I try never, ever to fly any airline but Southwest. That’s a pretty strong statement from a “buy whatever brand is on sale” shopper like me! So what makes Southwest so special?  They don’t always have the best price (though often they do), their frequent flyer program is good–but not good enough to keep my business. The free bag policy, well, that’s nice but more “icing on the cake” than the real deal maker. So what is it they have that no one else has?

Flexibility in the Skies

Simple.  I can change things with no penalty! My life is unpredictable. Things change, kids get sick, work schedules change suddenly, life happens. It’s a fairly safe “rule of thumb” that to get the best deal on an airline ticket, purchase early. However, sometimes the airline will announce the “sale of century” oh, a week after you lock in your ticket, or everything changes, and the dates no longer work. Been there, done that. Southwest offers two things which no other airline offers.

Getting the best price possible

First, if I purchase a non-refundable ticket, and I see that the price goes down, I can re-book that ticket at the lower price for no extra cost. On a family trip to California last Christmas, I actually saved enough for a free trip to Florida in January (to recover from the California trip!). Even if the price on my itinerary doesn’t change, but a similar itinerary drops, I can rebook at the lower fare. And I can do this as many times as I want (4 is my personal best).

The fees are next to none

Even better than being able to re-book for free, is being able to cancel or postpone my trip for free. When “life happens” and plans change, simply cancel the trip for a full credit. Southwest charges no re-booking fee, unlike other airlines which charge $50 – $100 per ticket. Sometimes it can cost more to rebook than the original ticket cost!

So, next time you plan on flying, check out my friends at Southwest. They apparently understand that life changes, and I wish every airline did!