Southwest and LOT Polish Airlines Sign

Southwest Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines have signed an interline agreement. The partnership, effective as of Tuesday, allows passengers to book connecting flights on both carriers with a single itinerary.

According to a joint announcement, the arrangement is designed to make international travel more convenient. It lets customers leverage the combined route networks of both airlines. The carriers will use Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco as the primary connection points between their services.

Justin Jones, Southwest’s chief commercial officer, framed the deal as a significant benefit for travelers. "This new relationship between Southwest and LOT Polish Airlines gives travelers easy access to desired destinations in the United States and new marketplaces in Central and Eastern Europe," Jones said in a news release.

How the Interline Partnership Works

An interline agreement facilitates coordinated travel between two airlines that are not part of the same alliance. For passengers, the key advantage is the ability to purchase one ticket for a journey that uses flights operated by both Southwest and LOT. This typically simplifies the travel process by allowing checked baggage to be transferred between the airlines and providing protection if a misconnection occurs due to a delay.

The partnership specifically connects Southwest's extensive domestic U.S. network with LOT's international operations. Travelers can now book a seamless trip from a U.S. city served by Southwest to a European destination on LOT, or vice versa, through the designated gateway airports.

LOT Polish Airlines' Network

LOT Polish Airlines operates its main hub at Warsaw Chopin Airport. The carrier's flight network is primarily focused on European destinations. However, its long-haul operations extend beyond the continent.

The airline serves points in North America, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. This interline deal effectively plugs Southwest's passengers into that broader international network from the three West Coast and Florida gateways.

Strategic Gateways for Connections

The selection of Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco as connection points is strategic. These cities are major Southwest operation centers and key U.S. entry points for international travel. They offer a wide range of Southwest flights for passengers connecting to or from LOT's transatlantic services.

This structure means a traveler from, for example, Las Vegas could fly Southwest to Los Angeles and then connect onto a LOT flight to Warsaw. The entire journey would be covered under one booking reference. The airlines stated the partnership helps customers take advantage of both airlines' networks for more convenient international travel.

The agreement marks a notable step for Southwest, which has historically been cautious about such partnerships. For LOT, it represents an expanded distribution channel for attracting U.S.-based passengers to its Central and Eastern European hub in Warsaw.