How to Get Money Back From Southwest When Their Rates Drop
With skyrocketing ticket prices and a chaotic summer travel season, buying plane tickets becomes a tricky balance between finding flights that work for you without overpaying and then lowering prices. Over the past few years, many airlines have made fares more flexible, allowing you to make changes to your tickets as your plans change. Southwest in particular is one of the more consumer-friendly carriers, and the flexibility it offers can also help you save money when prices drop.
Southwest’s policy allows travelers not only to change their tickets, but also to take advantage of the price difference when fares drop, and they make it very easy to do so online. If your fare is reduced after purchase, you may receive a partial refund, either in cash or in the form of a Southwest travel voucher, depending on the original fare type purchased.
Here’s what you need to do to find out if your fare has dropped and rebook your flight.
First go to Southwest.com and go to the Edit/Cancel tab. Enter the confirmation number, first and last name. You will then need to select the flight or flights on your itinerary that you want to change or see if the fare has been reduced.
Then enter your new flight information and click Explore Options.
Southwest will then display all available flights and the applicable fare difference. These prices have nothing to do with what you saw when you originally booked your ticket, so if prices go up you will see that you will have to pay more for the change, whereas if prices go down you will be eligible for a partial refund or voucher for future trips. If prices haven’t changed, you’ll see “$0” for the desired flight and fare type.
From here, simply select your desired flight option and click to rebook your flight. If you have multiple return options, they will be displayed.
Anytime and Business Select rates can be returned to the original form of payment. Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares are eligible for a voucher refund that expires 12 months from the date the ticket was booked. Wanna Get Away fare vouchers are only valid for rebooking for the original traveller, while Wanna Get Away Plus fares are transferable.
This method also applies to bookings made using Southwest Rapid Rewards points – simply follow the same process and you’ll receive points back into your Rapid Rewards account. Please note that all Southwest bookings made using Rapid Rewards are fully refundable, even Wanna Get Away fares. If you ever need to cancel a booking with points, you will receive back the full number of points plus any taxes paid ($5.60 domestic one-way and more international).
While other airlines allow free changes for certain fare types and origin/destination combinations, Southwest remains the airline that allows free changes for all fare types, all origin and destination combinations, and makes it easy to complete the process online . .