Southwest Airlines has had a turbulent start to 2025, but one positive change is the airline’s expansion of international partnerships.
Beginning Aug. 25, 2025, customers can book and fly transpacific itineraries with EVA Air through initial U.S. gateways in Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD).
That means EVA Air passengers will be able to connect across the U.S. on a single ticket. Someone flying to or from an airport not among those four — but served by Southwest — could take a Southwest flight to one of the gateway cities, then connect with EVA for the flight across the Pacific Ocean to Asia.
How it works
Like Southwest’s earlier China Airlines deal, the EVA Air arrangement is an interline agreement. With agreements like these, travelers can check bags through to their final destination, board with a single itinerary and avoid the hassle of juggling multiple tickets.
However, travelers won’t receive reciprocal elite benefits, like free checked baggage and priority boarding, Southwest confirmed by email.
The initial gateways will be major transpacific hubs: LAX, SFO, SEA and ORD. From these airports, EVA Air offers extensive service to its home base in Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) in Taiwan and other destinations across Asia and Oceania, including Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong.
Interline itineraries are available for purchase now through the EVA Air website, as well as online travel agencies like Expedia.
Will Southwest Rapid Rewards points work for EVA Air flights, and vice versa?
No, Southwest customers will not be able to earn or redeem Rapid Rewards points for EVA itineraries, the airline confirmed by email. Similarly, it confirmed that travelers will not be able to earn EVA’s Infinity MileageLands miles on Southwest flights.
How will seating on Southwest work?
Southwest has an unconventional boarding style, where seats are not assigned. Instead, you’re assigned a boarding group, and can select any available seat from there.
That changes for flights departing on or after Jan. 27, 2026, when Southwest will begin assigning seats.
Until then, interline customers boarding a Southwest-operated flight will be assigned a boarding position based on the current protocols around fare type or check-in time. Typically, that means getting a better boarding position when you buy a more expensive fare or check in earlier.
Why the EVA and Southwest partnership matters
EVA Air is consistently ranked among the top international airlines for service quality, safety, and onboard experience — including its well-regarded Premium Economy and Royal Laurel Class (its version of business class). Pairing that experience with Southwest’s vast U.S. domestic network could open meaningful opportunities for both U.S. and Asia-based travelers.
Instead of buying one ticket on EVA and a separate one on Southwest — and then crossing your fingers that everything lines up — you’ll be able to book a single itinerary that covers the entire journey.
That comes with several advantages:
Checked bags go all the way through. You won’t need to pick up your luggage in Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago or San Francisco and recheck it for your Southwest connection. Your bags will be tagged to your final destination, whether that’s Taipei or Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Smoother connections. If your first flight is delayed, the airlines coordinate to get you on the next available flight. When you buy separate tickets, you’re on your own if you miss a connection. With an interline itinerary, the airlines are responsible for getting you where you need to go.
More booking options. You can now shop for EVA plus Southwest itineraries on one ticket. It also opens the door to more competition: more departure times, more connection points and potentially better prices.
Peace of mind. Having one ticket usually means fewer headaches when something goes wrong. You have a single reservation, a single record locator and one customer service point of contact, instead of being bounced between two airlines.
For travelers, Southwest’s new partnership with EVA Air boils down to convenience and choice. On the most basic level, it means you won’t have to treat your U.S. and international flights as two completely separate trips should you want to fly routes operated by those two airlines to get to your destination.
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