Southwest Allowing Customers To Change 737 MAX8 Flights For Free (Including Cost Difference Between Flights)

737 MAX8 are now all grounded by the FAA, so no need to complete this change yourself.

Southwest normally allows customers to make changes or cancel flights without any fees. Due to the current issues surrounding the 737 MAX8 and Southwest’s decision to not ground these flights Southwest is allowing all customers to make changes to 737 MAX8 flights and nothing will be changed, even if the flight your changing to is more expensive (usually you pay this difference). Reservations can be changed through March 27th, 2019. I’m not an aviation safety expert, so I won’t make any comments on the safety of flying the 737 MAX8.

To find your aircraft type:

  • Click flight number
  • Scroll to the bottom, it’ll show aircraft type

Hat tip to Deals We Like

View Comments (50)

  • Thank you for pointing out that you're not an aviation safety expert and refusing to speculate on what you don't fully understand. The number of armchair experts in the blogs and reddit are unreal.

  • 737-700, 737-800, 738, 73G. Any of these designations are okay.

    737-MAX8 or 7M8 are the unsafe model.

  • I have a flight in July on on a 737 Max8. I'm not concerned with being on that flight, but I'm concerned with the possibility of it being canceled. I don't want to miss my vacation, so I'm debating on changing to a flight that would add 2.5 hours flight time just in case...

    In the system though, it won't let me make the change for free (at least not right now)...
    --Kyle

    • For July the best thing to do is nothing IMO. You have some time to see how it pans out then decide.

  • The real issue in aviation is that consumers are increasingly too heavy, and therefore it's no wonder that planes are falling out of the sky, for whatever other technical reasons that planes pitch up.

    Since air worthiness is all about weight, fares should always rely solely on total weight per pax. It's the most fair, and safest way to do it.

    While one may think that this would disproportionately affect overweight people... the skinniest little thing may have 400 lbs of luggage in tow. Either way, whether being overweight is a choice or not - does not prevent the plane from falling out of the sky, as a result.

      • The only people that want the fares to not be based on actual tonnage - are the ones taking the most advantage of everyone else... bringing their entire guest bedroom onto the plane, and trying to stuff a wild boar into the overhead bin.

        There are a lot of issues in aviation. Weight is the most safety reliant, since airplanes cannot fly if overweight. Therefore the costs should directly correlate to total weight per pax.

  • Have couple of trips coming soon and all planes are SWA 737-700 and 800, good to know.

  • Followed the steps and noticed my flight is on a Boing 737 Max 8; however it does not give me the option to change for free.

  • Your article says May 27th; hat tip says March 27th, and I'm inclined to agree with hat tip. I have a flight scheduled in early May on a Boeing 737 MAX, and do not have the option to change it free of charge.

      • Looks like it is 14 days of original departure date. I have a reservation on March 18. I am allowed to change till April 1.
        The free-change window looks to be for reservation with departure up to March 18.

        • This is correct. I reached out to SW on twitter (I had a departure of March 28) but told me you need a departure up to March 18