Southwest Airlines, the Dallas-based carrier, has made a notable shift in its strategy by allowing its fares to appear on Google Flights. This move comes after a long-standing policy of excluding its prices from Google’s search engine results and online flight aggregators like Expedia. Historically, Southwest preferred customers to book directly through its own website. However, as of Wednesday, Southwest’s fares are now displayed on Google Flights alongside those from other airlines.
This new partnership with Google simplifies the comparison process for travelers, consolidating options on a single dashboard. While customers must still book flights directly through Southwest, this visibility could attract new customers who previously bypassed Southwest’s website.
A Southwest spokesperson explained the rationale behind this change, stating it broadens their consumer reach while maintaining control over the booking process. “We’re extending the reach of Southwest.com by giving users of Google Flights enhanced visibility into our available flights, fares and the benefits of our products and services,” the spokesperson said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch. “In our initial piloting of this partnership, we’ve made it possible for Google Flights users to compare our different fare options and click directly into Southwest.com to book their selected itinerary.”
This initiative is part of several strategies Southwest is exploring to enhance the customer experience. On a recent call with Wall Street analysts, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan mentioned potential changes, including a reconsideration of their unique open seating policy in favor of assigned seating, akin to other airlines. Additionally, Southwest plans to introduce red-eye flights in the coming years.
The travel site “The Points Guy” anticipates that Southwest’s collaboration with Google will benefit travelers by allowing them to use Google Flights’ fare-tracking tools to monitor prices and book flights at the best rates.
Southwest’s strategic shift occurs as the airline seeks to boost its performance amid challenges with Boeing 737 Max 8 planes. In April, the airline announced the suspension of service at four U.S. airports due to delays in the delivery of new Max 8 aircraft. These delays are expected to slow the airline’s growth, prompting cost-cutting measures after reporting a first-quarter loss of $231 million.
Southwest’s new approach with Google Flights could indeed be a savvy move to counteract these setbacks while making the travel experience more seamless for customers—though one can’t help but wonder if this change is just the tip of the iceberg for the carrier’s evolving strategies.