Southwest Airlines doesn’t charge customers to change their flight plans after buying a ticket. But soon they’ll pay a fee for not canceling a ticket before the flight.
The airline outlined the new policy Friday at an investors’ conference in New York. Right now, Southwest lets passengers who don’t use their ticket apply the price toward a new ticket. Southwest says it can reduce no-shows and generate more revenue by adding the cancellation fee on restricted tickets. Officials said the new fee will start next year, but they didn’t give an exact date or say how much the fee will be. Southwest also plans to increase fees it already charges, such as for early check-in and overweight bags. Its AirTran Airways subsidiary will raise bag fees in February.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.