{"id":201623,"date":"2025-04-09T23:59:54","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T23:59:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=201623\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:12:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:12:36","slug":"southwest-flight-credit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-flight-credit\/","title":{"rendered":"How I\u2019m Combining My Family’s Southwest Flight Credits Before They Begin Expiring Next Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

Southwest Airlines is making sweeping changes to its long-standing policies<\/a>, including the end of flight credits with no expiration. Beginning May 28, 2025, any new or reissued flight credit will come with an expiration date.<\/p>\n

If you're sitting on multiple Southwest flight credits, now is the time to act. Here's how I'm consolidating my family\u2019s credits into fewer, more flexible (and still no-expiration) vouchers before the new policy takes hold.<\/p>\n

How Southwest Flight Credits Work<\/span><\/h2>\n

Currently<\/span><\/h3>\n

Since 2022<\/a>, any flight credit earned through Southwest from cancelling a flight has not had an expiration date — no matter the fare class originally purchased. That applies to Southwest's lowest — and cheapest — Wanna Get Away <\/strong>fares. Flight credits from Wanna Get Away Plus<\/strong> fares are transferrable to another Southwest Rapid Rewards member — but only once.<\/p>\n

Obviously, having a transferrable flight credit offers more flexibility, since it doesn't have to be used by the original passenger.<\/p>\n

Starting May 28, 2025<\/span><\/h3>\n

As Southwest recently announced:<\/p>\n

“Flight credits and Transferable Flight Credits created from tickets purchased or changed on or after May 28, 2025 will have a specified expiration date of one year or less depending on the fare purchased.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is a big change, as the new flight credits must be flown (not just booked) by the expiration date. For travelers who don't fly as often, the lingering expiration date can be stressful. The new credits will expire in 6 or 12 months, depending on the fare class.<\/p>\n

This means from now until May 28th, any currently outstanding or newly created flight credits will still have no expiration and are transferrable, if from a Wanna Get Away Plus fare. So the process I describe below can only be done until May 28th. After then, the process will result in flight credits with an expiration date.<\/p>\n

How I'm Approaching Outstanding Flight Credits<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you are like me — with a family and fly Southwest with any regularity — you've accumulated various flight credits over the years for you and your family members. I usually use Rapid Rewards<\/a> points to book award flights. However, there have been occasions in which I've used cash. In those instances — whether by cancelling flights or rebooking when the price goes down — I'm now stuck with random amounts of flight credits. Here is just a sampling from me and other family members.<\/p>\n

\"Southwest
Various Flight Credits for family members<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

As you can see, some of these credits are transferrable; others not. As the policy change is coming, I need to figure out how to “clean up” these credits to use down the road.<\/p>\n

Why does this matter?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Southwest only allows you to use 3 methods of payment (including flight credits) per person per booking. So I want to reduce the number of flight credits I have as well as make them transferrable, allowing me the flexibility to use multiple credits (as needed-up to 3) or transfer them to others for future bookings.<\/p>\n

So my plan is to:<\/p>\n