Yes, you can adjust a Southwest reservation online or in the app, with no change fee—just any fare difference, as long as you act at least 10 minutes before takeoff.
Plans shift. Meetings slide. Kids get sick. A ride to the airport falls through. If you booked Southwest, you’ve got more wiggle room than most U.S. airlines, and you can usually fix a timing mistake in minutes.
This page explains what you can change, what it costs, and the small details that trip people up. You’ll get clear steps, a couple of money-saving moves, and a checklist you can run in under a minute.
What “Change” Means On Southwest
On Southwest, a change is a swap: you replace your original flight with a different one. You do it inside your reservation, and you finish with an updated itinerary you can view right away.
A change can be small, like moving from a 7 a.m. departure to 9 a.m. It can be bigger too: switching travel dates, switching to a different routing, or splitting one traveler off a group reservation so each person can fly at a different time.
Southwest generally doesn’t add a separate change fee. The cost comes from the fare difference between what you bought and what’s selling now.
Changes Versus Cancellations
A change keeps you traveling. A cancellation ends the booking and usually creates travel funds or a flight credit tied to that ticket. If you still plan to fly, a change is often simpler since your trip stays “alive” in one flow.
If the new flight costs less, Southwest typically keeps the leftover value for you as a credit type tied to the fare you purchased. The name and transfer rules can differ by fare, so it pays to know what you bought.
Can I Change A Southwest Flight? Options By Timing
Timing drives everything. Southwest runs on two hard clocks: the 24-hour window after purchase and the 10-minute cutoff before departure. Miss the cutoff and you can lose the value of the ticket.
Within 24 Hours Of Booking
If you booked the wrong date or grabbed the wrong airport, act fast. Inside the first 24 hours, you can often fix the booking with minimal friction. If you’d rather start over, you can cancel and rebook while you’re still inside that window.
More Than 10 Minutes Before Departure
This is the sweet spot. You can change the flight in your account on the website or app, and you’ll see the new price right away. If the new flight costs more, you pay the difference. If it costs less, you keep the leftover value as a credit.
Inside 10 Minutes Before Departure
Once you’re inside the last 10 minutes, the rules tighten. If you don’t change or cancel in time, the booking can be treated as a no-show and you may forfeit the funds. Build a habit: if plans are shaky, make a change early, then adjust again later if you need to.
How To Change Your Flight Step By Step
You can change a Southwest flight on your phone in a few taps. The desktop steps are close, just with bigger buttons.
Step 1: Pull Up The Trip
- Open the Southwest app, or use the website’s reservation tools.
- Enter your confirmation number plus the first and last name on the booking.
Step 2: Tap “Change” And Choose New Flights
You’ll see alternate flights for the same route. If you want a different day, use the date picker on the change screen. If you need a different routing, switch the flight options shown and review connections and layover times.
When you select a new flight, Southwest shows the fare difference for each traveler. Group trips can get tricky here: each passenger is priced based on what’s still for sale in that moment, and the total can change if you hesitate and fares move.
Step 3: Confirm Payment Or Credit Handling
If you owe money, you can pay by card, travel funds, or eligible credits. If you’re due value back, you’ll see how Southwest will store the leftover amount. Read that line carefully, since it tells you whether the value is tied to one traveler or can be used by someone else.
Step 4: Refresh Your Boarding Pass Plan
A changed flight can reset timing. Set a reminder for check-in based on the new departure time, then confirm the boarding pass updates correctly in the app once check-in opens.
What You’ll Pay When You Change A Southwest Flight
Southwest sells multiple fare types, and the change outcome depends on what you bought. Across most fare types, the airline skips a separate change fee and charges only the difference in fare, if any. Southwest’s own rules spell out what’s refundable and what becomes credit. Fare information and rules is the cleanest page to double-check what your ticket turns into after a change or cancellation.
Keep this mental model in your pocket:
- If the new flight costs more, you pay more.
- If the new flight costs less, you keep the leftover value as a credit type tied to your fare.
- If you swap to the same priced flight, you pay $0.
Where travelers get surprised is the “credit type” part. Some credits can be used by anyone, and some stay tied to the original passenger. That matters when you book for family members, coworkers, or a friend.
How Fare Differences Show Up On The Screen
On the change page, Southwest usually shows the original flight, the replacement flight, and the price difference. If you’re changing multiple passengers, review the per-person lines. One traveler can price differently than another if you split a booking or if a traveler has a different fare product attached.
If you’re paying with travel funds, confirm the funds apply to the correct passenger. A mismatch can cause checkout errors that waste time when you’re racing the 10-minute cutoff.
Same-Day Change And Same-Day Standby Rules
If your plans shift on travel day, Southwest has two tools that can rescue you: same-day confirmed change and same-day standby. Both require the same origin and destination airports, and you need to request the move at least 10 minutes before departure.
Same-day confirmed change is the cleaner option when there’s an open seat. You switch to an earlier or later flight and get a confirmed spot. Same-day standby is the backup: you join a list, then you move only if a seat opens up.
Southwest lays out steps and eligibility in one place: Same-day change & same-day standby.
What To Check Before You Try A Same-Day Move
- Airport pair: You must keep the same origin and destination airports.
- Seat availability: A confirmed change needs a seat for sale on the new flight.
- Time buffer: Don’t cut it close to the 10-minute rule. Airport lines and app logins can eat time.
- Bag timing: If you already checked a bag, an airport agent may need to help so the bag tracks to the new flight.
Same-Day Moves When You’re Traveling With Others
If two people want to move and two seats open, the app change is smooth. If only one seat opens, decide fast who takes it. If you wait, that seat can disappear, and you’ll be stuck refreshing the screen while the clock runs.
For families, the safest play is to keep the group together unless there’s a clear reason to split. Separate arrival times can mean separate ground transportation, separate hotel check-in, and a lot of extra texts at the curb.
Table: Common Change Situations And The Usual Outcome
| Situation | What You Pay Or Receive | Where To Do It |
|---|---|---|
| Move to a later flight on the same day (not same-day program) | Fare difference, if any | App or website change flow |
| Swap travel dates by a week | Fare difference, if any; leftover value becomes a credit if cheaper | App or website change flow |
| Switch to an earlier flight on travel day with seats open | Airline charge often $0; fare rules may apply | Same-day change tool in app |
| Join a list for an earlier flight on travel day | $0 to join standby list; seat not guaranteed | Same-day standby list in app |
| Split one passenger off a group booking to change just one person | Prices each traveler at current fares | Change flow; new confirmation for split traveler |
| Change a return flight while keeping the outbound | Fare difference for the changed segment | Change flow, pick one segment |
| Change after check-in | Allowed before the 10-minute cutoff; boarding pass refresh needed | App, then refresh boarding pass |
| Miss the 10-minute cutoff and don’t fly | Risk of losing the ticket value | Call, then ask what can be recovered |
Points Bookings, Companion Pass, And Add-Ons
If you booked with Rapid Rewards points, the mechanics are similar: you change the flight, then the points cost shifts to match the new flight. If the new flight costs more points, you pay more points. If it costs fewer, the difference returns to your points balance after the change processes.
If you used a Companion Pass, treat the companion seat like its own piece. After changing your primary ticket, double-check the companion reservation still matches the same flights. If it doesn’t, remove and re-add the companion to the updated itinerary while seats are still open.
Add-ons like EarlyBird Check-In can be tied to a specific segment. After you change, recheck your receipt lines and your boarding position plan so you know what carried over.
Credits, Travel Funds, And Expiration Traps
When your change produces leftover value, Southwest stores it as a credit type. The naming and transfer rules can vary by fare product, and Southwest has adjusted credit policies over time, so confirm what your account shows right after you complete the change.
Two habits keep you out of trouble:
- Match the passenger name: If the credit is nontransferable, it must be used for the same traveler listed on the original ticket.
- Check the expiration field: Some credits display an expiration date. Older credits can behave differently than newer ones.
If your replacement trip is months away, set a reminder to log in and review your stored credits once a month. That way you spot any deadline early enough to act.
Travel Funds Versus Flight Credits
Southwest may label stored value as “travel funds,” “flight credit,” or similar terms depending on how you paid and what fare you purchased. The practical use is the same: sign in, check balances, then apply them at checkout when you book the replacement flight.
If you’re juggling multiple credits, write down which traveler each one is tied to. A simple note in your phone prevents checkout headaches when you’re booking multiple people.
When Southwest Changes Your Schedule
Sometimes the airline shifts flight times or swaps aircraft. When that happens, you may get extra flexibility to move to a different flight that fits your day better. Start by reviewing the updated itinerary and scanning the alternate options in the change tool.
If the website won’t show a workable alternate, call and explain the timing issue in one sentence. Then list two or three flight options that fit and ask to be moved to one of them.
Table: Fare Types And What Happens When You Change
| Fare Type | Changing To A Pricier Flight | If The New Flight Costs Less |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Fare | May require a fare upgrade; pay the difference | May issue a credit if eligible and changed in time |
| Wanna Get Away | Pay the fare difference | Leftover value becomes credit tied to the traveler |
| Wanna Get Away Plus | Pay the fare difference | Leftover value may become a transferable credit, based on fare rules |
| Anytime | Pay the fare difference | Refundable value can return to the original payment method in many cases |
| Business Select | Pay the fare difference | Refundable value can return to the original payment method in many cases |
Money-Saving Moves Travelers Miss
Southwest fares can swing. If you see your exact flight selling for less after you book, you can often change to the same flight again and keep the difference as credit. It sounds silly, yet it works when the fare drops and your fare type allows it.
Try these habits:
- Price first, then change: Search the new flights, then switch back to the reservation screen to run the change.
- Change one segment at a time: If you’re unsure, change the outbound first, then handle the return.
- Save a screen shot: Grab the fare difference screen right before you confirm so you’ve got a record if anything glitches.
- Watch airport codes: Same city names can hide different airports, and same-day tools need the exact pair to match.
A Fast Checklist Before You Tap “Confirm”
Run through this list once. It keeps you from burning value or locking in the wrong day.
- Confirm the correct traveler names are attached to the flights you’re changing.
- Confirm the date and local departure time for each segment.
- Check the fare difference for each traveler, not just the total.
- Check what the leftover value becomes if the new flight is cheaper.
- Save the confirmation email and refresh the trip in the app.
- Reset your check-in reminder for the new flight.
When A Phone Call Beats The App
The app handles most changes, yet a call can be faster in a few cases:
- Your reservation includes a lap infant or special service requests.
- You’re splitting passengers across multiple flights and the app keeps erroring.
- You’re close to departure and need an agent to see options you can’t access.
If you call, have your confirmation number, traveler names, and two backup flight options ready. You’ll finish faster and avoid last-second scrambling.
Southwest changes are straightforward once you know the two clocks and how fare differences work. Act before the 10-minute cutoff, read the credit outcome line before you confirm, and you can reshuffle most trips with minimal friction.
References & Sources
- Southwest Airlines.“Fare Information and Rules.”Explains fare types, refundability, and how changes and cancellations are handled.
- Southwest Airlines.“Same-Day Change & Same-Day Standby.”Lists eligibility and steps for switching flights on the day of travel.