The Guide to Southwest Airlines Wanna Get Away Plus Fares

Wanna Get Away Plus fares are more expensive than Wanna Get Away fares, but offer more flexibility.
Sally French
By Sally French 
Updated
Edited by Kevin Berry

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Southwest Airlines has a new, fourth fare class called Wanna Get Away Plus that was introduced in 2022.

The new fare class sits between Southwest’s existing Wanna Get Away fare and the more-flexible Anytime fare. With the new Wanna Get Away Plus fare, you’ll get the ability to transfer flight credits to another traveler of your choice, a higher earnings rate on airfares, and the ability to make same-day confirmed changes and to get on the same-day standby list.

Wanna Get Away Plus features

Here are the features you’ll get in Wanna Get Away Plus that you won’t find in the budget-minded Wanna Get Away fare class:

  • Transferable flight credits: This lets you make a one-time transfer of an eligible unused flight credit to another traveler for future use. Both of you must be Southwest Rapid Rewards program members to make the transfer happen. And you’re still bound by an expiration date, which is 12 months from the date the ticket was booked.

  • 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 8 Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent (versus 6 for the lowest fare class).

Fare classes on Southwest Airlines

Changes to Business Select, Anytime fares

Southwest also announced a few modifications to its Rapid Rewards loyalty program:

  • Customers who’ve purchased Business Select and Anytime fares will also now have access to the transferable flight credit benefit, which is new for all customers.

  • Anytime customers will now also gain EarlyBird Check-In, which is a feature unique to Southwest that automatically checks you into your flight 36 hours prior to scheduled departure — typically at an additional cost.

  • Anytime customers also gain the ability to whisk through Priority and Express lanes, which are available at participating airport ticket counters and security screening areas. This benefit was previously only available to the highest tier Business Select passengers (Business Select might be considered by some as a sort of Southwest’s first class).

  • If you have Southwest elite status as either an A-List or A-List Preferred customer, you’ll also get the same-day confirmed change and same-day standby benefit, even if you’re in the cheapest Wanna Get Away fare class.

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Cards that earn Southwest miles

Regardless of your fare class, a Southwest Airlines credit card can provide benefits that make your travel day a little less stressful, from priority boarding and Early Bird Check-In to annual points bonuses. Among your options:

Southwest credit card options
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
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on Chase's website

Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
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New! Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
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on Chase's website

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card"
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
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on Chase's website

Annual fee
$149
$99
$199
$99
Earning rates

• 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.

• 2 points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming.

• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

• 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.

• 2 points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming.

• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

• 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases.

• 3 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.

• 2 points per $1 on internet, cable and phone services and on social media and search engine advertising.

• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

• 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.

• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

Other benefits

• Reimbursement for 4 upgraded boardings, when available, each anniversary year.

• $75 Southwest travel credit each year.

• 7,500-point anniversary bonus each year.

• Bonus offer: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• Reimbursement for 2 EarlyBird check-ins each anniversary year.

• 6,000-point anniversary bonus each year.

• Bonus offer: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• Reimbursement for 4 upgraded boardings, when available, each anniversary year.

• 9,000-point anniversary bonus each year.

• Statement credit of up to $100 every four years toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee.

• $8 per day in in-flight Wi-Fi credit (up to 365 times a year).

• Bonus offer: Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• Reimbursement for 2 EarlyBird check-ins each anniversary year.

• 6,000-point anniversary bonus each year.

• Bonus offer: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

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The bottom line

The new Southwest fare class adds a happy medium between the most basic fare class and the more expensive version that offers refundable fares.

With Wanna Get Away Plus, you have more flexibility in being able to make same-day changes and get on standby lists. And while it’s not quite as flexible as Anytime — given how generous the Southwest change policy already is — you might not exercise the power of Anytime’s refundable fare benefit anyway.


How to maximize your rewards

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Travel Cards from our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

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75,000

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