Southwest schedule extended: Book now to save on flights through June 3, 2024

14.09.2023 - 21:37 / thepointsguy.com

If you have not booked flights for the upcoming months, now is an excellent time to snag Southwest Airlines flights.

Although some carriers allow you to book flights about 11 months in advance, Southwest extends its booking window in batches of only a few months at a time.

Previously, you could only book Southwest flights through early April. But as of Thursday, Southwest has extended its schedule through June 3, 2024. This is an excellent time to snag a good deal on Southwest flights next spring and summer, including during the popular spring break period.

Here's what you need to know about maximizing Southwest's most recent schedule extension.

Booking flights quickly when Southwest extends its schedule can save you serious money. Although availability will probably still be around for a while, you likely won't find lower prices than are available now for peak travel dates.

Southwest's change and cancellation policy also makes it easy to book now, even if you aren't sure you'll take the trip. Here are Southwest's cancellation rules if you cancel at least 10 minutes before a flight's scheduled departure:

So, you can cancel your flight for free if your family's travel plans change. Plus, if the price decreases after booking, you can rebook and receive the difference as Travel Funds or points. In this sense, booking Southwest flights for trips you hope to take is a very low risk.

Related: How to get seats together as a family on Southwest Airlines

Here are five tips for getting the best deal on Southwest flights.

We recommend booking Southwest flights immediately when the booking window opens, especially if you want to fly during peak times. Although flights have already opened up, you may still be able to snag some good deals.

As mentioned above, there is minimal risk with booking Southwest flights due to the airline's flexible policies. So, you may want to book now even if you are not 100% certain of your plans. If you want a full refund to your original payment method, redeem Southwest points for your flights or book more expensive Anytime or Business Select fares.

Related: Is Southwest EarlyBird Check-In worth it?

With the airline's flexible award policies, redeeming Southwest points is typically the preferred method for booking a Southwest flight. If you need to cancel a flight booked with points, your points go straight into your Rapid Rewards account, and you can get the taxes and fees you paid returned to your card.

Earning a sign-up bonus on a new Southwest credit card is an excellent way to boost your account balance, but that will take some time. You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio if you have an Ultimate Rewards-earning card such as the Chase