Catherine Rusoff
Southwest Airlines fares are now appearing on Google after being excluded from the search engine’s search results for a long time.
The Dallas-based airline had previously omitted its fares from searches on Google Flights and online flight aggregators like Expedia.com, preferring that customers find tickets primarily through its own website. On Wednesday, Southwest’s fares were shown for the first time on Google Flights along with those of other airlines on Google Flights.
Southwest’s move to partner with Google makes it easier for travelers to compare their options in a single dashboard. Displaying your airfares to consumers who have not previously visited Southwest’s website could also attract new customers to the airline. Customers must still book flights directly through Southwest.
A Southwest spokesperson said the move, which the carrier said it is testing, expands its reach with consumers while allowing the company to maintain control of the booking process.
“We are expanding the reach of Southwest.com, giving Google Flights users greater visibility into our available flights, fares, and the benefits of our products and services,” the spokesperson said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch. “In our initial test of this partnership, we enabled Google Flights users to compare our different fare options and click directly to Southwest.com to book their selected itinerary.”
The change is one of several the airline said it is exploring to improve the customer experience. In a call with Wall Street analyst last month, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said the airline is also considering revising its exclusive open seating policy and assigning seats to customers, as most other airlines do. . In the coming years, it also plans to start scheduling night flights for the first time.
Travel website “The Points Guy” expects Southwest’s initiative with Google to benefit travelers, noting that consumers can also use Google Flights’ fare tracking tools to monitor airline prices and book flights when prices are lowest.
Southwest’s strategic initiatives come as the airline seeks to increase its results and mitigate the impact of problems with its Boeing 737 Max 8 planes. The airline said in April that it was suspending service at four US airportsin part due to delays in the delivery of new Max 8 aircraft. The delays mean slower growth for the airline, which is looking for ways to cut costs after reporting a loss of $231 million in the first quarter.
