The Guide to Southwest Airlines Choice Fares

Southwest Airlines’ Choice fare class (formerly Wanna Get Away Plus) is nestled in between its Basic and Choice Preferred fares. But how exactly is it different?

We’ll break down what it entails, from the ability to transfer flight credits to a traveler of your choice and a higher point earnings rate on airfares, to the ability to make same-day confirmed changes and get on the same-day standby list.

What is Southwest Airlines Choice?

Choice is a fare upgrade from Southwest’s new Basic fare, which was introduced in May 2025. It gets you a few additional perks over the airline’s least expensive fare option. Features you’ll get with Choice that you won’t find with the budget-friendly Basic fare class include:

• Transferable flight credits. If you cancel your Choice fare, you'll get a flight credit that you can transfer to another traveler for future use. Both of you must be Southwest Rapid Rewards program members to make the transfer.

• Longer flight credit expiration. Choice offers an extended 12-month expiration period, compared to a much shorter six-month expiration timeline for Basic fares.

• Same-day confirmed changes and same-day standby. If there’s an open seat on a different flight on the same calendar day as your original flight and it’s between the same cities, you can book a confirmed seat on the new flight at no additional cost — even if that flight is more expensive.

• A higher earning rate. Get 6 Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent — instead of the 2 Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent that you would earn with the cheaper fare, Basic.

• Pay fare differences for itinerary changes. When you need to change your flight itinerary for a Choice ticket, just pay the fare difference for the new flight. With a Basic fare ticket, you must upgrade your fare class to make a change.

» Learn more: Why fly Southwest Airlines?

Choice vs. Basic

The differences boil down to a few key points that may help you decide which fare to purchase.

Rapid Rewards points

Spending a little extra on Choice is one way to rack up Rapid Rewards points in a shorter period of time. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting a good return on your investment.

When we searched for flights from Los Angeles, California, to Nashville, Tennessee, Choice fares were $40 more in each direction of travel than Basic fares.

In this example, spending $169 on a Basic one-way flight would earn you 338 points, based on the 2 points per dollar earn rate. Booking a Choice fare at $209 nets you 1,254 points, based on the 6 points per dollar earn rate. NerdWallet values Rapid Rewards points at 1.3 cents a piece, so in this case, the points difference (916 points) is worth about $11.91.

Effectively, the Choice fare is about $28 more than the Basic fare considering the value of the extra points you would earn.

More flexibility

Free same-day changes that come with Choice may or may not come in handy for travelers who have their schedule locked in.

It may be helpful if you travel often for business and like to have flexibility when it comes to changing flight plans. You can opt for an earlier or later flight without having to pay extra for the difference in cost between your original flight and the new flight. It may not be as beneficial for families since the availability of multiple seats on the same flight you wish to change to could be hard to come by.

Transferable flight credit

The transferable flight credit available with Choice is can be more beneficial for travelers with family or friends who are Rapid Rewards members. It lets you transfer your flight credit if you have to cancel your travel plans and aren’t planning to fly again anytime soon. If a family member plans to travel soon, transferring the credit can be a big help.

Whether these extra perks are worth the added cost depends on your travel style.

What about Choice Extra and Choice Preferred fares?

Basic and Choice fares aren’t the only ones available from Southwest. Choice Preferred and Choice Extra fares are also available and offer more perks.

• Both fare types are fully refundable to your original payment method, as long as you cancel your reservation at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure.

• Customers who’ve purchased Choice Preferred and Choice Extra fares can also access the transferable flight credit benefit.

• Choice Preferred and Choice Extra passengers get EarlyBird Check-In, a feature unique to Southwest that automatically checks you into your flight 36 hours before scheduled departure — which is typically an additional cost with other fare types.

• Choice Preferred and Choice Extra passengers have the ability to whisk through Priority and Express lanes, which are available at participating airport ticket counters and security screening areas. 

• Choice Extra passengers get A1-A15 priority boarding, free in-flight internet and a complimentary premium drink on most flights, and two free checked bags.

• Choice Preferred fares earn passengers 10 Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent, Choice Extra offers 14 Rapid Rewards points per dollar.

If you have Southwest A-List or A-List Preferred elite status, you’ll get priority boarding and priority lane and express lane access, even if you’re in the cheapest Basic fare class.

The bottom line

When considering whether to purchase a Choice fare, consider that it offers a happy medium between the most basic fare class and the more expensive options that offer fully refundable fares. With Choice, you have more flexibility in making same-day changes and getting on standby lists, and it earns you additional rewards points.

Having elite status or a co-branded credit card can also provide extra benefits to make your travel smoother.