Inside Getaways by Southwest: What Travelers Need to Know About the Airline’s New Vacation Platform

Major airlines in the United States compete at a cutthroat level for flyers. Rewards programs, business class amenities, and airport lounges are all intended to build loyalty and repeat business – and one major US airline is defining 2025 by thinking outside the proverbial “box” – by putting more stuff into it. Southwest recently announced the Getaways by Southwest program, a vacation package option that travelers to popular leisure destinations can choose as a means to bundle flights, car rentals, accommodations, and more into one streamlined booking process.

Getaways by Southwest will launch in the second half of 2025 with a curated selection of destinations and offerings. The company plans to add more amenities, activities, and locales as the program evolves and gains traction. Matador spoke with Alyssa Foster, a spokesperson for Southwest, about the Getaways concept and what travelers can expect.

The basics of the Getaways by Southwest program

The hotel zone in Cancun. Photo: Iliana Clarisa /Shutterstock

Launching later in 2025, Getaways by Southwest is the airline’s new in-house vacation booking platform, designed to replace its previous third-party arrangement under Southwest Vacations. This new program will allow customers to book complete vacation packages—including flights, hotels, and other add-ons—directly through Southwest Airlines. By bringing vacation planning in-house, Foster explained, Southwest aims to offer travelers more convenience, flexibility, and integrated benefits, such as the ability to earn and apply Rapid Rewards® points. The program will initially launch with options to travel with major hospitality partners like Caesars Entertainment, Playa Hotels & Resorts, and Sandos Hotels & Resorts, focusing on leisure destinations in the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.

One of the standout features of Getaways by Southwest is its flexible travel policies. Customers will have the option to cancel their full vacation package up to 10 days before departure and retain the value as what the company has dubbed “Vacation Travel Credit” toward future bookings. More info is forthcoming on fees or restrictions here.
Though sold as a bundle, the packages are expected to be relatively flexible in terms of cancellation or changes and the application of Vacation Travel Credits. There’s still plenty to be revealed about the Getaways by Southwest program, including how supplier penalties may apply to changes or cancellations within a Getaways package and any additional incentives the airline plans to offer to make the packages more appealing to travelers.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Matador: What distinguishes Getaways by Southwest from the previous Southwest Vacations program, and how will customers benefit from this new in-house approach?

Southwest: We’re giving customers more opportunities to choose Southwest for their vacation needs with an in-house packaged vacations product—Getaways by Southwest—launching in the second half of 2025. We will offer packages sold, operated, and serviced by Southwest, coupled with the legendary customer service for which we are known.

Just like with our core product for air travel, we intend to offer industry-leading flexibility to customers and add more value to our Rapid Rewards® loyalty program. We’re planning to launch in 30+ markets with bundled packages including air, hotel, car, and ground transportation options for leisure travelers, including key destinations like Las Vegas, Orlando, Cancun, Punta Cana, Montego Bay, and Hawaii.

How will the integration of Rapid Rewards points work with Getaways packages? Will customers be able to earn and redeem points for these vacation offerings?

Getaways will offer Customers the opportunity initially to earn Rapid Rewards points on bookings and eventually be able to redeem Rapid Rewards points for packages as well as Cash + Points.

Photo: T. Schneider /Shutterstock

What criteria were used to select the initial 30+ markets for Getaways, and are there plans to expand to additional destinations in the future?

We have paired the top destinations that US travelers are looking to book vacation packages along with Southwest market strength to identify our initial destinations for Getaways. We’ll continue to evaluate customer preferences as we build the Getaways product.

Could you provide more details about the partnerships with Caesars Entertainment, Playa Hotels & Resorts, and Sandos Hotels & Resorts? How will these collaborations enhance the customer experience?

As we shared at our Investor Day last fall, about 40% of vacation packages purchased by US travelers are to six markets, including Las Vegas, Orlando, Hawaii, and Cancun. Southwest Airlines has a very large presence in these large leisure markets, and we carry twice as many passengers to them than any other carrier. Having direct lodging partners allows us to work with those partners to offer the best packages to our customers. We will continue to add more direct lodging partnerships leading up to the launch of Getaways and beyond.

Will Getaways by Southwest packages include options beyond flights and hotels, such as car rentals or local attractions?

We’re planning to launch Getaways with bundled packages including air, hotel, car, and ground transportation options for leisure travelers. We plan to add activities and attractions post-launch.