Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco as Southwest and LOT Open New Travel Links to Warsaw and Europe

Written By: Hrittik Shaw

Hrittik Shaw

Bio-Hrittik Shaw is a travel news writer with a passion for uncovering global tourism trends, aviation developments, destination insights, and hospitality innovations. He specialises in producing well-researched, data-driven, and engaging reports that simplify complex travel industry developments for a global audience. His work focuses on tourism policies, airline news, sustainable travel, infrastructure, emerging destinations, and international travel trends, helping readers stay informed about the rapidly evolving world of travel.

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September 2, 2026 12:38 GMT+5:30

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Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco: For travelers planning a trip from the United States to Poland or elsewhere in Europe, the journey could soon feel considerably less complicated. Southwest Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines have launched a new interline partnership that allows eligible journeys involving both carriers to be booked as a single itinerary, linking Southwest’s U.S. network with LOT’s Warsaw hub through three major gateways: Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco.

The agreement does not mean the two airlines are merging or operating a joint venture. Instead, it creates a commercial bridge between their networks. A traveler flying on Southwest from another U.S. city can connect through one of the three designated gateways and continue on a LOT service toward Warsaw, while travelers coming from Europe can similarly use LOT and then connect with Southwest for onward domestic travel.

For passengers, that distinction matters. An interline arrangement is designed to make separately operated flights function as parts of one broader journey. LOT says it maintains interline agreements with more than 100 airlines and explains that such arrangements can allow passengers to travel to multiple destinations on a single ticket, with baggage potentially checked through to the final destination under the applicable conditions.

Warsaw becomes the key European gateway

The biggest travel story behind the agreement is arguably not the three U.S. airports but Warsaw.

LOT has built its network around Warsaw, using the Polish capital as a connecting point for European and long-haul journeys. The airline’s official route information shows connections operated by LOT and partner airlines, while its Indian website describes Warsaw as a network hub connecting Europe, North America and Asia.

That gives the new partnership a broader purpose. A Southwest passenger does not necessarily need to be visiting Poland itself. Warsaw can serve as the first European stop before continuing toward another destination on LOT’s network.

For example, a traveler could potentially begin in a Southwest-served U.S. city, connect at Los Angeles, Miami or San Francisco, fly to Warsaw on LOT and then continue toward another European destination. The precise combinations, fares and schedules will depend on the itinerary available for sale.

The Polish government’s own travel information has previously highlighted Warsaw’s importance as a connecting point for LOT passengers traveling between the United States and Europe. Government material concerning LOT’s U.S. operations has also documented the carrier’s longstanding links between American cities and Warsaw.

Why Los Angeles and San Francisco matter

The West Coast is particularly significant in this development.

Los Angeles provides access to one of the largest metropolitan travel markets in the United States, while San Francisco gives LOT another important gateway into Northern California and the wider West Coast market.

For Southwest passengers, the potential advantage is network reach. Someone who lives outside these metropolitan areas may be able to use a Southwest domestic flight to reach one of the gateways before continuing on LOT.

That could make European travel more attractive for passengers who previously had to search across separate airline reservations or construct their own connections.

San Francisco is especially interesting because LOT has been strengthening its presence in North America. Its current network promotes nonstop service between the United States and Poland, including Warsaw, while the airline’s U.S. site highlights direct flights to Poland from selected American cities.

Miami adds another important corridor

Miami gives the arrangement a different geographical advantage.

As one of the major international gateways in the United States, the Florida airport provides Southwest customers with another option for reaching LOT’s Warsaw network. For travelers based in the southern United States, the availability of a Miami connection could make the new arrangement more practical than routing through the West Coast.

Together, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami give the partnership access to three very different U.S. passenger markets.

What travelers should know before booking

Although the word “single ticket” sounds straightforward, travelers should still examine the conditions of their specific reservation.

The U.S. Department of Transportation advises passengers to pay close attention to baggage arrangements on connecting journeys. Its consumer guidance specifically notes that interline connections involve changing both aircraft and airlines and can carry greater baggage-disruption risk than nonstop or same-airline connections.

Passengers should therefore check where their baggage is tagged, whether customs procedures require them to collect and recheck bags, and which airline’s conditions apply to each part of the journey. DOT also advises travelers to understand ticket restrictions, baggage fees and other optional charges before purchasing.

The new arrangement should also not be interpreted as a promise that every Southwest destination will connect with every LOT destination. The three announced gateway airports remain central to the partnership, and actual travel options will depend on flight schedules and inventory.

A bigger move toward global connectivity

For Southwest, the agreement represents another step toward expanding the international possibilities available through its enormous domestic network. Rather than operating long-haul flights to every European market itself, the airline can connect its passengers with established international carriers.

For LOT, the benefit runs in the opposite direction. The Polish airline gains a potential stream of passengers originating beyond the U.S. cities where it operates its own flights.

That makes the partnership more than a convenient booking arrangement. It is a way for both airlines to extend the effective reach of their networks without necessarily adding a new aircraft route for every city pair.

For travelers, the real test will come when they start searching for fares. If schedules line up well and pricing remains competitive, the new Southwest-LOT connection could turn Warsaw into a more useful bridge between American cities and Europe. And for someone staring at a complicated international itinerary, having the journey packaged together can make the difference between a trip that feels like a puzzle and one that simply feels like a holiday.