Southwest Airlines is one of the world’s largest budget carriers, flying to more than 100 destinations across the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. The Dallas-based airline has long stood out for its generous policies, but recent years bring major changes: assigned seating is coming soon and the two free checked bags policy recently ended, with new fare bundles now rolling out. Time will tell how travelers respond to Southwest’s bid to attract new passengers while keeping loyal customers happy.
Recent changes at Southwest: What passengers should know
Southwest’s moves to end its longstanding baggage and open seating policies have been highly publicized and met with strong criticism from both customers and aviation insiders. Here’s the rundown on what’s changing and what it means for your next flight.
What to know about Southwest’s new assigned seats
Southwest’s ditching open seating for a three-tier model similar to legacy carriers. Extra legroom seats at the front and in exit rows are the priciest option, offering up to five additional inches of legroom plus perks like earlier access to bin space, extra snacks, and complimentary premium beverages.
Preferred seats come with standard legroom and sit closer to the front of the aircraft. Standard seats, the most budget-friendly choice, also have standard legroom but are located in the back half of the plane.
Southwest’s new fare bundles: What to know
Southwest’s introducing “fare bundles” similar to other budget carriers, with four tiers ranging from premium to bare-bones. Choice Extra is the most generous but priciest option, while Basic gets you the last boarding group and no advance seat assignment. The Basic fare launched recently, while seat selection for the remaining bundles opens soon.
You can now fly redeyes on Southwest
Southwest now operates red-eye flights as part of its 24-hour operation capability, with routes connecting transcontinental and Hawaii destinations.
You can now book Southwest flights with points and cash
Southwest now lets passengers book flights with a combination of points and cash – a handy option also available on some other carriers. This Cash + Points feature is a helpful way to snag a flight if you don’t have enough points for a full redemption.
The onboard experience with Southwest: What to expect
Southwest’s onboard experience is standard for a budget carrier. You’ll get free snacks and soft drinks on most flights over 250 miles, but there are no seatback screens or meal service, and alcoholic beverages cost extra.
Many aircraft have WiFi for streaming movies, TV or live sports on your phone, laptop or tablet – WiFi is now free for Rapid Rewards members. No app download is needed. All you need to do is connect through your browser via the onboard portal.
Southwest’s baggage and change/cancellation policies
Southwest recently ended its two-free-checked-bags policy, and plenty of passengers (myself included) weren’t happy about it. Now only Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members and those on Choice Extra fares get two free checked bags, while A-List Members and credit card holders get their first bag free.
Everyone else on Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred fares pays checked baggage fees in line with other major carriers. All passengers get a free carry-on bag and personal item.
The good news is that Southwest still has a fairly generous cancellation policy (at least, for now). Passengers can cancel their flight up to 10 minutes prior to departure and will receive travel credit or a cash refund, depending on the type of ticket purchased.
Note flight credits now can expire – Basic credits after six months, and Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra credits after 12 months. That’s still more flexible than most legacy carriers, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Southwest maintains that flexibility, especially since checked bags are no longer free for everyone.
What to know about Southwest Rapid Rewards Program
There is a lot to like about the Southwest Rapid Rewards program: unlimited rewards seats, no blackout dates, and points that don’t expire. The program is refreshingly simple to understand – and it’s a cinch to book a flight with points, too.
The main downside? Southwest doesn’t belong to a global airline alliance, though it recently launched bilateral airline partnerships (including Icelandair, China Airlines, and EVA Air). At initial launch, loyalty programs are not integrated and points can’t be redeemed on partner airlines.
How to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards
Flying with Southwest is the most straightforward way to earn points, but here’s the key: earning is based on what you spend, not how far you fly. Your fare type determines your earning rate, ranging from 2X per dollar on Basic tickets to 14X on Choice Extra fares. If there’s not much price difference between fare options, the higher fare can be worth it for the points bump.
Other ways to earn points beyond flying Southwest
The program partners with well-known hotel brands including Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt and rental car agencies such as Alamo and Hertz, among others. How many points you’ll earn varies depending on the partner.
Before booking, it’s smart to see if your hotel or rental car is eligible. (And since partners and point allocations can change, be sure to do some homework beforehand.)
Finally, don’t forget about Southwest Rapid Rewards’ exclusive shopping portal – a lesser-known but effective way to earn points. Its 1,100-plus retail partners include big-name department stores, outdoor retailers, and plenty more, which let savvy shoppers score major points on online purchases.
Earn rates vary by retailer, with different stores offering different points per dollar spent on eligible purchases. There’s a Rapid Rewards Dining program too, where you can earn points at participating local restaurants.
The new Cash + Points booking option: What to know
I love that Southwest flights are now bookable with both cash and points. During the booking process, just look for the Cash + Points button, which will display the various combinations you can choose.
If you cancel a reservation booked with this form of payment, the remaining point balance will go back to your Rapid Rewards account (or whichever one was used to book). Unused taxes or fees will be refunded directly or as a flight credit.
The famous Southwest Companion Pass: How to get one
Earn enough Rapid Rewards points (or spend enough on Southwest flights), and you can snag the Southwest Companion Pass. This popular perk entitles you to bring a guest on any Southwest flight for a calendar year (or more).
To be eligible, you’ll need 135,000 qualifying points or fly 100 (or more) qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. If you manage that (and plenty of passengers do), you’ll be granted a companion pass for the remainder of that calendar year and the entire following one. The only caveat: Taxes and fees on companion fares still apply (starting from $5.60 one-way). But those are a fraction of what you’d pay for full-fare flights.
Love Field: A reason to book Southwest out of Dallas
To the surprise of some first-time passengers, Southwest has an airport almost all its own: Dallas Love Field (DAL). Located near downtown Dallas, this airport, a former military facility named after an Army pilot, can offer a big advantage for booking Southwest flights out of Dallas.
Love Field is smaller and much easier to navigate than its crosstown cousin, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Southwest operates the vast majority of flights from Love Field, making it the airline’s key Dallas hub.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
