Airline Fills Fare Gap With New Category

Wanna Get Away Plus level is marketed toward business travelers
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 24, 2022 3:28 PM CDT
Updated Mar 24, 2022 3:55 PM CDT
Southwest to Add In-Between Fare Level
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 passenger plane takes off in April 2021 from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.   (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Southwest Airlines will add a fourth fare category as part of changes designed to attract more business travelers and boost revenue. The new fare level will be priced higher than Southwest's cheapest tickets but below the airline's top two fare categories. Southwest executives think this will fill the large price gap between the cheapest fares, called Wanna Get Away, and more expensive tickets, the AP reports. Consumers who buy the new fare level, called Wanna Get Away Plus, will get 33% more frequent-flyer points than they receive for the basic ticket, and they will be able to transfer the value of a ticket to another Southwest customer.

It's the first major change in Southwest's fare structure in 15 years. Airline officials said the changes announced Thursday will take effect in May or June. Airlines frequently tinker with fares and fees to squeeze more revenue from passengers. In recent years, Delta, American, and United have reacted to competition from discount airlines by rolling out new, bare-bones "basic economy" fares. The big-three airlines then nudge customers to pay more for regular economy seats that include the amenities they have come to expect. Southwest hinted at the changes in December without giving details.

Executives declined to say how much more Wanna Get Away Plus seats will cost than the cheaper seats, but it will vary by flight. Plus buyers will be allowed to fly standby at no extra cost, even if there is a higher fare for the new flight. Southwest will also add early-boarding privileges to the next priciest fare, called Anytime, to avoid cannibalizing sales of full-price tickets. Early boarding is a perk because Southwest does not assign seats, meaning that the last passengers to board a crowded flight wind up in middle seats. Andrew Watterson, the airline's chief commercial officer, said all the changes should be particularly appealing to business travelers. A majority of Southwest customers buy Wanna Get Away fares.

(More Southwest Airlines stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X