Southwest Airlines Modifies Another Customer Policy

Last month, Southwest Airlines sparked outrage among its customers when the airline announced that it was ending its longstanding policy of allowing two free checked bags per customer. Now, the airline is making yet another unpopular change that will adversely affect customers.

In addition to its iconic free bag policy, Southwest Airlines also had another extremely customer-friendly policy as the airline’s travel credits never expired. If someone had to cancel a flight, they could simply use the credits on another Southwest flight at any point in the future with no limitationsHowever, that will no longer be the case.

As View From The Wing reported over the weekend, Southwest Airlines is ending its policy that allows travel credits to expire. Effective May 28, travel credits will expire 12 months from the date of original ticket purchase for most tickets. However, for basic economy fares, the travel credits will expire 6 months from the date of original ticket purchase.

As Gary Leff of View From the Wing points out, this could create a major problem for basic economy customers, who typically purchase tickets well in advance of their flight.”Someone buying a basic economy ticket far in advance, and cancelling travel six months later, will literally receive no credit at all. The validity of the credit is based on when you buy the ticket, not when you cancel travel and get a credit,” Leff wrote this week.

“They went from credits never expire, to some customers are simply out of luck and get nothing. Because Southwest Airlines stopped caring – not just stopped caring about their customers, but stopped caring about differentiating themselves, offering a unique value proposition, in order to earn a product.”Between this, the companys decision to end free checked baggage and the end of the company’s also-iconic open seating policy, it’s safe to say this has not been a great few weeks for Southwest Customers.