Southwest and Icelandair Expand Partnership To Include Connections at Denver and Nashville

Updated: April 22, 2025, 12:20pm CDT

Edited by:

Jump to Section

Table of Contents

What Does Southwest and Icelandair’s New Partnership Mean For You?
Southwest and Icelandair Joint Itineraries Now Available for Booking
Final Thoughts

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Southwest Airlines, the airline that pioneered low-cost flying, announced its first-ever airline partnership with Icelandair in January 2025.

The partnership, which went live in March, will now include Denver (DEN) and Nashville (BNA) as airports where seamless connections between Iceland and Southwest can be made.

Let’s look at the details and what it could mean for your future travels.

What Does Southwest and Icelandair’s New Partnership Mean For You?

Seamless connections between Southwest — the largest domestic airline in the U.S. — and Icelandair-operated flights are already possible at Baltimore-Washington International (BWI).

As of now, bookings are also open for connecting itineraries at Denver and Nashville for flights departing from May 12, 2025, as outlined by TPG.

This new partnership undoubtedly simplifies travel to Iceland — or connecting from there to other parts of Europe. You are now able to book your Icelandair flight via Southwest’s website, check your luggage at your home airport, and rest assured that you won’t need to think about it again until you reach Reykjavík or even another European destination in Icelandair’s network.

An Icelandair Boeing 737 MAX 9 at Stockholm Arlanda — An Icelandair Boeing 737 MAX 9 at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport (ARN). Image Credit: Daniel Ross

While you can now book flights through Icelandair, the ability to book flights with Southwest and redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards will come shortly.

Although we don’t yet know how Icelandair redemptions will look on the Southwest side, we now have clarity on the earning side. Members will earn points on Southwest-operated flights booked through Icelandair when they credit their travels to the Rapid Rewards program as follows:

1 to 1000 miles flown: 500 points
1,001 to 1,800 miles flown: 1,000 points
1,801+ miles flown: 1,500 points

These points will be considered as tier-qualifying points for A-List status and qualifying points towards earning the Companion Pass.

As for redeeming Rapid Rewards points for flight itineraries shared with Icelandair, that will come online when Southwest adopts assigned seating in 2026.

Bottom Line:

Southwest Airlines and Icelandair have officially launched a new partnership that enables passengers from both airlines to connect effortlessly between their networks. This initiative has begun with Baltimore (BWI) as the inaugural U.S. airport offering these connections, though Denver and Nashville will follow.

Southwest and Icelandair Joint Itineraries Now Available for Booking

Southwest Flyers can now book Southwest flights that connect in Baltimore-Washington (BWI), Denver (DEN), and Nashville (BNA) and proceed onward with Icelandair to Reykjavik (KEF). An example of a one-stop flight from Chicago Midway (MDW) to Reykjavik is available for $698 in Economy Standard, featuring a short connection at BWI.

Southwest Iceland Joint itineraries cost — Image Credit: Icelandair

When planning an itinerary that includes both carriers, Economy Standard is the lowest class of travel possible. While Icelandair provides a cheaper Economy Light fare, it will not appear as an option if at least 1 segment is flown by Southwest.

Another welcome addition to this new partnership is that Southwest travelers can now take advantage of Icelandair’s free stopover program. This allows you to stay in Iceland for up to 7 days while traveling to or from Europe. For example, you could fly from Baltimore to Iceland (KEF), stay for 7 days, and then continue to Dublin (DUB) on the same ticket.

Icelandair Southwest stopover itinerary — You can now book a Southwest and Icelandair joint itinerary and add a stopover of up to 7 days in Iceland.

Final Thoughts

We’re really excited about this new partnership — even in its early stages and without the ability to redeem Rapid Rewards on Icelandair flights yet.

It should deliver more seamless connectivity for U.S. passengers flying to Iceland and further into Europe. Additionally, it will provide more ways to earn Rapid Rewards points and, in the future, redeem them.