Southwest Airlines Affiliate Program: What Actually Exists in 2026
There is no Southwest Airlines affiliate program for flight bookings. We checked every major network. Here’s what actually exists, what doesn’t, and how to monetize a Southwest audience anyway.
The Two Southwest-Branded Programs That Actually Exist
There are exactly two programs that carry the Southwest name. Neither pays commissions on flight bookings. One may be on borrowed time.
Southwest Vacations
The most established Southwest-branded affiliate program pays commissions on vacation packages — flight plus hotel minimum — not standalone flights. But which network you join matters enormously: Mavely pays 2.8% per sale, while CJ pays just 0.50%. That’s a 5.6x difference on the same program for the same consumer action. On a $1,300 vacation package, that’s the difference between earning $36.40 (Mavely) and $6.50 (CJ).
Southwest Vacations isn’t actually run by Southwest Airlines. It’s operated by ALG Vacations Corp., a subsidiary of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. And even within vacation packages, the competition is strong — top programs like Whimstay ($29.92 EPC) and Contiki ($8.73 EPC) all dramatically outperform Southwest Vacations.
Worse, the program may be on borrowed time. Southwest launched Getaways by Southwest in mid-2025, bringing vacation packaging in-house. The old Southwest Vacations affiliate page now returns 404 errors. Travel Weekly reported that travel advisors won’t earn commission on Getaways bookings, with distribution going through direct channels.
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards — Points.com
This program pays approximately 2% when consumers purchase Rapid Rewards loyalty points. Not when they book a flight. Not when they sign up for Rapid Rewards. Not when they do anything else on southwest.com. The advertiser is Points.com, not Southwest Airlines.
The performance data tells you everything you need to know: this program has a $0.00 EPC — sitting 100% below the Travel & Accommodation category average of $1.57. That’s not a rounding error. It means affiliates sending traffic to this program are, on aggregate, earning nothing.
Traffic restrictions also prohibit deals, coupons, cashback, SEM, email, and social media ads. Only text links and banners are permitted.
Why Most of the Information Out There Is Wrong
If you’ve been researching this topic, you’ve likely encountered commission rate claims ranging from 0.50% to 3%, with most sources not bothering to distinguish between entirely different programs.
The core confusion comes from conflating three entirely different things:
| What People Think | What Actually Exists | What It Pays On | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest flight affiliate program | Does not exist | — | — |
| Southwest Vacations | Active (winding down) | Vacation packages (flight + hotel) | Mavely CJ |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | Active ($0.00 EPC) | Loyalty points purchases | FlexOffers |
| Southwest via aggregators | Active (indirect) | Click-outs or bookings via metasearch | Travelpayouts, CJ, Impact |
Much of the content ranking for “Southwest affiliate program” is 3–4 years old and was thin when it was written. Commission rate claims of 2–3% on direct flight bookings are unverifiable — we checked every major network and found no such program. Even Admitad’s Southwest Airlines page implies a program exists on their network, but our research found nothing there.
The information ecosystem around this query is genuinely broken, which is why we built this guide.
Southwest’s Distribution Revolution (2020–2025)
Southwest’s distribution strategy changed dramatically in recent years, opening indirect monetization routes through flight aggregators for the first time.
The Aggregator Route: Your Best Realistic Option
The most practical way to monetize Southwest traffic is through flight aggregator programs. Here’s what the economics actually look like on a $300 Southwest flight.
Kayak / Momondo
Skyscanner
Expedia
Aviasales
Kiwi.com
WayAway
One Platform, Every Program Above
Rather than applying to Kayak, Skyscanner, Expedia, and Kiwi.com separately across different networks, Travelpayouts gives you access to all of them — plus 50+ complementary programs in accommodations, activities, car rentals, and insurance — from one account with unified reporting.
Join Travelpayouts (free)Where the Money Actually Is in Travel Affiliate
Here’s the uncomfortable truth that no “Southwest affiliate program” article will tell you: flights are the worst-paying category in travel affiliate marketing.
The margins are razor-thin by design, and low-cost carriers like Southwest have even less room to share. If your audience is interested in Southwest flights, they’re planning trips — and the trip itself is where the real commissions are.
Viator / GetYourGuide
DiscoverCars
AirHelp
Booking.com
What a “Planning a Southwest Trip” Post Can Actually Earn
| Revenue Source | Program | Assumed Spend | Your Cut | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight click-out | Kayak (Travelpayouts) | $300 ticket | $0.90 | CPC |
| Car rental | DiscoverCars | $200 rental | $46.00 | 23% CPA |
| Activities | Viator | $200 in tours | $16.00 | 8% CPA |
| Hotel | Booking.com | $400 stay | $16.00 | 4% CPA |
| Travel insurance | AirHelp | $80 policy | $12.80 | 16% CPA |
| Total per reader trip | $1,180 trip | $91.70 | 7.8% effective |
Access the Entire Stack From One Dashboard
Every program in the table above — Kayak, Expedia, Viator, Booking.com, DiscoverCars, and more — is available through Travelpayouts. One signup, one reporting dashboard, one payout. That $91.70 per reader trip doesn’t require five different network accounts.
Start stacking with TravelpayoutsFor Context: What Top Airline Programs Actually Pay
If you want to stay in the flights category, here’s what the EPC data shows across our database. Southwest’s $0.00 sits at the very bottom.
| # | Program | Network | EPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austrian Airlines (US) | CJ | $25.93 |
| 2 | Brussels Airlines (US) | CJ | $16.91 |
| 3 | Malaysia Airlines | Impact | $4.05 |
| 4 | Turkish Airlines (Americas) | CJ | $3.11 |
| 5 | Pelago by Singapore Airlines | Impact | $2.99 |
| — | Southwest Rapid Rewards (Points.com) | FlexOffers | $0.00 |
What We’d Actually Recommend
If you’re a travel blogger or content creator evaluating whether to promote Southwest, here’s the honest assessment.
Start with Travelpayouts as Your Foundation
A single signup gives you access to Kayak, Skyscanner, Expedia, Aviasales, WayAway, and Kiwi.com for flights — plus Booking.com, Viator, GetYourGuide, DiscoverCars, and dozens of other programs across every travel category. For someone building around Southwest or any airline content, this is the most efficient starting point.
Join Travelpayouts (free) →For Vacation Package Content
Supplement Travelpayouts with Southwest Vacations through Mavely — 2.8% on packages averaging $1,300+, roughly $36 per sale. Do not use CJ for this program — it pays 0.50% for the exact same action. But monitor the Getaways by Southwest transition closely. If the old affiliate pages are returning 404s by the time you read this, that door may have closed.
Join Mavely (2.8% commission) →For Flight Comparison Content
Kayak’s CPC program (available through Travelpayouts) is the most reliable earner. You get paid on the click-out regardless of booking, and Southwest inventory is confirmed. Build content around fare comparison rather than pushing a single airline.
For General Travel Content — Stack Your Approach
Use Kayak or Skyscanner for flight links, DiscoverCars for rental cars, Viator or GetYourGuide for activities, and Booking.com for accommodations. A single “planning a trip on Southwest” post can deploy all of these — and if you’re running them through Travelpayouts, your reporting is unified in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Southwest Airlines have an affiliate program?
No. Southwest Airlines does not offer a direct affiliate program that pays commissions on flight bookings. No major affiliate network — CJ, Impact, Awin, ShareASale, Rakuten, AvantLink, or FlexOffers — carries a program for earning on Southwest flight ticket sales.
Two related programs do exist: Southwest Vacations (vacation packages, not flights) through CJ and Mavely, and Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards via Points.com (loyalty points purchases, not flights) through FlexOffers. You can also earn indirectly through flight aggregator programs like Kayak and Expedia that include Southwest in their search results.
What commission rate does the Southwest affiliate program pay?
It depends on which program you’re talking about — and most sources online conflate them. Southwest Vacations pays 2.8% through Mavely or 0.50% through CJ on vacation packages (flight + hotel). The Southwest Rapid Rewards Points.com program pays ~2% on loyalty points purchases through FlexOffers, though its EPC is $0.00, meaning affiliates are effectively earning nothing.
Flight aggregators like Kayak pay $0.89–$0.95 per click, and Expedia pays a flat $2 per completed booking. Claims of 2–3% commissions on direct Southwest flight bookings that appear across other sites are unverifiable.
Is the Southwest Vacations affiliate program still active?
As of early 2026, Southwest Vacations is listed on both CJ Affiliate and Mavely, but the program appears to be in transition. Southwest launched Getaways by Southwest in mid-2025, bringing vacation packaging in-house and replacing the outsourced ALG Vacations model.
The official Southwest Vacations affiliate page now returns 404 errors, and Travel Weekly reported that travel advisors won’t earn commissions on Getaways bookings. The program may still be operational during a transition period, but its long-term future is uncertain.
How can I earn money promoting Southwest flights?
The most practical approach is through flight aggregator affiliate programs that include Southwest in their search results. Kayak and Skyscanner pay per click ($0.40–$0.95) when users click through to book, while Expedia pays a flat $2 per completed booking. Travelpayouts gives you access to most of these programs from a single dashboard.
However, flight commissions are thin across the board — you’ll typically earn more promoting the travel services that complement a Southwest trip, like car rentals (DiscoverCars pays 23–54%), activities (Viator and GetYourGuide pay 8%), and travel insurance (AirHelp pays 15–16.6%).
What is the best affiliate network for Southwest?
There’s no single best network because no single network carries a comprehensive Southwest program. For vacation packages, Mavely offers the highest commission at 2.8% — more than five times what CJ pays on the same program. For flight aggregator access, Travelpayouts is the most efficient option since it bundles Kayak, Skyscanner, Expedia, Aviasales, and other travel programs into one account. For the Rapid Rewards points program, FlexOffers is the only option, though the program’s $0.00 EPC suggests it’s not worth prioritizing.
Southwest affiliate program vs. Southwest Vacations affiliate program — what’s the difference?
They’re commonly confused but entirely different. “Southwest affiliate program” implies earning commissions when someone books a Southwest Airlines flight — but that program doesn’t exist. The Southwest Vacations affiliate program pays commissions on vacation packages (flight + hotel minimum) and is operated by ALG Vacations Corp., a Hyatt subsidiary, not by Southwest Airlines directly.
Southwest Vacations is also transitioning as Southwest brings packaging in-house with Getaways by Southwest.
Can I promote Southwest through Travelpayouts or Admitad?
Travelpayouts does not offer a direct Southwest Airlines affiliate program. What it offers is access to flight aggregator programs — primarily Aviasales (1.1–1.3% commission), Kayak, Skyscanner, and Expedia — that include Southwest flights among hundreds of airlines. This is an indirect route, not a Southwest-specific program.
As for Admitad, our research found no active Southwest program on their network despite their listing page suggesting otherwise.
The bottom line: there’s no direct Southwest flight affiliate program, and there probably never will be. But a Southwest-interested audience is a travel-interested audience — and with the right platform and the right stack of programs, that’s worth a lot more than a 2% flight commission ever would have been. For the full revenue strategy across all airlines, see our complete airline affiliate programs guide.
See also: The 10 Best Airline Affiliate Programs for 2026 · I Analyzed 28,844 Skimlinks Programs · Browse all flights & airlines programs
Browse 44,000+ affiliate programs →Methodology
We searched every major affiliate network — CJ Affiliate, Impact, Awin, ShareASale, Rakuten, AvantLink, FlexOffers, Skimlinks, and Admitad — for programs related to Southwest Airlines. Three related programs were identified: Southwest Vacations (CJ, Mavely), Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards via Points.com (FlexOffers), and an Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan listing on Skimlinks whose domain array includes southwest.com. None pay commissions on Southwest flight bookings.
EPC data is pulled from network APIs. Commission rates reflect default publisher tiers. Flight aggregator rates (Kayak, Skyscanner, Expedia, Aviasales, Kiwi.com, WayAway) are sourced from Travelpayouts’ published program terms as of March 2026. The $300 flight scenario uses representative mid-range domestic fares.
7 networks checked · 3 related programs found · 0 pay on Southwest flights · March 2026