Update: DEAD! Don’t miss it if this becomes alive again. Sign up for deal notification alerts here!
Update: Alive again!
Update: DEAD!
Related post: [Ends 2/8!] Earn 80K-100K Bonus Points On Southwest Cards, Now Is The Perfect Time To Apply And Earn A Companion Pass!
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As I originally wrote about back in 2019, about once a month Southwest offers free changes with no difference in fare.
The offer usually sticks around for a few days and there are limited windows for the free changes. It works for both paid tickets and tickets booked with Southwest points. You can transfer Chase points to Southwest instantly at a 1:1 ratio. You can read more about the offer here.
As I wrote last night, the free change offer is now live for trips booked from 3/11/21-4/11/21. You can change your travel dates and nearby airports for free within 30 days in either direction of your flight, so you can potentially change from flights booked from 3/11/21-4/11/21 to flights between 2/9/21-5/11/21 without paying any difference in fare!
Travel around Pesach is also pricier, so you can use this offer to save a bundle on flights.
You can use the Southwest low fare calendar and the Southwest route list to help find cheap flights and destinations.
The offer allows you to even switch to a nearby airport. For example flights to/from LaGuardia and Islip can be changed for free. Same goes for Cleveland and Cincinnati and many others.
For example if you want a $367 flight on 3/25 from LaGuardia to Orlando:
Or a $320 flight from Islip to Orlando:
You can just book an $48 flight from LaGuardia to Orlando on 3/22:
And then you’ll be able to fly from Islip or LaGuardia to Orlando on any dates from 2/20-4/22 without paying any difference in fare!
Free change:
Free change:
Free change:
Knock down Islip to West Palm Beach from $432 to $88 by booking LaGuardia to West Palm Beach:
Knock down Islip to Fort Lauderdale from $245 to $54 by booking LaGuardia to Fort Lauderdale:
Knock down LaGuardia to Tampa from $124 to $49:
Knock down Philadelphia to Orlando from $148 to $49:
Have you taken advantage of Southwest’s free change policy?
Dan, is there a master list somewhere of “nearby cities” for Southwest free changes? I find it odd that Cincy is on there for Cleveland, but not the much closer PIT!
Not that I’m aware of, but post a comment if you buy a Southwest ticket and maybe we’ll get together a roundup of them. When you make a free change it will list the alternate airports.
I’m trying to go R/T from STL to FLL.
The site says that PBI and FLL are interchangeable, but when I try, it gives me an increased fare.
no nonstop options from nyc/phil to south Florida?
There is from ISP
oy too far from lakewood
I just tried to do this and I think it’s that it’s not working it’s charging me more to change the flight. Can you please confirm if this is still working?
Works fine. What dates are you booked and trying to change to?
04/12 want to change to 04/8 PHL to CVG
“now live for trips booked from 3/11/21-4/11/21”
cancel and rebook to an earlier date and then change it.
Thank you very much for clarifying
@DAN- can you change more than once?
If I book on points- is my understanding correct that if I cancel after 24 hours I will be refunded my points in full and issued a travel credit for the $5.60 each way?
In my experience, you would get the $5.60 refunded back to your card.
Thanks dan….going down to Orlando for pesach ….my 4 tickets round trip on all other airlines was 1500…..now through farnegling I paid 400..and luggage charge..who hooo
Anyone else getting an error when trying to change the flight?
dead!
What dates are you booked and trying to change to?
Definitely not dead
At what point in the booking process should I expect to see the notice about no change fee? Before or after paying for the flight?
can you transfer from a stopover to a non stopover?
Yes
I was just able to change a flight booked last week for travel in march to another flight.
There was a notice when i clicked ‘change flight’ that due to bad weather I can change at no charge. Not sure what bad weather now has to do with next month but not complaining.
just locked in crazy airfare to Orlando $97 RT direct with this loop hole. got a $900 ticket for $97
Wow!
When does the option to change show up? Not seeing it when I try to book
After you book you have the option to change or cancel.
In order to get the free change do I have to switch th flight that I book right away or can I do that like next week?
Unlikely to still be offered next week, but no way to know.
Any idea why Southwest does this? From a business standpoint, it seems idiotic. I guess they figure there aren’t that many people who know how to game it? From a consumer standpoint, it is terrific.
Your guess is as good as mine, but it keeps coming and going for years.
Is PHL interchangeable with LGA?
No, LGA is with ISP.
It’s not interchangeable but I changed my ticket from LaGuardia to philly I found a date in philly that was cheap. Then I switched my ticket a second time to the date I really wanted and it worked perfectly. Just have to play with the system.
Will this work if the wanna get away fare is not available for the flight you are changing to?
Is there any good deal on LGA to LAX?
hi, is this still alive?
Yes it’s still alive I’ve been playing with it all night.
This is from a NEW flight that you booked on feb 6 or feb 7?
I changed my flight several times, basically I switched it to a later date at a different airport and then I moved it to the date I wanted at that airport.
So I’m flying philly to Orlando on March 30th for chol Hamoed to Orlando. And heading home April 5th 8 pm flight.
Great deal for family of 5 5X49 each way. 500 dollars round trip includes 2 suit cases per person and a carry on and a personal item. No hidden fees.
Sorry, we found some errors…
We are unable to price the flight you selected. Please select a different flight or contact a Southwest Representative at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792) for assistance.
Took a phone call to customer service and they made the change (Sunday).
FYI: Fort Lauderdale is NOT swappable with Miami.
I tried to book reservations for Miami to Denver in middle of March returning middle of March and then try to change it for a later date and it was showing me that it would cost a lot of additional points to do so. I tried the same thing with fort Lauderdale to Denver and got the same results am I missing something? Why is it not working and why are they asking for additional points? Thanks
I booked a $200 flight today for later this montg before remembering about this post. When I reminded myself about it, the fare had also dropped to $169 but ultimately I paid just $49 because of this post! Booked for $49 on 3/12 and was immediately able to change to the $169 (previously $200) flight. Wow! Thanks!
what is Southwest’s cancellation policy?
Trying to change flight now and it is showing that I need to use more points. I think the free change is over for now.
Does this still work?
no
Any pattern as to exactly when this comes out? Looking to book Shavuos but it’s $350 right now. Would love to get $100 round trip.