EVA Airways has announced an interline partnership with Southwest Airlines to broaden its reach in the United States. Under the arrangement, EVA Air passengers will be able to book and fly transpacific itineraries to more than 30 U.S. destinations through four Southwest gateways: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago O’Hare. Travel can be booked on a single reservation, with connections to other U.S. cities and baggage checked through to the final destination.
Southwest Airlines, described by EVA Air as the largest U.S. carrier by passenger numbers, operates a fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The partnership marks another step in EVA Air’s ongoing efforts to expand in the U.S. market, complementing its existing strategy that includes Star Alliance membership since 2013 and codeshare arrangements with Air Canada and United Airlines. Outside the alliance, EVA Air has also teamed with Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, and WestJet to streamline booking and connections.
Currently, EVA Air offers 89 round-trip non-stop Pacific flights to North America each week, serving destinations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Houston, Chicago, Vancouver, and Toronto. The airline plans to boost North American service to 94 weekly flights by year-end, with a Dallas service set to begin on October 3.
China Airlines, another major Taiwanese carrier, also agreed to a similar interline partnership with Southwest on August 18, expanding Southwest’s interline network in the region. China Airlines currently provides non-stop trans-Pacific service to North American cities including Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Ontario, California, enabling connections through Southwest as well.
Summary
The EVA-Southwest interline aims to give travelers easier booking and smoother connections between Taiwan and a broader set of U.S. destinations, while EVA Air continues to grow its North American footprint, including a forthcoming Dallas service. The development follows a broader pattern of Taiwanese carriers expanding partnerships with Southwest to widen access to the United States.
Positive angle
This alliance could offer travelers more convenient itineraries, simplified baggage handling on through-check, and more options for combining Taiwan-based routes with U.S. city connections, potentially making transpacific travel more seamless and flexible.
Tips for travelers
– Check four Southwest gateways (LAX, SFO, SEA, ORD) when planning transpacific itineraries with EVA Air.
– Look for 가능한 connections to other U.S. cities on a single itinerary to minimize layovers and save time.
– Keep an eye on the Dallas service starting October 3, which will boost EVA Air’s North American weekly flights.
– If you hold a multi-carrier ticket with EVA Air and Southwest, verify baggage transfer rules to ensure through-checking to final destinations.
Logical note
Interline partnerships like this are part of a broader industry trend to streamline cross-border travel by enabling single-ticket bookings and through-check baggage, improving traveler convenience even when combining different airline networks.