Southwest Airlines announced new changes. Don't worry. Sky Key has already updated our system. Read this blog post for more details.

    ← Back to Blog Posts

    June 5, 2025

    Southwest Seats: Basic or Wanna Get Away Plus?

    Southwest announced major changes on May 28, 2025 that may affect how you book your flights going forward. These new policies are complex, so we wanted to write a guide on how to best approach choosing between Basic and Wanna Get Away Plus.

    Wanna Get Away No More. Hello Basic.

    If you were looking to book the cheapest ticket on the plane, Wanna Get Away used to be the best option. Not only did you get a cheap ticket, but you also:

    • Received free checked bags
    • Got a flight credit that didn’t expire (that you could use on a future flight) if you had to cancel your flight
    • Could easily change your ticket
    • Received a travel credit that never expired if your ticket price dropped after booking

    Wanna Get Away is now replaced by Basic. However, Basic DOES NOT offer the same benefits that Wanna Get Away did. In other words, this is not a fair trade.

    When you book a Basic ticket, you:

    • Pay bag fees. $35 for your first checked bag / $45 for your second checked bag
    • Receive a flight credit that expires in 6 months
      • If you booked the ticket on 6/1, it will expire on 12/1 (you have to fly before this date. You can’t for example use credit on a flight that takes off on 12/2).
    • Can’t change your ticket
    • Receive a flight credit that expires in 6 months if your ticket price drops after booking

    Should I Book Basic or Wanna Get Away Plus?

    At Sky Key, we recommend treating Southwest Basic like any other airline’s basic economy offering. If you normally avoid booking basic economy on other airlines, Sky Key recommends avoiding booking Basic on Southwest.

    If you are used to the comforts of Wanna Get Away, Sky Key recommends booking Wanna Get Away Plus on your next flight. While Wanna Get Away Plus still has checked bag fees and flight credits that expire in 12 months, you can can easily make changes and benefit if your ticket price drops after booking (powered by Sky Key).

    Get Started With Sky Key In 2 Minutes 

    Stop leaving money on the table. Book your flight, put it on Sky Key, and get money back when your ticket price drops.

    – Billy Bund. Co-Founder @ Sky Key

    Thanks so much for reading, and we hope you'll try us out on your next flight by visiting: www.theskykey.com. If you have any questions, reach out to us at support@theskykey.com.

    Try Sky Key for free