Southwest Airlines 50% off WOW Sale!
Should you rebook for the 50% off WOW Sale? The sale is not surprising given the widely known and unloved changes in policy that took effect May 28. Sale prices begin August 12th and go through December 17th with code WOWZERS.
However, the sale is selectively applied. It works well for a flight we had booked on a route that isn’t often on sale (details below). Southwest Sale fares don’t seem to be in effect for low-cost flights and only some higher cost routes and dates. Check your specific flights to see if they’re on sale.
Even for reservations booked before May 28, a voluntary change will make the new policies apply, including checked baggage fees. So…..
Should You Rebook for the Sale???
Many of us have Southwest FOBC, Fear of Baggage Charges, under the new rules. But is this sale worth making the change and potentially paying baggage fees? Let’s take a closer look at the options and implications and see if we should rebook for the Southwest Sale.
New Baggage Fees
Baggage charges are probably the biggest factor to consider in whether to rebook for the Southwest sale. But they may not have a big impact in many situations. When will you have to pay baggage charges and how much will they be? If you are traveling light, with no more than a carry-on, no worries, no charges. Two checked bags still fly free if you purchase a Business Select Fare.
Here’s a table laying out all the other situations and fees. If you have a credit card and can travel with just one checked bag, you can avoid the new fees. Remember that these benefits also apply to up to 8 people on the same reservation. Clearly you should never take 3 or more bags unless you’re a glutton for punishment and like giving money away.
So baggage fees are likely to be $35 or $45 per person at most. Note that if you’re flying with 2 checked bags you really need to have a credit card if you aren’t A-List.
Compare that cost to the drop in fare (if there is one) to see if the change is worthwhile, and it probably is. The same for flights booked on points, just apply a value to the points. We have a one-way flight booked in early September for $182, which was also the price May 27. Today that same flight is $120, or a savings of $62. That drop means only those without status or a credit card and checking two bags per person would not benefit from the drop in fare.
Flight Credit Expiration
New flight credit expirations are another potential consideration. Flight credits generated before May 28 never expire. If you use those credits to book a new reservation, the expiration depends on the fare type.
These expirations only come into play if you cancel the new reservation. But does it apply to the credit you receive from the new, lower fare? The wording on the Southwest website isn’t very clear so Travel Award Search ran a test. We just canceled a flight booked before May 28 and the flight credit shows that there is no expiration.
So don’t let FOFCE, Fear of Flight Credit Expiration, stop you from rebooking for a lower fare. Just be aware of the expirations should you want to cancel the new fare. Also, consider higher fare classes if it’s a significant concern or booked far in advance.
There’s a big advantage to booking with points now, since they aren’t impacted by the new flight credit expirations. If you cancel a points booking, your points are immediately returned without restrictions (yet!).
So, Should You Rebook?
The short answer is usually yes, if the sale applies with a significant price drop. Act fast since the sale ends Thursday, June 5. Use the code WOWZERS.
In some instances, the results will be like ours. We had a fare drop of $62 on a ticket booked for $182 ahead of the changes. The new flight credit expiration rules really aren’t a factor.
Some fares may not drop much or enough to offset baggage fees if you check 2 bags and don’t have status or a credit card. That would incur $80 of baggage fees, offsetting some or all the price drop.
If you check one bag or less, and don’t have a credit card or A-List status, the price drop just needs to be over $35 to make sense. Those with A-List status or a credit card don’t pay anything for the first bag so you get the benefit of the whole fare drop. With a 50% discount on base fares, this can be significant.
Cancelling and rebooking is the best way to go. The cancelation will give you flight credit with no expiration, some of which you can immediately use for the new flight. If the reservation is changed instead, the flight credit received may be under the new policy with an expiration. (We haven’t fully tested that yet) We saw a report of someone calling to change the price and getting it done without a new reservation, so the old policies still apply. They must have been lucky with the rep. We just tried and it was a no-go.
Check out our Southwest Airlines-Navigating the Changes video below for more details on the changes and fees. Travel Wisely, Travel Well!
