Southwest Airlines Introduces New Fare Class

In what had been a long-rumored, long-anticipated introduction, Southwest Airlines on Thursday formally announced its newest class of airfare, the second cheapest of the Dallas-based carrier’s offerings.

The new ‘Wanna Get Away Plus’ fare is slotted just ahead of Southwest’s least expensive ticket, the ‘Wanna Get Away’ fare, and just behind the ‘Anytime’ fare on its pricing structure.

The new fare will be rolled out sometime later this spring.

According to CNBC, the new fare is designed for travelers who are comfortable paying a little more for a ticket to have extra flexibility, such as making ticket changes without having to pay the difference in price that ticketholders with the ‘Wanna Get Away’, or lowest fare, must incur.

Southwest officials had said last year they were planning the introduction of a new tier of fare but did not elaborate on the details. The rollout will be one of the first big moves for new CEO Robert Jordan, who took over last month for longtime Southwest chief Gary Kelly.

Another perk of the ‘Wanna Get Away Plus’ fare is the ability to earn more frequent flyer miles than the ‘Wanna Get Away’ fare, as well as the added benefit of sharing their RapidRewards member points with other members.

One thing that won’t change? All Southwest passengers, no matter level of ticket they purchase, will still be able to check two pieces of luggage for free, the only domestic airline in the country with such a perk.