Connexxus Memo
Southwest Airlines - New No Show Policy
We want to ensure you have details regarding the recent news on a new Southwest policy. Southwest Airlines is implementing a No Show policy that applies to Wanna Get Away and DING! fares that are not canceled by travelers prior to travel. If a traveler has booked a Wanna Get Away or DING! fare anywhere in his/her itinerary and that portion of the flight is not used and not canceled at least ten minutes prior to scheduled departure, all funds on the unused portion of the reservation will be lost, and the remaining itinerary will be canceled by Southwest.
The new policy applies to Wanna Get Away and DING! reservations, which encompass all nonrefundable fares, excluding military fares, senior fares, or travel during certain irregular operations, including severe weather conditions. Rapid Rewards points, Companion travel, and Reward seats are not impacted by this policy.
The No Show policy will go into effect for fares booked on or after Friday, May 10, 2013, for travel on or after Friday, September 13, 2013. Southwest will protect those travelers who purchased fares before the implementation date and/or are traveling before the effective date, allowing us time to communicate the new policy.
The No Show policy will not impact your travelers who simply cancel a Wanna Get Away or DING! fare prior to scheduled departure; in this case, travelers may reuse their funds toward future travel on Southwest, without a change fee, as they have always done. Travelers who are traveling on a fully refundable itinerary that does not contain a Wanna Get Away or DING! fare will continue to have the option of either requesting a refund or holding funds for future travel.
Southwest hopes the new policy will help them to better predict future inventory by encouraging Customers to cancel seats they do not plan to use. Southwest will continue to offer Customers the flexibility of changing their itinerary without a fee, prior to departure.
Airline Non-refundable change fee increase overview
In the past two weeks, we've seen an increase in airline non-refundable ticket change fees. The chart below highlights these recent increases. Most airlines have focused the announcements on domestic tickets as international non-refundable ticket change fees will vary by fare and route.
United Airlines
April 17, 2013
Nonrefundable ticket change fee increase - US Domestic from $150 to $200; South America from $250 to $300
US Airways
April 23, 2013
Nonrefundable ticket change fee increase- US Domestic / Caribbean / Mexico/Central America/PR & USVI from $150 to $200; Brazil now $300
Delta
April 30, 2013
Nonrefundable ticket change fee increase - US & Canada Domestic from $150 to $200
American Airlines
May 1, 2013
Nonrefundable ticket change fee increase Domestic, Mexican, Caribbean and Central American markets
from $150 to $200.
Southwest
May 10, 2013
Wanna Get Away and Ding fare types (aka all non-refundable fares) must be canceled prior to departure of flight or ticket will have no value for future use. No name change policy is still in effect.
