Southwest flight credits from bookings after 27 May 2025 expire in 6 or 12 months
Southwest flight credits created on or before 27 May 2025 never expire1. Credits from bookings made or changed from 28 May 2025 expire 6 months after booking on Basic fares and 12 months on Choice fares. Choice fares give a Transferable Flight Credit you can pass once to another Rapid Rewards member.
Key facts, with sources and dates
- Basic fares paid by card give a flight credit that expires six months from the original booking date (Southwest Airlines, checked 15 November 2026)2.
- Choice fares paid by card give a Transferable Flight Credit that expires 12 months from the original booking date (Southwest Airlines, checked 15 November 2026)2.
- A credit chosen after a significantly disrupted flight is valid for five years (Southwest Airlines, checked 15 November 2026)2.
- A flight must be cancelled at least 10 minutes before departure to keep its value as a credit (Southwest Airlines, checked 15 November 2026)3.
- Each passenger can use three forms of payment per booking, and each flight credit counts as one (Southwest Airlines, checked 15 November 2026)1.
Will my Southwest credit expire?
Enter the date you booked and how you paid. The result follows Southwest's expiry table2.
Nothing you enter leaves this page. Southwest says credits from disrupted flights can take up to 48 hours to show the right expiry date.
Southwest credit types and expiry compared
| Fare | Credit you get | Who can use it | Expiry | Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Flight credit | Only the passenger named | 6 months from booking (card and similar); a credit or voucher used to pay can make it earlier | Not transferable |
| Choice | Transferable Flight Credit | The passenger, or one other Rapid Rewards member after a single transfer | 12 months from booking; gift card bookings also 12 months | Once |
| Choice Preferred, Choice Extra | Transferable Flight Credit | The passenger, or one other Rapid Rewards member after a single transfer | 12 months from booking; no expiry when paid with a gift card | Once |
| Any fare, flight significantly disrupted | Flight credit or Transferable Flight Credit | As for the fare | 5 years | As for the fare |
| Created on or before 27 May 2025 | Either | As for the fare | No expiry | As for the fare |
Southwest Help Center articles on flight credits, expiry and Transferable Flight Credit, read 15 November 2026.
How do I look up and use a Southwest flight credit?
- Open Check Travel Funds. Go to southwest.com/travel-funds and choose Flight Credit.
- Enter three fields. First name, last name and the confirmation number of the cancelled booking.
- Read the value and expiry. Rapid Rewards members can also log in, open My Account and choose Payment.
- Apply it when booking. On the payment screen choose to apply a flight credit and enter the confirmation number. Each credit counts as one of three forms of payment.
Fields as shown on Southwest's Check Travel Funds page3. Credits cannot pay for Getaways vacation packages1.
Can I get a flight credit if I cancel my Southwest flight?
Yes, if you cancel at least 10 minutes before the original departure. Miss that and the points and funds may be forfeited3. Basic fares give a flight credit tied to you; Choice fares give a Transferable Flight Credit4.
When Southwest cancels, you can refuse the credit and take the cash
If Southwest cancels your flight or changes it significantly (3 hours or more on a domestic trip, 6 international, a different airport, an extra stop or a downgrade) and you don't travel, the fare, taxes and paid extras come back to your original payment. The cause makes no difference5.
A credit counts only if you agree to it. If one is offered explicitly in place of the refund, federal rules say it must last at least 5 years5. Ask in writing for the refund to your card; it is due within 7 business days, or 20 days for other payments.
What Southwest offered on 13 November 2026
On 13 November 2026, after the FAA ground stop, Southwest posted a waiver: Free rebooking or standby between the same cities within five days, with refunds for cancelled or significantly delayed flights.6 No US airline's page offered hotels or meals that day7.
Questions people ask
How do flight credits work in Southwest?
Cancel at least 10 minutes before departure and the fare becomes a credit for future Southwest flights, applied with the confirmation number at payment. Basic fares give a flight credit; Choice fares give a Transferable Flight Credit.
How long are Southwest flight credits good for?
Credits created on or before 27 May 2025 do not expire. Later ones: 6 months from booking on Basic fares and 12 months on Choice fares, or 5 years after a significant disruption.
Can I get a flight credit if I cancel my Southwest flight?
Yes, if you cancel at least 10 minutes before the scheduled departure.
Can I use Southwest flight credit after booking?
Credits are applied on the payment screen when you book. Each counts as one of up to three forms of payment per passenger.
How do I look up my Southwest flight credit?
Use Check Travel Funds on southwest.com with your first name, last name and confirmation number, or log in and choose Payment in My Account.
Can I transfer a Southwest flight credit?
A Transferable Flight Credit from a Choice fare can be transferred once to another Rapid Rewards member. Basic fare credits cannot.
More on refunds, credits and compensation
Sources
7 sources
Every figure links to its source. "Checked at source" means the airline's own page, the law or the regulator's page was read on 15 November 2026. Airline policies change; the date on each source is the date it was read.
- Southwest Airlines, Flight credits help article Checked at source
- Southwest Airlines, Expiration of flight credits Checked at source
- Southwest Airlines, Check Travel Funds page Checked at source
- Southwest Airlines, Transferable Flight Credit article Checked at source
- eCFR, 14 CFR Part 260 (Refunds), as at 12 November 2026 Checked at source
- Southwest travel advisory Checked at source · methodology ref 55
- American Airlines Newsroom Checked at source · methodology ref 348