carriers. This fare includes one free checked bag. In contrast, Economy Light — Icelandair's cheapest fare — does not include any free checked bags. However, you (at least currently) cannot book Economy Light if Southwest operates at least one leg of your journey.
And if you credit your travels to the Rapid Rewards program, members can earn points on Southwest-operated flights booked through Icelandair as follows:
- 1-1000 miles flown: 500 points
- 1,001-1,800 miles flown: 1,000 points
- 1,801+ miles flown: 1,500 points
To receive credit, be sure to enter your Rapid Rewards number in your Icelandair booking before departure. Points typically post within a week of travel.
In addition to earning redeemable Rapid Rewards points, these points will count as tier-qualifying points toward A-List status and Companion Pass-qualifying points. However, it's unclear if and how members can earn points on the Icelandair-operated portion of itineraries.
For now, these itineraries are only bookable on Icelandair's website, as well as select online travel agencies (OTAs).
Icelandair Offers Free Stopovers Even if You’re Flying Southwest, Too
One nice benefit of this partnership is the ability to tie a Southwest flight into your itinerary to Iceland while also taking advantage of Icelandair's free stopover program.
This allows you to stay and visit Iceland for up to a week on your way to/from Europe. For example, you could fly from Phoenix (PHX) to Reykjavík (KEF), stop over for five days, and then continue to Amsterdam (AMS) on the same ticket.
Can You Use Rapid Rewards Points for Icelandair Flights?
Revenue bookings are live when booked through Icelandair, but what about redeeming Rapid Rewards points? According to a press release from September 2024, Southwest plans to let members earn and redeem points for Icelandair flights. The release states:
“Eventually, Rapid Rewards Members also will have more opportunities to earn and redeem points for longer-haul international destinations with development of its airline partnerships and the evolution of its Getaways by Southwest product.”
While details about earning Rapid Rewards points have been shared, redemption rates and rules have not yet been announced. It’s unclear at this time exactly how Icelandair flights will fit into the program, how flexible these redemptions will be, or what kind of value you can expect to get for your Rapid Rewards points.
What’s Next for the Southwest-Icelandair Partnership
Both airlines put pen to paper on January 16, 2025, to finalize the partnership. Sales began on February 13, 2025, with travel starting from Baltimore (BWI). Bookings began for Denver (DEN) and Nashville (BNA) flights for travel after May 12, 2025. And three more gateway cities will be added on July 14, 2025: Orlando (MCO), Pittsburgh (PIT), and Raleigh-Durham (RDU).
Southwest has said that bookings — using both cash and points — should become available on its own website sometime in 2026, likely aligning with the rollout of assigned seating. In addition, we expect to see more Icelandair-serviced airports in the U.S. to become eligible for booking in the near future. In addition, the ability to redeem Rapid Rewards points for these itineraries should come online as well.
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 4X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 2X points per $1 on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Final Thoughts
Southwest’s partnership with Icelandair marks a significant step in its international expansion. Travelers can now book itineraries to Iceland — or beyond, potentially even adding a stopover in Iceland — via six gateway airports while still earning Rapid Rewards points.
The partnership is still evolving. You can’t redeem points just yet, and flights must be booked through Icelandair. But with more U.S. gateways expected and redemptions coming later, this new alliance could reshape what it means to fly Southwest internationally.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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