Big Changes at Southwest: What UC Travelers Need to Know

Southwest Airlines, UC’s most-used carrier, is making big shifts to how it operates, and the UC Central Travel Office ensured that UC got a front-row seat. Over 600 UC faculty and staff joined a special webinar on May 21 to hear directly from Southwest about what’s changing and how it will impact University travel.

These Southwest changes aim to improve efficiency and customer experience—but they also bring new restrictions. While 72% of attendees found the session helpful, many had follow-up questions. Those questions are now with Southwest, and we’ll post confirmed answers in the UC Travel Portal soon.

Key Takeaways

As of May 28, 2025:

• “Wanna Get Away” (WGA) fares became “Basic” fares – more restrictive and less flexible
• The automatic two free checked bags policy ended:
  • 2 free bags only for A-List Preferred and highest-tier fare holders
  • 1 free bag for A-List and group bookings
  • Fees for others: TBD
• Flight credit expiration changes:
  • Credit for tickets bought after May 28 will expire in 6–12 months
  • Credit for tickets bought before May 28 will not expire.

Coming Soon:

• August 2025 – Assigned seating tickets go on sale
• January 2026 – Assigned seating on flights begins

Missed the session? Watch the recording now in the Travel Portal Video Library.

Southwest fare update details

• As of May 28, SWA will introduce its “Basic” fare, replacing “Wanna Get Away” fare. This new fare will be more restrictive, with limited flexibility for changes and cancellations
• The new “Basic” fare will be non-refundable and non-changeable, except as allowed by SWA’s 24-hour cancellation policy
• UC has negotiated a unique agreement with SWA, aligning our discounts with the “Wanna Get Away Plus” (WGA+) fares, which offer more flexibility and benefits

Note: UCOP continues to discourage use of “Basic” fare types on any airline, since they are restrictive and typically do not provide value to our travelers

Updated fare chart and benefits:

Assigned seating

• Beginning August 2025, SWA will begin selling tickets for assigned seating, with different seat configurations including extra legroom, preferred and standard seats
• Rapid Rewards members will have access to select seats at no additional cost, depending on their tier level
• Assigned seats will be available through UC’s contracted travel agencies (BCD and UCTC Travel) in alignment with what other major airlines currently offer
• SWA has yet to confirm if seating access/selection via Concur will be reliable (or cumbersome, like other airline seat selection), so we encourage travelers to select seats directly on the SWA website.

Checked bags

• SWA’s standard two-bag-free policy will apply for reservations booked and ticketed or changed on or before May 27, 2025
• New checked baggage fees will apply for reservations booked and ticketed or changed on or after May 28, 2025—except for active-duty military personnel and Rapid Rewards members.
• Weight and size limits apply to all baggage

Flight credits and unused tickets

• Credits created from tickets purchased or changed on or after May 28, 2025, will have a specified expiration date based on the type of fare purchased
• Certain credits can be transferred to another traveler, but only if the original fare was Wanna Get Away+ or above
• There are many other nuances around credits that are still being researched and considered, so expect additional information in the coming months.

Group bookings

• There are no anticipated changes to the SWA Group Booking program until after January 2026
• Group bookings will continue to receive the benefit of two free bags
• SWA has yet to clarify additional items, such as group-booking advance seating, use of the Groups Booking Tool and how ticket changes and/or standby will operate.