Southwest Airlines recently chose CarTrawler to manage its car rental booking experience across the airline’s digital channels, replacing an in-house platform with CarTrawler’s Connect Platform.

The partnership will give Southwest customers and Rapid Rewards members access to a broader range of car rental options through an updated booking platform integrated into the airline’s digital channels.

Southwest carried more than 134 million revenue passengers in 2025, making its car rental program one of the largest ancillary retailing programs in the North American airline market.

The agreement reflects a broader trend among airlines to integrate ancillary products such as car rentals more directly into the booking process as carriers seek to improve merchandizing, loyalty engagement, and conversion rates.

CarTrawler said its Connect Platform is designed to allow customers to compare and book rental vehicles more easily during the travel booking process. The platform also will allow Rapid Rewards members to earn points on qualifying car rental bookings.

Phil Gouel, Southwest Airlines’ vice president of product development, said the airline selected CarTrawler because of its experience in car rental merchandising and airline retailing programs. He said the partnership is intended to provide customers with a more convenient booking experience.

CarTrawler said Southwest joins other airlines using its Connect Platform, including American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Ryanair, easyJet, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Emirates and Air France-KLM Group.

Aileen McCormack, chief commercial officer at CarTrawler, said the partnership combines Southwest’s customer base and network with CarTrawler’s airline retailing technology to support car rental bookings as part of the travel experience.