‘First-of-its-kind’ policy: Southwest Airlines flights credits will no longer expire

FILE - In this April 20, 2021 file photo, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 passenger plane takes off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Thanks to strong passenger traffic over the winter holidays, Southwest Airlines is reporting a $68 million profit for the fourth quarter. Southwest said Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022 it was the airline's first profit without federal pandemic aid since late 2019. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee, Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

HOUSTON – Credits about to expire? Southwest Airlines won’t allow it, as a “first-of-its-kind” policy was announced Thursday.

Those travelers who received flight credits from a refund or a similar method will be able to keep those credits, forever.

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According to the airline in a news release, Southwest customers will see an expiration date of “December 31, 2040″ on valid flight credits which would later remove the expiration dates altogether in a later period.

Customers who receive a flight credit after the announcement will still fall under the new policy as long as their reservation is cancelled more than 10 minutes prior to their scheduled flight departure.

The announcement comes after the airline gave customers ample time to use their flight credits beyond their expiration date amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Introducing this change in our policy is part of a massive effort to improve the things that are most important to our Customers,” said Tony Roach, Vice President of Customer Experience and Engagement, Southwest Airlines.


About the Author

A graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown, Ana moved to H-Town from sunny southern California in 2015. In 2020, she joined the KPRC 2 digital team as an intern. Ana is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a catmom of 3, and an aquarium enthusiast. In her spare time, she's an avid video gamer and loves to travel.

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