Last week, Southwest Airlines announced that same-day standby will be free to any Southwest customer beginning at the end of August.
Previously, the benefit was only available to A-list Rapid Rewards tier members and individuals traveling on Business Select, Anytime, and Wanna Get Away Plus bookings. Same-day standby allows travelers to change their departure time until the last minute, meaning they can swap their seats on their original booking for a spot on a different flight.
Anyone flying Southwest – even at its lowest-priced fares – can now list for standby at southwest.com or on the Southwest app for free.
The airline’s A-List Preferred and A-list Rapid Rewards Members will still be prioritized for standby slots based on the fare they paid. All other customers will be second in line and prioritized based on the fare.
This standby announcement follows other recent changes from the airline to offer additional fare flexibility. Southwest added Wanna Get Away Plus as a new fare tier last year, along with transferable flight credit.
According to Houston news outlet Chron, customers were polled online and chose the expanded standby offering as a reward they wanted exclusively reserved for A-listers. However, Southwest is still offering some consolation perks to these individuals.
A-list members purchasing Business Select fares will soon receive free in-flight Wi-Fi, allowing them to connect up to three devices per flight leg. In a statement shared by Chron, Southwest said:
“We are continuing to enhance our self-service offerings with these changes to create more space for Southwest’s Legendary Hospitality. This aligns with and adds to our signature, flexible, and transparent approach to travel, which includes two free checked bags, no change fees, and flight credits that don’t expire.”
For more information on Southwest’s updated standby policies, click here.
Featured image from Pexels.com.
