13Editor’s be aware: This publish has been up to date with new data.
Booking a flight can really feel like a raffle. You by no means know what the worth may be a number of days or months down the road, and it is exhausting to know in case you’re reserving the bottom attainable price. Should you ebook now? Hold off a number of days? A couple of months? It generally is a traumatic course of, particularly when shopping for tickets for a complete household.
But not with Southwest Airlines. One of the longstanding perks of this airline is that with a push of some buttons, you possibly can rebook any reservation. If the worth has decreased, you may get the distinction again. There’s no price to do that, and the airline even permits you to undergo this course of a vast variety of occasions as much as 10 minutes earlier than the flight’s departure.
This is a large perk and an awesome choice for vacationers who wish to cut back their total value, whether or not that be in factors or {dollars}.
Related: Airlines that give you a credit score if the worth drops
What occurs while you discover a cheaper price?
If you’ve got already booked your flight, you would possibly wish to re-check your flight from time to time to see if the worth has dropped. Whether it is throughout your morning routine or a specific fare sale, there is a first rate probability that you can discover your flight for much less — particularly in case you booked months previous to touring.
If the fare does drop, you may obtain a Travel Funds credit score or your factors again, relying on the way you initially paid for the fare.
- If you paid for the flight: If you booked the lowest-price Wanna Get Away fare, you’ll obtain a Travel Funds credit score for the distinction within the fare. Fortunately, these credit now not expire and can keep in your Southwest account till you redeem them. Travel Funds credit from these fares are nontransferable and might solely be used for a similar passenger. However, in case you booked a Wanna Get Away Plus fare, you’ll obtain transferable flight credit that help you switch your flight credit score to another person. Note that you will need to each be Rapid Rewards members, and just one switch is permitted. For costlier Business Select and Anytime fares, you may obtain a money refund as an alternative of credit.
- If you used factors for the flight: The distinction in Rapid Rewards factors will robotically return into the account from which these factors had been deducted.
Related: How to redeem factors with the Southwest Rapid Rewards program
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Steps to rebook your Southwest flight
Whether your flight was booked with factors or money, the method to rebook (and thus re-price) is extraordinarily simple.
First, sign up to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account. On the “My Account” web page, you may see your entire upcoming flights. Find your flight and click on on “Change flight.”
Your unique departure and arrival airports, in addition to the date, will robotically populate. Click “Explore options.”
You’ll see the quantity that every flight has decreased (or elevated) in factors or money. If your unique flight has decreased (famous by a minus signal), choose the fare to get a credit score. This is the very same course of you may observe if you wish to change your flight to a very completely different flight.
Then, click on “Review changes.”
You will see the credit score you might be receiving on the backside of the web page. If you wish to proceed, click on “Review Passenger and pricing.”
The passenger data will already be populated on the following web page, and you may simply want to verify your adjustments.
After confirming, it is best to obtain an e mail inside a couple of minutes. You’ll discover your flight affirmation quantity has stayed the identical.
If you used factors to ebook initially, the distinction might be credited again to your Rapid Rewards account instantly. If you had made a money reservation on a nonrefundable fare, you’ll now have Travel Funds accessible.
Related: Comparing the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority, Premier and Plus bank cards
When you go to ebook a future flight, choose the “Apply Flight Credits, LUV® Vouchers, and gift cards” hyperlink within the cost technique part to redeem these Travel Funds.
You’ll see a brand new part open up. Select the “Flight Credit” tab and enter the unique affirmation quantity that the funds are tied to. Then, enter the passenger’s first and final title.
Re-pricing a flight is a particularly simple course of, and when you get the cling of it, it should not take greater than a minute or so to finish.
Related: How to vary or cancel a Southwest Airlines flight
How does rebooking a flight work with the Southwest Companion Pass?
If a flight goes down in worth and also you rebook at that decrease price, there are a number of additional steps to observe when you have added a Companion Pass to your reservation.
As it’s possible you’ll already know, the Companion Pass permits you to convey a delegated good friend or member of the family for (nearly) free on any Southwest flight you are taking. You’ll simply have to pay the taxes and charges, such as you would on an award ticket. You can use the Companion Pass on each paid and award tickets; this lets you redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards factors for your self and produce your companion with out utilizing any additional factors.
Before you possibly can change your flight to get a less expensive one, you may have to cancel your Companion Pass reservation. However, because you solely paid for the taxes and charges on the companion’s ticket, make certain to request the quantity paid again to your unique type of cost. The credit score will go to the cardboard you used, so you aren’t left with a journey voucher.
Once you rebook your flight on the cheaper price, it’s worthwhile to add your companion’s reservation again onto your unique reservation. Do not neglect this step, as you do not wish to go away your companion with out a seat if the flight sells out.
Related: Lessons discovered from having the Companion Pass for over a decade
What occurs if I paid for EarlyBird Check-In?
If you have got already paid for EarlyBird Check-In, rebooking your flight won’t cancel this add-on choice. As lengthy because the affirmation quantity stays the identical, you might be 100% within the clear.
The actual problem comes while you cancel a reservation after which rebook. For probably the most half, that is primarily a problem while you rebook a reservation booked with a Companion Pass. Since this reservation is canceled and also you obtained a brand new affirmation quantity, your EarlyBird Check-In is wiped away. The cash you initially paid for this passenger is nonrefundable, and it’ll not be credited again to your account. You’ll be on the hook once more for the price if you wish to proceed to incorporate this selection on a brand new reservation.
If you wish to buy EarlyBird Check-In, I counsel you maintain off on paying for the EarlyBird Check-In add-on for the Companion Pass till you are fairly assured that fares won’t go decrease. Keep in thoughts, although, that your boarding place with EarlyBird Check-In is predicated on a number of elements, together with how early you add it to your reservation.
Related: Top Southwest worldwide locations for households
Bottom line
My No. 1 tip for all Southwest vacationers is to periodically examine all upcoming Southwest flight costs — particularly throughout huge gross sales.
Southwest flight costs change very often, and there’s no purpose you should not get one of the best worth accessible. The re-pricing course of is very simple, and it might in the end prevent a whole lot of {dollars} (or the equal quantity in factors) with hardly any additional effort.
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Source: thepointsguy.com”