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Southwest Airlines is expanding to Europe — and sooner than you think.
But flyers won’t be lining up according to their boarding numbers for this jaunt across the pond — for the transatlantic part of the journey, the Texas-based carrier has signed a joint commercial agreement with European carrier Icelandair, Travel + Leisure reported.
What this means — Southwest will get you to an Icelandair departure airport here at home, with their foreign partner taking you the rest of the way, via Reykjavik.
The same itinerary was possible before, but now you’ll be able to book the entire journey with a few clicks on Icelandair’s site — and you’ll only have to check your bag once.
Eventually, Southwest will begin selling the Icelandair segments as well.
“Beyond an ability to offer each other’s customers access to new destinations and like-minded travel experiences centered around hospitality and value, we’re grateful to have been guided by [Icelandair’s] expertise and best practices in building our program,” said Ryan Greer, Chief Transformation Officer for Southwest.
For now, flights will be leave the US via Baltimore’s BWI Airport, a major Southwest hub also served by Icelandair. Denver and Nashville are expected to be added later as additional gateway cities.
An exact launch date for the connecting service has yet to be announced.
Once arrived in Reykjavik, Southwest customers will be able to choose from countless continental destinations served by Iceland’s national carrier.
Or, they could just hang around — Icelandair has a popular and easy to book stopover program, allowing travelers to stay put in the land of fire and ice for up to a week without paying extra for their flights.
The announcement comes as the dollar and euro have nearly evened out, offering American travelers significant savings in Europe not enjoyed for a number of years.
Currently, the exchange rate stands at $1.03 to €1.00 — much better than last fall’s $1.12 per €1.00.
This amounts to a discount of nine cents for every dollar you pay — a modest-sounding amount that can quickly add up.
Sightseers can stretch the savings even further by traveling during the so-called shoulder season months — spring and fall versus peak summer, when rates sometimes double or even triple on hotels in popular destinations like Spain and France.
