Southwest Flight Credit Expiration Rules: What Travelers Need to Know

For years, Southwest stood out by offering flight credits that never expired — a perk that gave travelers unmatched flexibility when canceling flights. But as of May 28, 2025, that policy has changed. Going forward, the expiration rules for flight credits now depend on the fare type and how the original ticket was purchased.

Here’s a breakdown of how the new rules work, which credits are affected, and what it means for your future bookings.

What are Southwest Flight Credits?

When you cancel a Southwest flight, you will receive a flight credit for the entire fare (flight cost, fees, and taxes) of the cancelled flight. You can use this credit for a future flight with Southwest. The flight credit will keep the original confirmation number as a reference.

The list of flight credits can be found by logging into the Southwest website with your Rapid Rewards account and selecting “My Account” at the top of the page. Alternatively, you can go into the Southwest app and scroll down to “My Travel Funds” to find the list.

You can find your Southwest flight credits in your profile. Credit: Southwest

This flight credit can be combined with other forms of payment (e.g., LUV voucher, gift card, or credit card) for the new flight. When applying the credit to the new flight purchase, you will enter the confirmation number from the canceled flight. Remember, you can use up to three forms of payment per flight reservation.

Additionally, if you had initially bought a Wanna Get Away Plus, Anytime, or Business fare, the flight credit from that cancelled trip can be transferred to another person with a Southwest Rapid Rewards account. However, if the credit was generated from a Basic fare, the flight credit can only be used by the person on the original ticket.

Redeeming flight credits is one way to pay for your Southwest flight. Credit: Southwest

Changes to Southwest Flight Credits

It is important to know that Southwest flight credits do not expire if purchased before May 28, 2025, regardless of the fare type. However, all other Southwest travel credits now expire according to the fare type originally purchased.

Basic fares

• If you paid for the cancelled flight with a credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay, the credit expires 6 months after the booking date.
• If you applied a Southwest LUV voucher to cover the cancelled flight, the credit will expire based on the voucher's expiration date, or 6 months from when the flight was booked, whichever comes first.
• If you used another flight credit to pay for the cancelled flight, the credit will expire based on the expiration date of the original flight credit, or 6 months from when the flight was booked, whichever comes first.
• If you funded the cancelled flight using a Southwest gift card, the credit expires 6 months after booking.

Wanna Get Away Plus fares

• If you paid for the cancelled flight with a credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay, the credit expires 12 months after the booking date.
• If you applied a Southwest LUV voucher to cover the cancelled flight, the credit will expire based on the voucher's expiration date.
• If you used another flight credit to pay for the cancelled flight, the credit will expire based on the expiration date of the original flight credit or twelve months from when the flight was booked, whichever comes first.
• If you funded the cancelled flight using a Southwest gift card, the credit expires 12 months after booking.

Anytime and Business fares

• If you paid for the cancelled flight with a credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay, the credit expires twelve months after the booking date.
• If you applied a Southwest LUV voucher to cover the cancelled flight, the credit will expire based on the voucher's expiration date.
• If you used another flight credit to pay for the cancelled flight, the credit will expire based on the expiration date of the original flight credit.
• If you funded the cancelled flight with a Southwest gift card, the credit does not expire.

Final Thoughts

Southwest’s new expiration rules for flight credits represent a step back from the unlimited flexibility travelers have long enjoyed. While credits earned before May 28, 2025, will remain safe from expiration, all new credits will have clear end dates tied to fare type and form of payment.

The policy still leaves room for flexibility — particularly for Anytime and Business fares, or when using gift cards — but it means travelers can no longer treat Southwest credits as an open-ended safety net. Going forward, it’s worth double-checking how you pay for your fare and planning redemption timelines so you don’t risk losing value.

How will this policy change impact your selection of Southwest as a flight option in the future?

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