SW Basic Fare
 

as per email Wana Getaway fares are now called basic NO CHANGES
NO REFUNDS
NO CREDITS
Assumed no fare adjustments

If it's $29 or $39 intra-California, it might work. Otherwise, we need some competition in the nonstop CA market.

I think you can still get a flight credit (that expires in 6 months).

"1Basic Fare
Basic fares are nonrefundable and non-changeable except as allowed by our 24-hour cancellation policy. Customers may be eligible for a flight credit if canceled at least 10 minutes prior to the flight's original departure time."

I missed the footnote.

BASIC replaces WGA

Here's the official Help Center article on the changes: https://support.southwest.com/helpce...policy-changes

I guess I'll personally be OK since I have their credit card, rarely check two bags, and expect to hit A-List before my promotional status expires in a few months.

If that wasn't the case, I would seriously consider other carriers since they often have better schedules and similar prices before the checked bag fee.

But if you can cancel for a flight credit, for all practical purposes they would still appear to be changeable with a fare difference. Assuming there are no fees involved with attempting to use flight credit. DL has similar weirdo language for their BE fares. They say they are "non-changeable", but you cancel for e-Credit minus $99 fee ($199 international). So they would actually technically still be changeable, but with a fee applied to change.

Wow, no changes even for AL and AL+

See my post above. The "no changes" statement is actually a bit of a fib meant as further discouragement from buying these. Since you can cancel for full ecredit apparently, you can still effectively make changes to a Basic fare for the fare difference. DL makes same fib in their BE marketing, but has a $99 fee. The DL BE fare rules actually directly contradicts their marketing language of BE fares being "non-changeable".

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...56d4bc86ab.png

I meant SDC.

Why wouldn’t you be able to use SDC on a Basic fare with A-List? It was previously announced as still being a benefit after assigned seating so I don’t think today’s announcement changes that assumption.

That matches UA. On UA a Basic can be changed with a $50 conversion to regular economy ticket. Even for status holding customers.

Nothing WN is doing is innovative. They are just sampling from the various other airlines.

Because there are no exceptions listed for A-List members for No SDC rule on Basic fares. There is for Priority and Express Lanes, but not for SDC. Yes, they can currently do it on WGA fares, but Basic fares are not WGA fares.

You lose something like EBCI and (probably) seat assignment fee with a cancellation that you wouldn't with a change though.

Ah, and this was probably a driver to come up with a new name, instead of just downgrading WGA to what is now called BASIC. Gives them a chance to downgrade AL/P benefits as well, without having to re-script WGA language.