Southwest Airlines Will Enforce Its New Flight Credit Expiration Policy This Spring

Southwest Airlines is continuing to roll back some of its customer-friendly policies.

After dropping its “Bags Fly Free” policy earlier this year and announcing plans to end open seating last year, the airline on Monday unveiled that future flight credits will now expire one year from the date of a canceled flight, starting May 28.

Southwest had hinted at the change amid a slew of other updates earlier this year but confirmed the implementation date this week. Flight credits issued prior to May 28 will remain expiration-free.

Passengers who transfer flight credits or use one to book a flight and then cancel will also have the new one-year expiration policy applied to their credit.

It’s been a period of rapid change for Southwest, which says it is aiming to become a more profitable airline and a “more agile organization.”

The biggest shift—the end of open seating—is set to begin in early 2026. Tickets with seat assignments for those dates are expected to go on sale in the second half of this year, with premium seating options available.