China Airlines and Southwest Airlines Launch Interline Ticketing to Expand US-Taiwan Airline Partnership

China Airlines (CAL), a Taiwan-based carrier, has announced the launch of an all-new collaboration with Southwest Airlines in the United States to establish a transpacific transfer network. Interline tickets are now officially on sale and offering travelers with seamless connecting flights to more than 100 cities across the United States starting January 2026. On August 20 (CST), China Airlines President Kevin Chen and Southwest Airlines Vice Chairman of the Board, President & CEO Bob Jordan signed a memorandum of understanding at Southwest Airlines headquarters in Dallas to strengthen and expand cooperation. The MOU will serve as a blueprint for future collaborations on frequent flyer mileage and points accrual, code-sharing, and co-branding that will generate new synergies from the partnership of top Taiwanese-American airlines.

China Airlines boasts a comprehensive North American network offering travelers non-stop flights to five West Coast gateway cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, Ontario, San Francisco, Seattle, and most recently, Phoenix, whose inaugural service is scheduled on December 3. From there, transpacific business travelers and tourists can catch connecting Southwest Airlines flights to Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Washington, Orlando, Las Vegas, Denver, San Diego, and Austin. Interline tickets (one itinerary) can now be booked through the China Airlines web for China Airlines flights to the West Coast starting January 19, 2026 along with domestic legs on Southwest Airlines. The one-stop ticketing process will enable travelers to enjoy convenient connecting flights with interline check-ins and baggage check-through.

Blueprint for expanded cooperation with Southwest Airlines to boost synergies from mutual membership rewards and code-sharing

China Airlines President Kevin Chen stated that Southwest Airlines is one of the most trusted airline brands among American travelers and a key partner in China Airlines’North American network. China Airlines has joined forces with Southwest Airlines to support its expansion into the Asian market. This partnership presents a significant milestone in the Taiwan-US interline strategy. The connection services are just the beginning, with future plans including mutual membership rewards programs, code-shared flights and potential initiatives of co-branding to fully leverage the synergies between the two airlines.

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said he felt honored to establish this partnership with China Airlines. This will not only be Southwest Airlines’first strategic alliance with a leading Asian international carrier but will also provide travelers with a different trans-Pacific travel experience. Southwest Airlines has long been dedicated to connecting the whole of the United States through reasonable fares and high-quality service, while China Airlines operate a comprehensive network that spans the Asia-Pacific network and robust operations. Jordan looks forward to further collaborations between the two carriers that will create even more diversified services and great value for travelers.

China Airlines is optimistic about demand for travel between Taiwan and the United States as well as demand from transit travelers. With an aggressively expanding network means the carrier is set to fly to seven major cities in North America including New York, Los Angeles, Ontario, San Francisco, Seattle, and Phoenix in the United States, as well as Vancouver in Canada. More than 40 flights a week will be operated for travel to and from the United States and Canada, while integration with extensive regional networks will provide nearly 500 flights each week for transit travelers traveling between Asia and North America. The services will consolidate China Airlines’presence in the North American market and realize its vision for global operations. (2025/08/21)