Hey there! I totally get why you’d want to understand Southwest’s fare classes — it can be a bit confusing at first. I learned about them the hard way a couple of years ago when I booked a quick trip from Denver to Las Vegas. I saw a super cheap fare pop up on their website and jumped on it without really paying attention to what type of ticket it was. Later, when I tried to make a small change to my flight time, I found out that not all fares offer the same flexibility.
That’s when I discovered the differences between Southwest’s three main fare classes: Wanna Get Away, Anytime, and Business Select. My original ticket was a Wanna Get Away fare, which is usually the lowest price but comes with more restrictions — like limited refunds and fewer Rapid Rewards points. The good thing, though, is that Southwest doesn’t charge change fees, so I was able to switch flights by just paying the fare difference.
Since then, I’ve actually booked an Anytime fare when I know my schedule might change. Once, I even tried Business Select for a work trip, and it was pretty nice having priority boarding and extra points. What I love most about Southwest is that even with different fare types, they’re super transparent about what you’re getting.
Now, before booking, I always double-check the fare class codes and compare the perks. It’s made my travel planning a lot smoother — and I’ve never been caught off guard by fare rules again!
