- Tommy Obenchain
- Posts
- Southwest Basic Fares
Southwest Basic Fares
A surprisingly good deal for A-List flyers?đđŒ

Friends,
Southwestâs new fare structure has caused a bit of confusionâfour fare types, changing names, and mixed reactions. But hereâs one clear takeaway Iâve found: if you hold A-List or A-List Preferred status, Basic is suddenly a very compelling option.
Letâs rewind. With the retirement of âWanna Get Awayâ fares and the introduction of Basic on May 28th, Southwest finally dipped a toe into the basic economy pool. For most travelers, this lowest-tier fare means no flight changes, no advance seat assignments, and boarding at the very back. But Southwestâs version is a touch less restrictiveâand Rapid Rewards tier members donât even play by those rules.
First and notably, thanks to elite benefits, even on basic fares A-List and A-List Preferred flyers still receive:
Priority check-in and boarding
Free checked luggage (one or two)
Free same-day standby
Bonus points (25% or 100%)
Up to eight companions on the same reservation get the same perks, too. So you maintain most benefits (to my understanding, free confirmed same-day flight changes are the main exception) while paying the lowest fareâwhich is, by all measures, a deal.
The points downside is literal: with Basic, youâre only earning two Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent, which was introduced with no warning a few months ago. But for many A-List travelers who already earn at a strong clip thanks to credit cards, etc. this is a minor tradeoff. Book the cheapest fare, keep your perks, and move on.
The other big restriction is that Basic flight credits are only valid for six months from the date of booking and are non-transferable. Thatâs a far cry from the former âWanna Get Awayâ flight credit productâbut still far more tenable than the no-refunds/changes/no-credit policies on Basic fares from other carriers.
Just to be clear: Basic fares do have restrictions. You wonât get a refund or transferable credit if you cancel, and you can't fly standby unless you're A-List or higher. Thatâs why Iâd suggest booking Basic fares as one-ways rather than round tripsâso youâre not stuck needing to change one leg but having to cancel both. They also make the most sense for closer-in bookings where, if something changes, youâre more likely to be able to use the credit within the six-month window.
And if you are worried about locking into a non-changeable fare, a good middle ground might be sticking with regular âWanna Get Away Plusâ for a bit of flexibilityâand still lower cost than Anytime or Business Select.
Southwest hasnât made Basic a good deal for everyone. But theyâve quietly made it a no-brainer for elites who know how to navigate the system.
Would I book a Basic fare on United, Delta, or even American? Almost never. Those feel semi-punishing: depending on the carrier, you get no advance seat selection, no carry-on, no flexibility, and limited elite perks (no lounge access on Delta, for example). But Southwestâs new-ish Basic fare is⊠different.
Different enough that Iâve already booked over ten of them for August.
Fly well.
NEWS
Great article on initial focus of Air India 171 crash investigation.
Official announcement from DHS: shoes can stay on at security.
SkyClub savagery and (separately) everyone was upgraded to first class.
Great pilots and a fun pic; sharing images like this is the good part of the internet.
Super interesting on Deltaâs part, if nothing else.
DEALS
JSX launches a remarkably unremarkable reward program, and totally misses the point of reward programs in the process (this will likely get podcast airtime).

Fly well.