You’ll LUV this news.
Southwest Airlines is expanding to Europe — and ahead of you’re thinking that.
But flyers won’t be lining up in line with their boarding numbers for this jaunt across the pond — for the transatlantic a part of the journey, the Texas-based carrier has signed a joint business agreement with European carrier Icelandair, Travel + Leisure reported.
What this implies — Southwest will get you to an Icelandair departure airport here at home, with their foreign partner taking you the remaining of the best way, via Reykjavik.
The identical itinerary was possible before, but now you’ll have the option to book the whole journey with a number of clicks on Icelandair’s site — and also you’ll only have to examine your bag once.
Eventually, Southwest will begin selling the Icelandair segments as well.
“Beyond a capability to supply one another’s customers access to latest destinations and like-minded travel experiences centered around hospitality and value, we’re grateful to have been guided by [Icelandair’s] expertise and best practices in constructing our program,” said Ryan Greer, Chief Transformation Officer for Southwest.
For now, flights might be leave the US via Baltimore’s BWI Airport, a significant Southwest hub also served by Icelandair. Denver and Nashville are expected to be added later as additional gateway cities.
An actual launch date for the connecting service has yet to be announced.
Once arrived in Reykjavik, Southwest customers will have the option to pick from countless continental destinations served by Iceland’s national carrier.
Or, they might just loaf around — Icelandair has a well-liked and simple to book stopover program, allowing travelers to remain put within the land of fireplace and ice for as much as per week without paying extra for his or her flights.
The announcement comes because the dollar and euro have nearly evened out, offering American travelers significant savings in Europe not enjoyed for a variety of years.
Currently, the exchange rate stands at $1.03 to €1.00 — significantly better than last fall’s $1.12 per €1.00.
This amounts to a reduction of nine cents for each dollar you pay — a modest-sounding amount that may quickly add up.
Sightseers can stretch the savings even further by traveling through the so-called shoulder season months — spring and fall versus peak summer, when rates sometimes double and even triple on hotels in popular destinations like Spain and France.
