Major U.S carrier Southwest Airlines will introduce a fourth category fare in an attempt to attract those travelling for business and revenue this year. The new fare will also come with additional benefits for travellers.
An attempt to attract mid-range customers
Following recent rumours, the world’s largest low-cost airline is introducing a new fare that will actually cost slightly more than its current cheapest tickets, but it will cost below the two most expensive fare categories offered by the airline.
It will be Southwest Airlines’ first major fare change in the last 15 years.
The new fare category, entitled “Wanna Get Away Plus”, will sit above the “Wanna Get Away” fares.
The new fare will arguably bridge the financial gap between customers by offering a ‘middle-of-the-range’ alternative, and the airline hopes that it will offer greater flexibility to travellers.
The new fare class is also an effort from the American airline to boost profits and accelerate their post-COVID recovery. Southwest Airlines believes that the introduction of the new fare class will help restore pre-pandemic passenger numbers.
Details behind the new fare class
The “Wanna Get Away Plus” fares will reportedly allow customers to make same-day changes to their tickets without paying the difference in fares that the lowest tier requires.
Passengers booking a “Wanna Get Away Plus” ticket and those fares above will also earn a reward in the form of a 33% increase in frequent flyer miles in comparison to the lower tier.
Passengers can transfer flight credits to another RapidRewards (Southwest Airlines’ reward scheme) member; they can also check two bags for free.
What do you think of Southwest’s new fare? Do you think it’s a good way to boost customer numbers?
