Kayak now displays Southwest Airlines flights

From assigned seats to red-eye flights, it’s time for big changes at Southwest Airlines — and this week brought another one.

Kayak’s search engine now shows Southwest fares, the company announced Monday. This allows users to compare prices and travel options directly with those of other airlines.

It’s a big change. Historically, Southwest has not allowed third-party companies to display its schedule and fare data.

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However, that has started to change in recent months.

In May, TPG reported that Southwest fares began appearing on Google Flights, expanding flight comparison options for users.

And on Monday, Kayak joined a short list of companies that could display Southwest data.

A quick flight search confirms the change: You can see Southwest options pop up in the October flight search results from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to Southwest hub Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Includes both Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares.

You cannot book directly on the Kayak website. Once you’ve found the Southwest flight you’re looking for, you can click and be redirected to the carrier’s website to book directly. This is part of what Southwest calls driver cooperation.

“This is a huge development for travelers,” Kayak CEO Steve Hafner said in a statement Monday. “We first started showing Southwest in 2022 to Kayak’s Business customers. We’re excited to extend that relationship to the millions of recreational travelers who use Kayak.”

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Major changes in the Southwest

Allowing Kayak to display its fare data is the latest in a series of recent moves toward something of a turnaround in the Southwest, amid weak financial performance in recent years.

In the company’s July 25 earnings call, chief commercial officer Andrew Watterson cited its recent foray into Google Flights, among “some of our customer acquisition activities,” as key to trying to fill its fleet with passengers.

On the same day, Southwest announced additional revenue-boosting efforts, including ditching its open-seat setup and adding extra-legroom options. It also indicated that it will improve the use of its jets with red-headed flights.

In expanding Kayak, the airline said it hopes to give customers “enhanced visibility” into its available fares and flight options.

“We are excited to continue to find ways to expose more consumers to the appeal of our unique combination of value, friendly and flexible policies, and breadth of airline service,” Southwest said in a statement sent to TPG on Monday.

The airline did not give an indication of whether it plans to allow additional third-party sites to display its flight information in the near future.

Read more: The best time to book flights with the cheapest airfare is 2024

Easy ways to search for flights

Southwest joining Google Flights and Kayak is among several recent changes in the US airline industry that make it easier for customers to compare flight prices on multiple airlines.

In recent months, budget airlines Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines have both announced changes to the way they display fares and surcharges. Each now plans to offer four different ticket types, or bundles, in advance – with product offerings ranging from basic and unbundled to premium.

It’s a four-tier setup that’s very similar to the price buckets offered by major network airlines.

That, along with Southwest’s fares on display at most destinations, should give travelers a better chance of looking apples-to-apples when choosing their flight when deciding on the best airline and itinerary.

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