After years of keeping its fares off third-party platforms, Southwest Airlines flights are now searchable on Google Flights. This is a big deal for anyone who compares fares across airlines before booking. You no longer need to check Southwest.com separately to see if it has a better deal.
The change came as part of a broader transformation at Southwest. The airline has added assigned seating, introduced bag fees, and launched international partnerships. Showing up on Google Flights fits that same pattern of opening up to reach more customers.
What Southwest Looks Like on Google Flights
Southwest flights now appear alongside every other carrier when you search for flights on Google Flights. All 800+ domestic and international routes show up with pricing. You can filter by Southwest specifically, or just let it compete head-to-head with other airlines in the results.
When you click on a Southwest result, Google Flights shows the lowest available fare first. That is typically the “Basic” fare (formerly “Wanna Get Away”). It also displays other fare options like Choice and Choice Extra so you can compare what each tier includes. Once you are ready to book, Google sends you directly to Southwest.com to complete the purchase.
This is an important distinction. Google Flights is a search engine, not a booking site. You still book on Southwest.com, which means you still earn Rapid Rewards points, get Southwest’s customer service, and have access to your usual account benefits.
What You Can (and Cannot) Do
Here is what works well with Southwest on Google Flights:
- Compare fares across all airlines at once. This is the biggest win. Previously, you had to search Southwest separately and manually compare.
- Use the date grid and price graph. Google’s two-month calendar view works with Southwest fares, so you can spot the cheapest travel days at a glance.
- Track prices. You can set up price alerts for Southwest routes. Google will notify you if the fare drops, which is especially useful given Southwest’s flexible cancellation policy.
- See all fare tiers. Google Flights breaks down Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra so you know what you are getting.
What you still cannot do: book through Google Flights, search for Rapid Rewards award availability, or find Southwest on other aggregators like Kayak, Expedia, or Skyscanner. For award bookings, you still need to go directly to Southwest.com.
You can also track prices using Google flights and rebook for free if a lower fare becomes available. This is very helpful to customers, and hopefully, free rebooking on Southwest will not disappear with this change.
Does this matter? Well…
Southwest Rapid Rewards points used to be fixed value, but that changed in March 2025. The program now uses dynamic pricing for award redemptions. Points are worth anywhere from 1.1 to 1.7 cents each depending on the route and date. The cash price and the points price no longer move in lockstep, so you need to check both before booking.
Google Flights only shows cash fares, not points prices. But seeing the cash price still gives you a baseline. If Southwest shows a low cash fare on Google Flights, you know it is worth checking Southwest.com to see whether the points price is also favorable. Sometimes the points price drops while the cash price stays the same, or vice versa. Savvy travelers are monitoring both and rebooking when either one dips.
Price tracking through Google Flights is especially useful here. Since Southwest still allows free changes on most fare types, you can rebook at a lower cash price if Google alerts you to a drop. Just note that flight credits on bookings made after May 28, 2025 now come with expiration dates (6 to 12 months depending on fare class). Points bookings, on the other hand, are still fully refundable with points returned to your account.
It was never entirely clear why Southwest Airlines chose not to display fares on third-party websites. Popular theories range from the dynamic nature of Southwest routes to controlling inventory, which is certainly a welcome change.
Our Take
This is a straightforward win for travelers. Having Southwest visible alongside every other airline in one search makes comparison shopping faster and easier. If you use Google Flights to plan trips, you no longer have a blind spot in your results.
