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Did you know you can get money back *after* you book your Southwest Airlines flight?
Southwest has long been one of the most generous airlines when it comes to changing or canceling a reservation that you’ve already booked.
But did you know that you can also get money back from Southwest if the price of your flight drops after you book your ticket?
Southwest will issue you a voucher for the difference between the price you originally paid for your flight and the new, lower, price.
But, you have to know about the new, lower price and request the voucher–before the price increases again.
FareDropped monitors the price of your exact flight for you and gets a voucher for you when the price drops
FareDropped actively monitors the price of the exact flight that you have already booked on Southwest.
When the price of your flight drops, FareDropped automatically swoops in and gets the better fare for you–before anyone else books it.
And Southwest Airlines issues a voucher directly to you for the difference.
You can try FareDropped for free!
Once you receive your first voucher and understand how FareDropped works, you’ll have the option to stick with a free plan or upgrade to a paid plan for even more savings.
But first things first: sign up and let us get you your first airline voucher completely free!
How Susan got $137 back after she booked her Southwest flight from Chicago to New York
In May, Susan booked a round-trip ticket on Southwest Airlines from Chicago to New York City for travel in July.
Susan paid $355 when she booked her flight in May.
A FareDropped member, Susan forwarded her reservation details to FareDropped and we began monitoring the price of her exact flights.
In June, FareDropped saw that Southwest had reduced the price of the same exact flights to $218.
FareDropped obtained the new lower fare for Susan and Southwest issued a travel voucher directly to Susan for the difference: $137!
And, just like that, Susan had $137 to use for future travel on Southwest Airlines.
It’s completely free to get your first airline voucher using FareDropped.
That’s because we want you to see how easy it is to save money on airfare by sitting back and letting FareDropped work for you.
Get money back AFTER you’ve booked your Southwest Airlines flight
Southwest Airlines has long been one of the most generous airlines when it comes to changing or canceling a reservation that you’ve already booked. There are no fees for changing or canceling a flight. Period.
But did you know that you can get money back if the price of your flight drops after you’ve booked it?
FareDropped tracks the price of the exact flights you’ve already booked and helps you get a voucher from Southwest Airlines for the difference in price if the price of your flight drops. (You can sign up for a totally free trial here.)
How to get money back after you’ve booked your flight
An added benefit of Southwest’s policy is that, if the price of your flight drops after you’ve booked your ticket, you are eligible to obtain a voucher for the difference in price.
The challenge is that airline fares can fluctuate very quickly–and you need to know about this new, lower fare before someone else books it.
That’s where FareDropped comes in.
How FareDropped Saves You Money
FareDropped actively monitors the price of the exact flight that you have already booked on Southwest.
When the the price of your exact flight drops to an amount lower than the price you paid, FareDropped automatically swoops in and gets the better price for you.
And Southwest delivers a voucher directly to you for the difference in price.
Here’s an example of how Susan saved $145 on her Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to New York simply by using FareDropped after she booked her ticket.
You can try FareDropped for free.
Once you get a voucher and understand how FareDropped works, you’ll have the option to stick with a free plan or upgrade to a paid plan for even more savings.
How to save money AFTER you’ve booked your flight on Southwest Airlines
Southwest has long been one of the most generous airlines when it comes to changing or canceling a reservation that you’ve already booked. There are no fees for changing or canceling a flight. Period.
As long as you change or cancel your reservation more than 10 minutes before departure, Southwest will issue a travel voucher good for one year from the date you made your initial reservation.
How To Save Money After You’ve Booked Your Flight
An added benefit of this policy is that, if the price of your flight drops after you’ve booked your ticket, you are eligible to obtain a voucher for the difference in price.
The challenge is that airline fares can fluctuate very quickly–and you need to know about this new, lower fare before someone else books it.
That’s where FareDropped comes in.
How FareDropped Saves You Money
FareDropped actively monitors the price of the exact flight that you have already booked on Southwest.
When the airline changes the price of your exact flight to an amount lower than the price you paid, FareDropped automatically swoops in and gets the better price for you.
And your airline delivers a voucher directly to you for the difference in price.
Here’s an example of how FareDropped saved Chad $150 on his flight–while he was sleeping.
You can try FareDropped for free.
Once you get a voucher and understand how FareDropped works, you’ll have the option to stick with a free plan or upgrade to a paid plan for even more savings.
How Kim Saved $145 *after* She Booked Her Flight on Delta Air Lines.
Earlier this year, Kim, a savvy traveler, planned ahead and bought a one-way ticket from Savannah to Boston in July — a return trip from a friend’s bachelorette party.
Summertime flights have been selling for record-high prices and, when she booked her flight, the one-way ticket cost $363.
Kim, a FareDropped member, forwarded her flight receipt to FareDropped and went about her life. FareDropped immediately began monitoring her exact flight for any changes in fare.
As it got closer to her July departure, the price of Kim’s exact same flight and class of service dropped to $283.
FareDropped swooped in and automatically got the new lower fare for Kim, who received an $80 voucher directly from Delta Air Lines.
Weeks later, the fare dropped again. FareDropped got Kim the last seat at the lower price, which this time was $218. Kim received another voucher from Delta; this time for $65.
Simply by being a FareDropped member, Kim saved 40% of the original cost of her flight and now has $145 in future travel credit with Delta Air Lines to use at her convenience.
Airfares can change by the minute. After we secured Kim’s voucher for her, the price of her flight increased to more than the original cost of the ticket.
That’s why it’s important to act fast when fares change. FareDropped jumps in on your behalf when fares drop to help save you money on airfare–before someone else does.
Join FareDropped for free today and see how easy it is to get money back when you fly.
Summer Travel: Prepare Ahead for Airport and Airline Meltdowns
In June of 2022, my mom and I returned home to the United States from a week-long trip to visit family and friends in the United Kingdom.
Our trip coincided with a major meltdown at several airlines and airports across the United Kingdom.
EasyJet canceled my flight from London to Edinburgh–along with eight other flights–at the very last minute at the gate, causing a logistical nightmare for the airline’s employees and its passengers, who spent several hours at baggage carousels trying to find their bags among, literally, thousands of suitcases.
that it was cancelling eight flights.
On our way home, we flew through Toronto. Again, due to airline operational reasons (in this case, a lack of crew to operate our flight to Newark), United Airlines canceled our flight.
It was the last flight of the night and we and our fellow passengers were forced to fend for ourselves to find a hotel, as United said that all of the hotels they normally contracted with fully booked for the evening.
In addition, because we were traveling from Canada to the United States, our flight was departing from an international pre-clearance terminal, where you clear U.S. Customs and Immigration before you take off.
This meant we had to spend another 90 minutes clearing Canadian immigration just to “re-enter” Canada. Even though our flight never actually left Canada.
Prepare for Travel Mayhem in the United States This Summer
Travel within and from the United States is on track to be one of the busiest years in terms of passenger volume and many airlines have still not increased their staffing levels, which were cut drastically during the height of the Covid pandemic.
Just last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called a meeting with the heads of all U.S.-based airlines to encourage them to take measures to make travel less painless for the traveling public.
Airlines are doing a very good job of charging higher fares this summer and seem to be making up for lost revenue during the height of Covid. So I’m not inclined to believe that their motivations are customer-focused at the moment.
Sadly, consumer protections in the United States lag well behind those in Europe and Canada.
Did you know that if your flight from or within Canada is delayed or canceled and you arrive at your destination more than 9 hours late, you are entitled to CAD$1,000 from your airline?
No such protection exists in the United States. In America, all your airline has to do is offer to get you to your destination at some point in time. Or offer you a refund.
So, in preparing for summer travel this year, it’s important to manage your own expectations and have some back-up plans whenever possible.
6 Tips to Make Summer Travel Less Stressful
- If at all possible, do not check a bag.
I repeat: Do not check a bag. Even if you have to pay extra for your flight in order to bring aboard a full-sized carry-on, do it. In London, I spent three hours waiting for my suitcase to be offloaded from my canceled flight. This was a rare occasion I checked a suitcase and I regretted it for every one of those 180 minutes.
- Eliminate connecting flights.
Even if it costs a bit more to fly nonstop instead of connecting through another city, consider how much easier it will be if things go wrong.
Sometimes, connections are inevitable. But, wherever possible, try to limit it to one connection. This is especially important if you are traveling internationally.
Having spent time in both the United Kingdom and Canada this summer, I can tell you that staff shortages extend to every facet of the travel experience–including baggage handling and even security and immigration.
Everything takes longer than it used to and you are more likely to miss a connection these days than prior to the Covid pandemic.
- Avoid “Basic Economy” fares
This is perhaps the easiest way to save yourself a lot of travel headaches this summer and beyond. Nowadays, most airlines allow you to change or cancel flights in exchange for a voucher for future travel. But these changes are generally not allowed on basic economy tickets. Having this type of flexibility gives you a lot more options when your travel plans start to go sideways.
- Know your rights to compensation from the airlines
In the United States, your rights are pretty limited when it comes to travel disruptions. That holds true even if your delay or cancellation is the fault of your airline (think: mechanical problem or crew-scheduling issue.)
However, if you are traveling to/from or even within another country, you may be entitled to much better consumer protection.
For example, if you are flying to/from or within Canada, if a major airline cancels your flight for an issue within their control, you are entitled to reimbursement for meals and hotel rooms (if an overnight stay is required) and up to CAD $1,000 for the inconvenience you were caused.
The European Union has similar types of consumer protections, as does the United Kingdom.
FareDropped automatically makes current information on these consumer protections available to its premium members whenever they have an upcoming itinerary to a country or region where such policies exist. Knowledge is power.
- Get familiar with your credit card’s “Trip Delay,” “Trip Cancellation” and “Reimbursement” policies
Many credit cards (usually those that carry some sort of annual fee) have built-in protections for significant travel delays and cancellations. Check your credit card’s benefits guide and look for a section called “Trip Delay Reimbursement,” or something similar.
In order to access these benefits–which often include reimbursement for a hotel if your flight is canceled and you require an overnight stay before reaching your destination–you’ll need to pay for your ticket using that particular card.
Get familiar with those benefits–you are already paying for them, so understand them so you can access them when needed. Some of these benefits even apply if your flight cancellation is weather related!
- Sign up for FareDropped and get money back on flights you’ve booked.
FareDropped membership comes with benefits designed to make your travel easier. Most importantly, after you’ve booked, we’ll track the price of your exact flights. If the airline reduces the price of your flight, FareDropped automatically gets you a voucher from your airline for the difference in fare. And most fares–except Basic Economy fares–are eligible for vouchers or e-credits.
Kaurie saved $221 on a flight she had already booked to San Francisco.
Kaurie is a small business owner who lives in Mobile, Alabama.
In October 2021, Kaurie booked a flight in January 2022 to visit her family in San Francisco.
She booked a round-trip standard economy—not a “basic economy”—ticket on United Airlines, with a connection in Houston.
Kaurie signed up for FareDropped in November and, the next month, while monitoring her exact flights, FareDropped found that the price of Kaurie’s flights had dropped by $221.00.
FareDropped alerted Kaurie to the price change and worked on her behalf to obtain a $221.00 credit from United Airlines for the difference between what she originally paid and the new, lower fare.
“It is crazy that fares can drop so much. I had no idea!” Kaurie told us.
This was the first time Kaurie had used FareDropped and it was part of her free trial.
Kaurie plans to use her United Airlines voucher to visit her family again this summer.
Want to sign up for your own free trial of FareDropped?
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How Chad saved $150 on his Delta Air Lines flight to Las Vegas. After he paid for it.
Chad was having trouble pulling the trigger booking his flight to Las Vegas.
Prices were fluctuating wildly—by hundreds of dollars in each direction—for the non-stop flights he was looking at. And the specific flight times were important to Chad.
He would be meeting up with friends in Vegas and wanted a morning departure from the east coast so he could arrive Las Vegas ready to hit the ground running.
And he wanted a return flight that left in the morning, but not too early, after a lively weekend in Vegas.
And, for Chad, the red eye was: Not. An. Option. (We don’t blame him.)
Then, Chad realized: Because he was a FareDropped member, he didn’t need to wait to book his flights. Or stress about the situation at all.
He could simply book his flight and, if the price fell, FareDropped would help him get a voucher from his airline for the difference.
I stopped watching flight prices, booked my ticket and got on with my life. If the price dropped later, I knew FareDropped would help me get my money back.
Chad, a FareDropped member since 2021.
So, Chad booked his flight.
Importantly, Chad booked a “main cabin” economy fare—not a “basic” economy—ticket.
On Delta Air Lines, Chad’s favorite airline, the slightly more expensive main cabin fare gave him both flexibility and added comfort.
He could cancel or reschedule his main cabin ticket (not so with basic economy) and he could select seats in advance, helping him to travel more comfortably on his cross-country flight.
Several weeks after he booked, Chad got an email from FareDropped. His fare had dropped by $80. On Chad’s request, we obtained a voucher for him.
A few days later, while Chad was sleeping, his fare dropped by another $70. FareDropped worked with Delta to increase his voucher—all while Chad was asleep.
When Chad woke up he found that his airline voucher had nearly doubled—to $150. Huzzah!
Ready to start saving on airfare in your sleep? Why wait—it’s free!
Update: Pat & Fran got two FareDrops—and saved $450 in total—on their flights to Guatemala!
You may remember FareDropped friends Patrick and Fran, who booked tickets in 2021 to visit family in Guatemala this month, February 2022.
Back in December, FareDropped helped Pat and Fran secure a $330 refund from their airline.
But, guess what? This month, very briefly, the price of their flights dropped again! This time by $60 per ticket, for another $120 in savings.
FareDropped worked quickly to help Pat and Fran get a second refund. Everything else—their flights, their seats—remained the same. The only thing that changed was the price.
Fran and Patrick ended up saving a combined $450 on their trip to Guatemala!
That’s the magic of FareDropped. We help save you money by working quickly to secure a refund or a voucher as soon as the price of your flight drops.
Depending on when you booked your flight, FareDropped can help you secure multiple vouchers on the same flight—just like we did for Pat and Fran.
And the best part? You barely have to lift a finger.
Are you ready to save money with FareDropped?
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Interested in Permaculture? Pat and Fran are visiting family who run Atitlan Organics, a productive Permaculture farm in the village of Tzununa, on the shore of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. They offer classes on site and online. Learn more here!