Southwest Wanna Get Away+ in 2026: It Became 'Choice'

Wanna Get Away Plus (WGA+) was Southwest Airlines’ mid-tier fare class, introduced in 2022 to sit between the cheapest Wanna Get Away (WGA) and the most-flexible Anytime fare. As of January 27, 2026, you can no longer book a fare named Wanna Get Away Plus. In its January 27, 2026 fare overhaul, Southwest renamed all four bundles at once: Wanna Get Away became Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus became Choice, Anytime became Choice Preferred, and Business Select became Choice Extra. The same overhaul ended open seating in favor of assigned seating.

If you searched for “Wanna Get Away Plus,” the fare you want today is Choice. It occupies the same mid-tier slot WGA+ did. The headline Choice inclusions over Basic: same-day standby, same-day flight changes, a standard seat chosen at booking, and 6x Rapid Rewards earning per dollar (Basic earns 2x). Important correction to the old WGA+ pitch: Choice does not include a free checked bag. Standard bag fees apply ($45 first / $55 second for tickets booked on or after April 9, 2026), and only Choice Extra and A-List Preferred members get free bags.

For travelers who want a chosen seat at booking, value same-day standby, or fly Southwest regularly enough that 6x earning matters, the upgrade from Basic to Choice is worth it. A checked bag is no longer a reason to pick Choice over Basic, because neither fare includes one.

What’s included in Choice (formerly Wanna Get Away Plus)

The Choice fare includes:

• Same-day standby access: take an earlier same-day flight without a fare-difference payment (subject to seat availability)
• Same-day flight changes: switch to a different same-day Southwest flight; for other changes you pay any fare difference but no change fee
• Standard seat selection at booking: choose any available standard seat when you buy (Basic fares get a seat assigned at check-in)
• 6x Rapid Rewards earning per dollar spent on the fare (Basic earns 2x)
• Personal item and carry-on bag (free on all Southwest fares: carry-on up to 24 x 16 x 10 in / 61 x 41 x 25 cm)
• In-flight connectivity on equipped aircraft (free messaging via Southwest’s onboard service)
• Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks (standard Southwest service)

Choice does not include a free checked bag. The first checked bag is $45 and the second is $55 for tickets booked on or after April 9, 2026.

What’s NOT included (versus Basic, Choice Preferred, Choice Extra)

Choice is mid-tier, so some benefits are reserved for higher fare classes:

• Free checked bags: only Choice Extra includes 2 free bags; Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred all pay $45 first / $55 second (for tickets booked on or after April 9, 2026)
• Refundable fare: Choice is not refundable as cash; you get flight credit (valid 12 months) on cancellation. Choice Preferred and Choice Extra are refundable
• Premium boarding: Choice Extra boards first (Group 1); Choice boards in the general groups after A-List and Choice Preferred
• 10x or 14x Rapid Rewards: only Choice Preferred (10x) and Choice Extra (14x) earn at higher rates
• Preferred or extra-legroom seats at booking: Choice gets standard seats only; Choice Preferred adds preferred seats, Choice Extra adds extra-legroom seats
• Premium drink: included on Choice Extra only

How Choice compares across the 2026 fare lineup

The Southwest fare structure as of June 2026 (old names in parentheses):

Checked bag fees of $45 first / $55 second apply to tickets booked on or after April 9, 2026 on the three lower fares. For a typical domestic round-trip, Choice usually runs a modest premium over Basic, with Choice Preferred and Choice Extra stepping up from there. Exact prices vary by route and date; check the southwest.com booking engine for your itinerary.

The 2026 changes that reshaped the WGA+ fare

Three connected Southwest changes in 2026 are why “Wanna Get Away Plus” is no longer a fare you can book:

Fare rename effective January 27, 2026. Southwest replaced its decades-old fare names with Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra. Wanna Get Away Plus became Choice, keeping the same mid-tier position. This was mostly a rebrand of the bundle structure rather than a wholesale change of what each tier includes, except that the new Basic fare is more restrictive than the old Wanna Get Away and bag fees now apply more broadly.

Assigned seating effective January 27, 2026. Southwest transitioned from its open-seating model (line up by A-B-C position, first-come-first-served seat choice on board) to assigned seating at booking, matching American, Delta, United, and JetBlue. Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra let you pick a seat when you buy; Basic seats are assigned at check-in. Families with kids under 6 should book Choice or higher and select seats together at purchase, since the old “check in at 24 hours and sit together onboard” workaround no longer exists.

Bags Fly Free ended. For tickets booked on or after April 9, 2026, the first checked bag is $45 and the second is $55. These fees apply to Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred. Only Choice Extra (formerly Business Select) includes 2 free checked bags. Rapid Rewards A-List members get the first bag free; A-List Preferred get the first and second free; Rapid Rewards Plus, Premier, and Priority credit cardmembers get the first bag free for the cardmember and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation. This ended Southwest’s decades-long “Bags Fly Free” promotion that distinguished it from other US carriers.

The practical upshot: a checked bag used to be a top reason to upgrade from Wanna Get Away to Wanna Get Away Plus. That reason is gone. Choice no longer includes a free bag, so the case for Choice over Basic now rests on seat choice at booking, same-day standby, same-day changes, and faster Rapid Rewards earning. These changes followed Elliott Investment Management’s October 2024 board overhaul.

Rapid Rewards A-List and Companion Pass impact

The Choice earning rate (6x per dollar) accelerates progress toward Southwest’s elite status tiers compared with Basic at 2x:

A-List: requires 20 qualifying one-way flight segments OR 35,000 tier-qualifying points per calendar year. Benefits include 1 free checked bag (regardless of fare), priority boarding, same-day standby, and a 25% bonus on Rapid Rewards earning.

A-List Preferred: requires 40 qualifying one-way flight segments OR 70,000 tier-qualifying points per calendar year. Benefits include the first and second checked bags free, dedicated boarding before Group 1, a 100% earning bonus, same-day standby, and extra-legroom seat selection at booking.

Companion Pass: earned by 100 qualifying one-way segments OR 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. Allows naming a companion who travels for taxes and fees only on any Southwest flight (revenue or award) for the remainder of the earning year plus the entire following calendar year. The Companion Pass is widely regarded as the best status-earning benefit in US aviation.

For travelers actively working toward A-List, A-List Preferred, or Companion Pass status, Choice at 6x earning meaningfully outpaces Basic at 2x. Pair it with a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card to add everyday earning and, on most of the cards, a free first checked bag for the cardmember and companions on the same reservation.

When Choice (formerly WGA+) makes sense

Book Choice if:

• You want to pick a standard seat at booking rather than have one assigned at check-in
• You value same-day standby flexibility (tight connections, schedule changes)
• Your travel dates may shift (same-day changes are included; other changes pay only the fare difference)
• You are working toward A-List, A-List Preferred, or Companion Pass status (6x earning beats Basic’s 2x)
• You want flight credit valid 12 months if you cancel (Basic credit can expire in 6 months)

Stick with Basic if:

• Your dates are firm and you do not mind a seat assigned at check-in
• You are not building Rapid Rewards status
• You want the lowest possible fare and accept the restrictions (changes may not be allowed at all)
• Note: a checked bag is no longer a reason to pick Choice, since neither Basic nor Choice includes one

Upgrade to Choice Preferred or Choice Extra if:

• You need 2 free checked bags (Choice Extra only)
• You need a cash refund (Choice Preferred and Choice Extra are refundable; Choice gives flight credit only)
• You want a preferred seat (Choice Preferred) or extra-legroom seat and earliest boarding (Choice Extra)
• You want maximum Rapid Rewards earning (10x Choice Preferred, 14x Choice Extra)

The bottom line

Wanna Get Away Plus was Southwest’s mid-tier fare from 2022 until January 27, 2026, when Southwest renamed it Choice. If you searched for WGA+, Choice is the fare you want. Its key inclusions over Basic: same-day standby, same-day changes, a standard seat chosen at booking, and 6x Rapid Rewards earning (Basic earns 2x).

The biggest correction for anyone relying on the old WGA+ pitch: Choice does not include a free checked bag. For tickets booked on or after April 9, 2026, the first checked bag is $45 and the second is $55 on Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred. Only Choice Extra and A-List Preferred members get free bags. So a checked bag is no longer a reason to move up from Basic to Choice; the case now rests on seat choice, flexibility, and earning.

Southwest’s 2026 transition to assigned seating, new fare names, and the end of Bags Fly Free fundamentally changed the airline’s competitive positioning. The historical advantages (free bags and open seating) are gone; the new Southwest competes on fare bundles and Rapid Rewards loyalty rather than the operational distinctives that defined the brand for decades.

For broader Southwest guidance, see Southwest Airlines Financial State in 2026 which covers the operational changes and financial position. For airline-specific carry-on rules, see the Southwest carry-on guide. For comparison with other US carriers’ basic economy products, see American Basic Economy, Delta Basic Economy, and United Basic Economy.