You Can Now Book Southwest Flights via Expedia, but There Are Better Options Elsewhere

Updated: February 26, 2025, 1:35pm CST

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Booking Southwest Airlines Flight via Expedia
Why You Should Book Southwest Airlines Flights Elsewhere
Final Thoughts

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Southwest Airlines flights are now available through Expedia’s website.

While Southwest and Expedia are touting this as a win for travelers, thanks to more flight booking options. However, we think you should purchase Southwest flights elsewhere.

Here’s more on Southwest’s latest update and why we think you’re better off not booking Southwest flights via Expedia.

Booking Southwest Airlines Flight via Expedia

As of Thursday, February 27, travelers can use Expedia to book all Southwest Airlines flights.

As such, Southwest flights will also be bookable via the following Expedia Group brands: Travelocity, Hotwire, Orbitz, and Cheap Tickets.

According to the airline, select Southwest flights are available to book via Expedia now. However, after checking several routes over different dates, we were unable to find any available Southwest Airlines flights when using Expedia’s flight search tool so far.

Seats on a Southwest plane — Inside the cabin of a Southwest Airlines plane. Image Credit: Katie Seemann

Why You Should Book Southwest Airlines Flights Elsewhere

What could be bad about having another option to book Southwest flights?

The reality is that you’re better off booking Southwest flights through the methods already available.

For example, booking directly at Southwest.com means you’ll get the best available fares and have access to the airline’s customer service should you need to change your booking — or if anything goes wrong during your trip.

Alternatively, if you have a Chase credit card, you can book Southwest flights directly through the Chase travel portal. Booking this way means you can earn or redeem valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Speaking of points, you also can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest’s Rapid Rewards loyalty program at a rate of 1:1. Once transferred, these points can redeemed for Southwest flights instead of using cash.

Avoiding using Expedia to book Southwest flights isn’t a one-off piece of advice. Passengers should always book directly with the airline, though booking through your bank’s travel portal to earn and use rewards is also a good secondary option. Booking through online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia can feel convenient, but they add headaches when there’s a problem with your trip.

Hot Tip:

If you’re a frequent Southwest flyer, you might want to consider a credit card that rewards you with perks and benefits specific to traveling with the low-cost carrier.

Final Thoughts

By adding Expedia as a booking tool, Southwest gains a new revenue stream, which is certainly advantageous for the airline.

On the other hand, passengers should be aware that booking flights via online travel agencies like Expedia doesn’t always provide the best value or customer service experience.

With that, we recommend sticking to the alternative methods we discussed for booking your Southwest flights: the ones that already existed before today’s news.