Southwest Airlines has long relied on a famously simple business mode: one aircraft type, the Boeing 737, and one focus, the low-cost US domestic market. The question is whether Southwest is really ready to cross the Atlantic — and what it would take to get there. Fast forward to September 2025, when Southwest CEO Bob Jordan was asked about the possibility of competing on transatlantic routes. Another option is the Airbus A321XLR, a long-range narrowbody already on order by American and JetBlue for some transatlantic routes. Adding transatlantic routes would require not only new airplanes but also changes to distribution systems, interline agreements and possibly even introducing premium seating or lounges.