Yes you will need to check in 24 hours in advance to obtain the best available boarding position.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
4Flight CreditsI 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.
Thanks I could not 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.
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 entityAlso, since SW switched where taxes and fees on a points flight are returned as flight credit instead of refund to payment method,
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.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
A PP mentioned international taxes which can be hundreds of dollars.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.
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.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.
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.A PP mentioned international taxes which can be hundreds of dollars.
Book a cheap flight, and use 3 of your credits. Then cancel the flight and you’ll have 1 new credit for the total amount. Repeat the combining process until you are down to one large credit. I find the flights between the Hawaiian islands can be fairly cheap.Is there any way to consolidate travel funds? I have 5 different credits in small amounts from price drops on my recent flight. I really wish we could use more than 3 payments on a transaction.
It depends on how small your 'small credits' are. I found a lesser priced flight and used my 2 largest credits plus paid the rest on my cc. (In my case the additional flights were less than $5/person which I paid with my cc.)Is there any way to consolidate travel funds? I have 5 different credits in small amounts from price drops on my recent flight. I really wish we could use more than 3 payments on a transaction.