Southwest Airlines used to be one of the most flexible major U.S. carriers, offering free changes and cancellations even on its lowest fares. That's changed. With the airline's May 2025 rollout of its new fare types taking effect on January 27, 2026, travelers need to rethink their booking strategies.
Under the now-obsolete "Wanna Get Away" fares, Southwest used to allow you to change your flight at no cost, and if the fare dropped, you could rebook it by simply modifying the reservation and saving
some money while taking the exact same flight. But now, the newly introduced "Basic" fare, the current cheapest option, comes with stricter limitations. If you want to change your trip, you can't just modify the reservation. You must cancel the flight entirely (fortunately, there's no cancellation fee) and rebook. However, don't expect your money back: Basic fare is non-refundable. However, Southwest will give you a flight credit for the value of that cancelled flight, and with that credit, you can book a cheaper flight.
But there's a new catch, this credit for "Basic" fare will expire in six months, which wasn't the case before May 2025. This restriction complicates things, particularly when you've booked a round-trip, as canceling just one leg isn't possible: You have to cancel the entire itinerary. That means you might lose a good fare on the leg you didn't want to rebook because its price might have gone up since you booked the trip. So what started as a deal could suddenly become more expensive. That's where booking two one-way tickets makes a big difference.
Read more: The Four Unspoken Rules For The Airplane's Empty Middle Seats
Booking Two One-Way Tickets Is The Way To Seize This Money-Saving Opportunity
If you split your reservation into two separate bookings, one for your outbound flight and one for your return, you can manage each leg independently. If the price of your departure drops, you cancel just that one ticket, get your credit, and rebook at the lower fare. Your return flight remains untouched, and you don't run the risk of having to pay more to rebook the entire round-trip. Travelers online have confirmed this strategy still works under the new fare system, one of them being travel influencers KC Savvy Travelers on Instagram, to the surprise of their large audience.
It seems like most don't know this trick, though, as Southwest is actually one of the airlines with the lowest cancellation rates in America. Keep in mind, though, that this is only useful if you're buying a Southwest Basic fare. If you're flying any of the other tiers -- Choice, Choice Preferred, or Choice Extra -- these limitations don't apply, and round-trip bookings once again become flexible and safe. Plus, they even have free same-day changes and standbys for those last-minute itinerary shifts. So, if you have some extra bucks when it's time to book, they are definitely a better fit for travelers who need flexibility without the risk of losing value on a fare change. Plus, none of those have the six-month deadline to use your credits.
The airline has been making so many changes lately that Southwest finally addressed the growing customer backlash over eliminating some unique policies that kept customers happy. The soon to be obsolete open-seating policy on Southwest flights as well as ending the popular "bags fly free" policy are contributing to the airline's growing customer dissatisfaction.
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