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

[mamamary]

Thank you all for the credit explanation. If I may ask one last question.

I booked a flight this morning for Sept of this year. Do I still check in 24 hrs ahead for a boarding group? Thx in advance

 

[eticketplease]

Thank you all for the credit explanation. If I may ask one last question.

I booked a flight this morning for Sept of this year. Do I still check in 24 hrs ahead for a boarding group? Thx in advance

Yes you will need to check in 24 hours in advance to obtain the best available boarding position.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

I can't find that info anywhere on SW. What you said certainly aligns with other carriers and since SW is trying to shift their biz model in their direction I'm sure you are right but I just can't find it.

4Flight Credits
You must cancel your flight at least 10 minutes prior to the flight's original scheduled departure time. If you do not cancel, your points and funds may be forfeited. Learn more. Business Select®, Anytime, and Wanna Get Away Plus® Transferable Flight Credits™ created from reservations booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after May 28, 2025 expire twelve months from the date the fare was purchased and ticketed. Basic fare flight credits expire six months from the date the fare was purchased and ticketed.

https://support.southwest.com/helpc...t-changes?clk=HC_DOT_P2079_TermsandConditions

Definitely the date the fare was purchased and ticketed.

Since flights go on sale more than 6 months out, if you book a basic fare on opening day, you can potentially be putting yourself in the position that, if you have to cancel last minute, you will already be past the 6 months on the flight credit and those funds are just gone.

For instance, on 5/28/25, you buy a basic ticket to fly 1/1/26. At some point, you realize you need to change to a different flight time that day. The 5/28/25 booking date means, if you cancel, your flight credit must be used by 11/28/25. So, you can't cancel and rebook even for a same day flight if you bought your basic fare that far in advance.

Also, since SW switched where taxes and fees on a points flight are returned as flight credit instead of refund to payment method, the same would potentially be true for folks booking on points opening day and hoping to cancel/rebook if they see points going down. For domestic flights, $5.60 per person per direction isn't a huge loss, but those fees can really add up if you were booking a trip to the Carribbean and had to pay various international fees with your points flight.

 

[eticketplease]

4Flight Credits
You must cancel your flight at least 10 minutes prior to the flight's original scheduled departure time. If you do not cancel, your points and funds may be forfeited. Learn more. Business Select®, Anytime, and Wanna Get Away Plus® Transferable Flight Credits™ created from reservations booked and ticketed and/or changed on or after May 28, 2025 expire twelve months from the date the fare was purchased and ticketed. Basic fare flight credits expire six months from the date the fare was purchased and ticketed.

https://support.southwest.com/helpc...t-changes?clk=HC_DOT_P2079_TermsandConditions

Definitely the date the fare was purchased and ticketed.

Since flights go on sale more than 6 months out, if you book a basic fare on opening day, you can potentially be putting yourself in the position that, if you have to cancel last minute, you will already be past the 6 months on the flight credit and those funds are just gone.

For instance, on 5/28/25, you buy a basic ticket to fly 1/1/26. At some point, you realize you need to change to a different flight time that day. The 5/28/25 booking date means, if you cancel, your flight credit must be used by 11/28/25. So, you can't cancel and rebook even for a same day flight if you bought your basic fare that far in advance.

Also, since SW switched where taxes and fees on a points flight are returned as flight credit instead of refund to payment method, the same would potentially be true for folks booking on points opening day and hoping to cancel/rebook if they see points going down. For domestic flights, $5.60 per person per direction isn't a huge loss, but those fees can really add up if you were booking a trip to the Carribbean and had to pay various international fees with your points flight.

Thanks I could not find it.

Could point about the flight credit on taxes now for point bookings.

 

[Lewisc]

Also, since SW switched where taxes and fees on a points flight are returned as flight credit instead of refund to payment method,

Am I the only one who has an issue with a business pocketing tax charges? Refund to the original form of payment or remit to the correct entity

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Am I the only one who has an issue with a business pocketing tax charges? Refund to the original form of payment or remit to the correct entity

I don't love it, but there are worse things they could do: there could be a redeposit fee on the points, they could expire with inactivity, etc. In the grand scheme of annoying business practices, them being icky about $5.60 isn't that obnoxious.

 

[Lewisc]

I don't love it, but there are worse things they could do: there could be a redeposit fee on the points, they could expire with inactivity, etc. In the grand scheme of annoying business practices, them being icky about $5.60 isn't that obnoxious.

A PP mentioned international taxes which can be hundreds of dollars.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Credit expiration date is from the date you make the reservation. It expires if you haven't flown NOT JUSTED BOOKED a ticket prior to the expiration date.

Yes, this is what is challenging to us now that they’re brining back credit expirations. Historically we book opening day and only fly once or twice a year so expiring travel credits is another reason I’ll be pricing out extra other airlines when previously I booked SW 100% of the time.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

A PP mentioned international taxes which can be hundreds of dollars.

I was the PP and your comment prompted me to go look at a recent international cancellation because I realized I should have flight credit that I didn't have note of.

When my Jamaica points flight was cancelled, the fees were line itemed as follows:



The international portion of my fees was refunded to my card on file, only the $5.60 per person was flight credited. I was on a WGA ticket and everything I'm reading says WGA should have "taxes and fees" as a flight credit, but I definitely got that money back on my Visa and cancelled well after the 24 hour period. I'm struggling to find anything in writing to confirm this policy but they handled my international surcharges differently than my $5.60x3 when I cancelled this flight in February.

Very curious now if anyone else has had to cancel international SW points flights (I know that's a very specific category) since they cut over to issuing taxes and fees as a flight credit. I know they don't operate a ton of international flights, but you're right that the value of the surcharges is much higher on those tickets.

 

[eticketplease]

If you have any Chase cards be sure to check your Chase Offers.

I had SW offers on 9 of my cards. Most were 10% back up to $40 back for flights flown in May/June otherwise 5% back for other months.
My CSR was oddly 8% back up to $20 back for flights flown in May/June otherwise 5% back for other months.