Does Southwest Refund the Difference If the Price Drops After You Book?
What each Southwest fare gets back when the price falls, why Basic is the exception, and what to say when you call.
By The Junova Team
The short answer
Yes, on most fares, but only if you catch it. Southwest charges no change fees, so when the price of your flight drops you can call Southwest, ask an agent to move you to the lower fare on the same flight, and keep the difference. Choice fares get it back as a Transferable Flight Credit. Choice Preferred and Choice Extra can take it as cash to your card. Basic fares can’t be changed at all, so the agent has to cancel and rebook instead.
Southwest won’t do this for you. Nobody at the airline watches your booking or emails you when the fare falls.
Key facts at a glance
What you need to know before you change anything
- No change fees on any fare. You only pay a difference when the new fare is higher.
- First 24 hours: full cash refund. Book at least 7 days before departure and you can cancel any fare, Basic included, for your money back under the DOT 24-hour rule.
- Choice: the difference comes back as a Transferable Flight Credit. It expires 12 months from the date you booked and can be transferred once to another Rapid Rewards member.
- Choice Preferred and Choice Extra: these are refundable, so the difference can go back to your original payment method or be held as a Transferable Flight Credit.
- Basic: can’t be changed. You can upgrade to Choice first, or cancel and rebook. Basic credit expires six months from your original booking date.
- Points bookings: if the points price drops, the difference goes back to the Rapid Rewards account that paid.
- Deadline: changes and cancellations have to happen at least 10 minutes before departure.
Sources: Southwest Lower Fare Refund Options · Southwest fare types · Transferable Flight Credits.
The fine print
What does Southwest’s policy actually say?
From Southwest’s own help center:
“If your new flight costs less than what you purchased: Refundable fares: the difference can be refunded to your original payment method or held for future use as a Transferable Flight Credit. Non-refundable fares: the difference is issued as a flight credit or Transferable Flight Credit (depending on the fare purchased).”
Southwest is more flexible than United and Delta here. Both give nonrefundable fares a credit too, but Southwest lets its two top fares take the difference as cash any time before departure.
What does each Southwest fare get back?
| Fare | Can you change to the lower fare? | What you get back | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any fare, within 24 hours of booking (7+ days before departure) | Cancel and rebook | Full cash refund | n/a |
| Basic | No. Upgrade to Choice, or cancel and rebook | Flight credit for the full fare (when you cancel) | 6 months from original booking |
| Choice | Yes, no fee | Transferable Flight Credit | 12 months from booking |
| Choice Preferred | Yes, no fee | Cash to original payment, or Transferable Flight Credit | 12 months (if kept as credit) |
| Choice Extra | Yes, no fee | Cash to original payment, or Transferable Flight Credit | 12 months (if kept as credit) |
| Points booking | Yes, no fee | Points back to the paying account | n/a |
Sources: Southwest Lower Fare Refund Options · Southwest fare types.
How to do it
How do you get the lower fare from Southwest?
Call Southwest at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792) and ask an agent to apply the lower fare to your reservation.
- 1
Have your details ready. Your confirmation number, the passenger names, and the lower fare you saw for your exact flight.
- 2
Ask for the same flight at the lower fare. Say “please change my reservation to the current lower fare on the same flight.” If you say “change my flight,” the agent may start looking at different flights.
- 3
Ask how the difference comes back. Choice gets a Transferable Flight Credit. Choice Preferred and Choice Extra can ask for cash back to the original card.
- 4
Confirm before you hang up. Ask the agent to read back the new fare, the amount you’re getting back, and the credit’s expiration date. Southwest sends a confirmation email after the change.
An agent repricing the same flight keeps your assigned seat, so you don’t give anything up by asking.
Source: Southwest contact numbers.
The exception
What about Basic fares?
Basic is the one Southwest fare that locks you out of a simple price-drop change. You have two options:
- Upgrade, then change. Ask the agent to move you up to Choice, then to the lower fare. This only makes sense if the drop is bigger than the upgrade cost.
- Cancel and rebook. Ask the agent to cancel at least 10 minutes before departure, so the full fare becomes a flight credit, then book the same flight at the lower price using that credit. What’s left over stays as credit.
The catch with cancel-and-rebook: Basic credit expires six months from the day you first booked, and the new reservation takes on that same date. Leftover credit can disappear fast if you don’t fly Southwest often. Ask the agent to hold the new fare before canceling the old one, so you don’t lose the seat if the price moves back up.
Flight credit vs. Transferable Flight Credit: what’s the difference?
Southwest uses two credit types, and a price drop lands in one of them depending on your fare.
| Credit type | Where it comes from | Expires | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight credit | Basic fare canceled | 6 months from original booking | The original passenger only |
| Transferable Flight Credit | Choice, Choice Preferred or Choice Extra changed to a lower fare or canceled | 12 months from booking | The original passenger, or one transfer to another Rapid Rewards member |
Credits created on or before May 27, 2025 don’t expire. Anything created from bookings made or changed after that date has an expiration date, and travel has to be completed by it.
Sources: Southwest Transferable Flight Credits · Southwest flight credits.
How a fare-monitoring service handles this
Junova watches the fare after you book, so you don’t have to.
Junova is a fare-tracking tool that monitors your flight after you book. You book directly with Southwest, forward the confirmation, and Junova watches the exact fare for drops. When an eligible drop hits, Junova secures the difference on your reservation.
- Free to set up, no upfront cost
- 20% success fee on savings recovered, nothing if nothing drops
- Works with Southwest, United, Delta, and American
- Covers Choice fares and above booked with cash; Basic fares can’t be changed under Southwest’s rules, and points bookings aren’t covered yet
Southwest fares can move many times between booking and departure. The money is real, but only if someone is checking. Junova does the checking.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Does Southwest refund you if the price drops after booking?
- Yes, if you call Southwest and ask for the lower fare. Choice fares get a Transferable Flight Credit. Choice Preferred and Choice Extra can get cash back to the original payment method. Basic fares can’t be changed, so you’d cancel and rebook.
- Is a Southwest price drop refund cash or credit?
- It depends on the fare. Choice Preferred and Choice Extra are refundable, so you can take cash. Choice gets a Transferable Flight Credit. Inside 24 hours of booking, any fare can be canceled for cash.
- Can I get a price drop on a Southwest Basic fare?
- Not by changing it. Ask an agent to upgrade you to Choice and then apply the lower fare, or to cancel for a flight credit and rebook at the lower price. Basic credit expires six months from your original booking.
- Does Southwest charge a fee to change to a lower fare?
- No. Southwest charges no change fees on any fare.
- How long do Southwest flight credits last?
- Transferable Flight Credits last 12 months from booking. Basic flight credits last six months from the original booking. Credits created on or before May 27, 2025 don’t expire.
- Can I transfer a Southwest flight credit to someone else?
- Only a Transferable Flight Credit, from a Choice fare or higher. It can be transferred once, in full, to another Rapid Rewards member.
- What if I booked with Rapid Rewards points?
- Call and ask for the lower points price. The difference goes back to the account that paid.
- How close to departure can I rebook at a lower fare?
- Up to 10 minutes before the flight’s scheduled departure. Call well before that, since hold times vary.
- Does Southwest have a low fare guarantee?
- No. Southwest won’t refund a drop on its own. You have to spot the lower fare and call to have it applied.
Ready when you are
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Forward a ticket or connect your inbox. Junova monitors your fare and works to recover the difference when prices drop.
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