Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[eticketplease]

Wish I could offer advice. This is all so confusing. I’m assuming if we used points to book and cancel after May 28th points will just be returned to our account. I thought if cash was used and it was booked prior to May 28th and cancelled after May 28th, the flight credits would be non expiring but I think I’m incorrect.

Yes in this case the flight credit will expire based on the fare types you purchased and as @focusondisney found it will also be when you purchased it.

 

[focusondisney]

My question would be are modifications considered the new purchase date or the one where you original purchased it.

Flight credits have only been nonexpiring since 2022. If I remember right , any combining before that took the earliest expiration date. So no, a new purchase date didn’t extend your credit.

 

[focusondisney]

I thought if cash was used and it was booked prior to May 28th and cancelled after May 28th, the flight credits would be non expiring but I think I’m incorrect.

If you booked & cancelled the flight before May 28th it would be nonexpiring. Any change at all on or after May 28th triggers the new rules.

 

[Girlworthfightingfor]

Possibly a stupid question.

My husband is my companion and he just earned a companion pass too. We have upcoming flights booked so now we need to designate a companion for him and cancel flights for the new companion. I went into our reservations and on a flight that he is designated my companion, the button for him to click "add companion" is there. If I click through, it looks like he can add a companion to that flight (his designated companion's information is already prefilled).

So....can your companion add a companion too?? Pay for 1 flight but have 3 people fly. Seems too good to be true and I would hate for my flight to be canceled somewhere down the line.

 

[focusondisney]

Possibly a stupid question.

My husband is my companion and he just earned a companion pass too. We have upcoming flights booked so now we need to designate a companion for him and cancel flights for the new companion. I went into our reservations and on a flight that he is designated my companion, the button for him to click "add companion" is there. If I click through, it looks like he can add a companion to that flight (his designated companion's information is already prefilled).

So....can your companion add a companion too?? Pay for 1 flight but have 3 people fly. Seems too good to be true and I would hate for my flight to be canceled somewhere down the line.

“A Companion's reservation is not considered a purchased flight, and therefore, another Companion Pass reservation cannot be booked from it.”

Found under the Companion Pass section here:

https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/rapid-rewards-rules-and-regulations

 

[EACarlson]

Question about the upcoming Southwest changes...We have a flight booked for October 2025. If I cancel that flight after May 28, what will be the expiration date of the credits I receive from the cancellation? Six months from the date of cancellation?

My understanding is that your flight credit would not have an expiration date. The new rules only apply to flights booked or changed on or after May 28. As long as you don't change or modify your flight before the cancellation, it should be a non expiring credit.

That depends on the ticket you purchased.
Wanna Get Away = 6 months
All other fare types = 12 months

This also applies if you cancel ON 5/28

I believe this is incorrect, as explained above. The policy explanation from SW, available at https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/policy-changes#fares-and-flight-credits appears to agree with me. As does almost everyone at FlyerTalk.

 

[eticketplease]

My understanding is that your flight credit would not have an expiration date. The new rules only apply to flights booked or changed on or after May 28. As long as you don't change or modify your flight before the cancellation, it should be a non expiring credit.

I believe this is incorrect, as explained above. The policy explanation from SW, available at https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/policy-changes#fares-and-flight-credits appears to agree with me. As does almost everyone at FlyerTalk.

From your link “ Flight credits and Transferable Flight Credits™ created from tickets purchased or changed on or after May 28, 2025 will have a specified expiration date of one year or less depending on the fare purchased. All travel booked with a flight credit or Transferable Flight Credit™ that expires must be completed by that expiration date.”

The PP was asking about cancellation of tickets after May 28th which would be a change in my eyes therefore making the credit expire based on the other rules which incorporates the fare type is the way I was reading it. I would be happy if it is incorrect and a non expiration flight credit is issued.

 

[dobball23]

My understanding is that your flight credit would not have an expiration date. The new rules only apply to flights booked or changed on or after May 28. As long as you don't change or modify your flight before the cancellation, it should be a non expiring credit.

I believe this is incorrect, as explained above. The policy explanation from SW, available at https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/policy-changes#fares-and-flight-credits appears to agree with me. As does almost everyone at FlyerTalk.

Thanks for sharing! I agree with your interpretation after reading that.

We are debating about a trip in October and currently have flights booked. It sounds like it will be in our best interest to keep the flights and cancel at a later date if we decide not to go; the credits should be non-expiring since we purchased the flight before May 28.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

From your link “ Flight credits and Transferable Flight Credits™ created from tickets purchased or changed on or after May 28, 2025 will have a specified expiration date of one year or less depending on the fare purchased. All travel booked with a flight credit or Transferable Flight Credit™ that expires must be completed by that expiration date.”

The PP was asking about cancellation of tickets after May 28th which would be a change in my eyes therefore making the credit expire based on the other rules which incorporates the fare type is the way I was reading it. I would be happy if it is incorrect and a non expiration flight credit is issued.

I agree that this could be written more clearly, but I was also reading it as how @EACarlson reads. If a reservation existed on 5/27, then then next activity (cancellation or change) would still be subject to current rules and any flight credit generated for that instance would be non-expiring. That flight has not yet been "changed on or after May 28, 2025" so the action you take on that flight is pursuant to the old rules.

If your flight dropped after 5/28, the first change you made after 5/28 would generate a a non-expiring credit, but that would mean that your ticket was now subject to the new baggage and credit rules because that's when the ticket would have been changed after the deadline.

 

[EACarlson]

From your link “ Flight credits and Transferable Flight Credits™ created from tickets purchased or changed on or after May 28, 2025 will have a specified expiration date of one year or less depending on the fare purchased. All travel booked with a flight credit or Transferable Flight Credit™ that expires must be completed by that expiration date.”

The PP was asking about cancellation of tickets after May 28th which would be a change in my eyes therefore making the credit expire based on the other rules which incorporates the fare type is the way I was reading it. I would be happy if it is incorrect and a non expiration flight credit is issued.

I disagree with it being a change for one big reason. The reason why they are able to say that changes made on or after May 28 take on the new rules is that you agree to the new contract of carriage when you make that change. The current contract of carriage states that a cancellation results in a non-expiring travel credit. Because there is no new contract to agree to, that is still the controlling document.

I agree that this could be written more clearly, but I was also reading it as how @EACarlson reads. If a reservation existed on 5/27, then then next activity (cancellation or change) would still be subject to current rules and any flight credit generated for that instance would be non-expiring. That flight has not yet been "changed on or after May 28, 2025" so the action you take on that flight is pursuant to the old rules.

If your flight dropped after 5/28, the first change you made after 5/28 would generate a a non-expiring credit, but that would mean that your ticket was now subject to the new baggage and credit rules because that's when the ticket would have been changed after the deadline.

I agree with cancellation, but not if you make a change. I have a flight booked for next Monday, if I change my flight on Sunday and get say a $20 credit, I believe that credit will have an expiration of 6 months from the time my flight was booked. As part of the change I have to accept the new contract of carriage, I believe that new contract of carriage will have language stating any credit resulting from that action will have an expiration date.

What is unknown as of now is what is going to happen if there is an involuntary change, red banner change or same day change. I'm sure we'll get those answers fairly quickly once we pass the 28th. My personal opinion is that an involuntary change shouldn't affect cancellation policies as the passenger hasn't agreed to a new contract willingly. But that a red banner change or same day change should.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Questions like this conversation is why I didn't understand why SWA didn't just implement the changes with a release that would have everyone on the same page. So a future release with future dates where it was quite clear flights after this date are all on this new way, flights before this are under the older way. Less of this changes on or after impacting existing flights made months ago. Too much overlap in potential scenarios popping up with how they chose to do it.

 

[focusondisney]

The PP was asking about cancellation of tickets after May 28th which would be a change in my eyes therefore making the credit expire based on the other rules which incorporates the fare type is the way I was reading it. I would be happy if it is incorrect and a non expiration flight credit is issued.

I agree. I expect their computer system will only be set up to issue expiring credits on May 28th. Will be interesting to see any reports after that.

 

[dobball23]

So it sounds like if I have a flight booked for October that I may or may not take, I should keep it? Then if I decide to cancel it I should get a non-expiring credit? (It was booked many months ago)

 

[focusondisney]

So it sounds like if I have a flight booked for October that I may or may not take, I should keep it? Then if I decide to cancel it I should get a non-expiring credit? (It was booked many months ago)

No one here knows for sure what your credit will be if you cancel after May 28th. If you look at the last few posts there are 2 different interpretations of their announcements. Your guess is as valid as mine. Did you call & ask a SW rep? Good luck if you cancel later, be prepared for either option.

 

[awrites]

I previously was very skeptical that Southwest would allow nonexpiring credits after May 27, but after reading the link PP provided it seems pretty clear that SW intends to allow nonexpiring credits for canceled flights that were originally purchased prior to May 27.

Screenshot of the section under Fares and Flight Credits and below the description of the phases:



I wonder if that detail is newly added because I don’t remember seeing it previously.

 

[Lsdolphin]

I think I'll be logging in on May 27th to see if the price has gone down, so that I still would get flight credits good forever. But I don't think fares will go down in price. Anyone else trying though, just in case? Our last chance!

I’ll also be checking one last time on the 27th but I don’t expect any fares to drop until after May 28th and than a bunch will surely drop and you will have to make the choice whether it’s worth it to have credits with an expiration date.

 

[eticketplease]

I’ll also be checking one last time on the 27th but I don’t expect any fares to drop until after May 28th and than a bunch will surely drop and you will have to make the choice whether it’s worth it to have credits with an expiration date.

Or if you can’t live with one bag per person for free if you are a card holder

 

[Lsdolphin]

Or if you can’t live with one bag per person for free if you are a card holder

I just checked my flights for June and Sept and as expected no further drops. I’m actually fine with prices I have and I am a card holder and only travel with one bag. The one flight I was hoping would drop was 9/3 and yesterday I received a message from SWA that flight had been changed by 5 min and offered me opportunity to select a different flight which I did so now I’m just waiting to see how high flights will be for next Spring…

 

[winnieofpooh]

Another question regarding the confusing changes happening tomorrow. I typically don't book a lap child on my reservation until I get to the airport, and I add one on when doing bag drop. But will that count as a change to my reservation, and cause me to lose my free checked bags? I feel like I should add a lap child now just to be safe, but it makes the whole process more annoying to do it in advance.

 

[BrightMorningStar]

Where did your friend get this info from? The fees haven’t been announced.

It has been verified as accurate.