When airlines permanently removed change fees during the pandemic, it took away one of Southwest’s key differentiation points, their fee-free flight changes.
Southwest still provides 2 free checked bags and doesn’t sell basic economy fares, but clearly they felt they had to do more to differentiate themselves as being the more friendly option.
Effective today, Southwest flight credits, which are received when you cancel or downgrade a flight, will no longer expire. That applies to currently active flight credits and any credits issued in the future. Even if your flight credit shows an expiration date, it won’t expire.
Note that Southwest LUV vouchers still do expire.
You can always cancel a Southwest flight and get a flight credit, as long as it’s at least 10 minutes before the flight departure time.
Southwest is also waiving the fee to reinstate credits that expired in the past 6 months.
You can also use this trick to transfer flight credits to other people.
It’s also worth noting that Southwest tickets under $109 count towards AMEX airline fee reimbursement. With this method you can bank flight credits that never expire!
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25 Comments On "WOW! Southwest Credits No Longer Expire, Great Use For Airline Fee Credits!"
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I assume my expired ones aren’t resurrecting anytime soon tho.
If it expired in the past 6 months you can revive it for free. Otherwise, no.
It sounds like credit from a prior flight won’t receive this status. Is that accurate?
It should.
Great!
It’s also worth noting that Southwest tickets under $109 count towards AMEX airline fee reimbursement.
does this work all the time? 🙂
It should, but that is always subject to change.
I thought southwest was known for free refunds if you cancel your paid flight? what do i need credits for?
You thought wrong, unless you’re buying refundable anytime fares.
Will this now eliminate the option to convert credits to a LUV voucher?
Why would you need to?
To use for anyone without having to open FF accounts for them and use the loophole which may close eventually.
I actually requested conversion to certificate the DAY BEFORE the policy change.
So I called the day of the change and the phone agent said all in process conversions were cancelled proactively because of the no expiration TF change. And sure enough travel credits in the account with the placeholder 2040 expiration date.
I’d sure love verification of this though by another one of you talking to an agent or something official from Southwest.
can’t one always use a travel voucher to book a flight and then cancel- to now have a non expiring credit instead of the voucher which would expire?
Yes, but then it would be locked to that traveler, though as I note, there’s a workaround to fix that.
Prefect timing for these days’ flight cancelling marathon
Southwest really is the leader. I luv swa.
Only problem is they have so few NYC options that it isn’t even worth it to get companion pass anymore. Not even one non-stop to anywhere in the west except Denver. They even stopped flying to FLL or MIA from NYC. I would definitely fly them more if they did
Agreed, cannot use the 150k points I have.
I recently booked a rewards flight on SW and had unused credit from 2019 that they let me use. It covered my rewards required fee.
When will southwest fly out of lga or ewr dorect to pbi or Fll again ? I thought they were going to start again last year
Would using a LUV to buy a ticket, then cancel, be a way to convert your LUV into no expiration flight credit?
Should work
Are points and credit the same thing?
I have SW points that I need to reactivate through using their shopping portal every year or so.. does that mean I no longer have to do that? My points won’t expire?
Their points stopped expiring a while ago.
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/milespoints/mileage-expiration-guide-for-38-loyalty-programs-how-to-keep-your-points-from-expiring-and-how-to-bring-them-back-to-life-after-theyve-expired/
O, lol. Thanks for the assurance.