Taiwan’s China Airlines partners with Southwest Airlines

台灣中華航空（China Airlines）與西南航空（Southwest Airlines）攜手合作

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China Airlines announced a new partnership with Southwest Airlines on Monday, less than a week after rival Starlux Airlines struck a similar deal with American Airlines.

The agreement allows travelers to purchase a single ticket covering flights from Taiwan to US destinations served by Southwest’s network, China Airlines President Kevin Chen (陳漢銘) said at a news conference in Long Beach, California.

Southwest Airlines Managing Director of Network Capacity, Strategy, and Alliances Steven Swan said China Airlines is its first Asian partner, per CNA. Southwest is the fourth-largest airline in the US but operates the most domestic flights, with more than 4,000 daily.

China Airlines added Phoenix to its route network in July, joining New York, Los Angeles, Ontario, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver. Chen said he hopes the partnership will not only draw more visitors to Taiwan but also encourage transit passengers, helping Taiwan become a leading transit hub in Asia.

Swan visited Taiwan in March to discuss the partnership and explore linking the carriers’ frequent flyer programs. If finalized, the agreement would let customers use loyalty points from either airline across both networks.

On Aug. 15, Starlux signed a similar deal with American Airlines. Once Starlux begins flights to Phoenix in January, with frequencies increasing in March, integration between the two networks is expected to deepen.