Everything You Should Know About Southwest Airlines Change, Cancellation, and Refund Policy

Southwest Airlines is one of the supreme and major American based airlines which is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It is considered the world’s largest low-cost airlines that proffer its flight services to more than 103+ destinations to both domestic and international routes. Southwest Airlines is mostly known for its high-end and affordable traveling comforts that make it a suitable choice for traveling among the passengers. One can fly to plenty of routes after making reservations on Southwest Airlines in a very simple manner. Along with the reservations, Southwest Airlines also provide the change and cancellation option that passengers can use to cancel or change their flight as per their prescribed policies.

What is Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy?

Canceling a flight that you have recently or previously booked on Southwest Airlines to your preferred destination? If yes, then you can smoothly make a flight cancellation request as Southwest Airlines allows the passengers to cancel their flight that subjected to the cancellation policy. Before you make a flight cancellation request, you should know the Southwest Airlines cancellation policy that can help you to understand the proper rules of cancellation.

Southwest Cancellation Policy 24 Hours:

You are allowed to cancel your Southwest Airlines flight up to 24 hours from the scheduled departure for a flight booked within 7 days.
If the flight cancellation is made within 24 hours of booking, then you don’t require to pay any kind of cancellation fee.
If a flight on Southwest Airlines is canceled after 24 hours of booking, then it will be subjected to the cancellation fee that depends on your ticket type.

What is Southwest Airlines Change Policy?

Has your travel plan changed suddenly? Then you can change your flight ticket very easily if you have booked it on Southwest Airlines that allow its passengers to change their flight ticket. With the help of Southwest Airlines change policy, you can make requests for flight change and if you don’t have any knowledge about the flight change policy, then you can follow the mentioned instructions for that.

Southwest Change Flight Policy:

You are allowed to change your flight within 24 hours of booking without any flight change fee.
You can also change a flight up to 24 hours of booking that depend on the type of your ticket and you will be required to pay the flight change fee.
If a flight is delayed for more than 3 hours, then you can also make a flight change request without any change fee.

What is Southwest Airlines Refund Policy?

Have you canceled your flight or your flight rescheduled due to any specific reason? Then Southwest Airlines provide a refund on that flight and you can simply request a refund. But before that, you should know about Southwest Airlines refund policy which is must require to know before making a refund request.

Southwest Airlines Refund Policy:

Southwest Airlines provide you a full refund on a flight that you cancel within 24 hours of booking.
If you cancel your flight after 24 hours of booking, then you may get a refund after deducting the taxes or charges
In case your Southwest flight is delayed or canceled, then you can also get a refund for that flight.

With the help of the above-described instructions, you can simply know about the cancellation, change, and refund policy of Southwest Airlines. But if you have still any kind of query or you need assistance, then you can straightforwardly contact the customer service team.

Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy

If you are willing to cancel a Southwest Airlines flight, you should know about the cancellation policies of the airline given below.

1. Cancellation time: if you want to cancel your Southwest flight ticket, you must cancel it 10 minutes before the flight's scheduled departure. If you get late than that, you can't cancel your Southwest flight.

2. Cancellation in the grace period: if you cancel your flight ticket within 24 hours of the booking, you get the facilities of the grace period. It includes that-

You will get a complete refund if you cancel a non-refundable ticket.
However, to get the facility of canceling the ticket within 24 hours of the booking, there must be a seven-day gap between your booking date and the flight departure time.
You will get the full refund irrespective of your ticket if the cancellation is made within 24 hours of the booking.

3. Cancellation fee: you don't need to pay any cancellation fee per the Southwest Airlines cancellation policy. However, you may need to pay the difference fare if you choose to change the flight rather than cancel it.

4. Refund after cancellation: You are eligible to get a full refund on your refundable tickets.

You can also request a refund on a non-refundable ticket if you have a valid reason for cancellation.
You will get your refund from Southwest in the original payment method. However, you can request to take a refund in the travel fund for the future flight.
You will receive the refund in the same currency in which you paid the ticket price.
The refund money will be reflected in your account within 7-10 working days of the cancellation.

These are some major cancellation policies of Southwest Airlines. There are times when you don't cancel the flight, but the airline makes the cancellation. In such cases, you should know about the cancellation policies applied to the booking. So, to know the Southwest Airlines cancellation policy from the airline, you can check the segment given below.

What happens if Southwest Airlines cancels my flight?

The airline cancels the flight if there are some disturbed weather conditions, military orders, or orders from the government. If the cancellation is made by the airline due to such unavoidable reasons, the policies applied are:

You will get a complete refund on your ticket, whether it is refundable or non-refundable.
You can book a new flight at the same ticket price, or you can request a refund.
The airline provides you with a refund in the form of Travel Funds and cash as well.
You can apply for the cancellation on the airline's official website and contact the customer service of Southwest.

So, these are some cancellation policies of Southwest you should need to know. Ensure that you read all the policies carefully before making any cancellation with Southwest. If you want to know more about Southwest Airlines cancellation policy, you can contact the airline's customer service. The live person will help you with the cancellation process as well. You can find the contact information on the official website of Southwest Airline.

Everything you should know about Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy

If you are cancelling the flight for the first time, you may make some mistakes that may influence your refund. Though, it can be avoided when you are aware of the cancellation policy. To know the southwest cancellation policy, you can read further. It will help you to cancel on time, and you can expect an optimum refund.

What is Southwest airlines cancellation policy?

You can canceled the booking within 24 hours of purchasing, you can expect a quick refund. But it should be done 7 days before the departure.
When you choose the same-day departure cancellation, then you have to bear some cancellation charges.
Your tickets decide what kind of charges you have to pay. If you have purchased the non-refundable ticket, then you must stick to the 24 hours cancellation policy. If you have canceled the ticket after 24 hours, you are not eligible to get a refund.
For a non-refundable ticket, there is one exceptional case, which is a type of cancellation. If the ticket is canceled by airlines due to some involuntary actions, then you can get a refund from the airline.
In case of voluntary cancellation, the ticket cancellation charges will be equivalent to the ticket’s fare.
For a refundable ticket, you can get a refund irrespective of the type of cancellation. So, you don’t have to bear any cancellation fee.
When you face any medical condition at the airport, you will be put in the special category. You can show the medical documents and apply for the refund; it will automatically be eligible to get the refund. Airlines will not deduct anything from the ticket’s refund amount.
For no show condition, where you fail to notify the airline about the reason for not boarding the flight, then your entire ticket’s fare will be considered as cancellation charges.
When you have owned the rewarded ticket, then you can cancel the ticket, but there is no refund policy.

You can get a refund for such cases, but there are slight differences for those who own the flyer program. You can read about them by going through the below-mentioned points.

Cancellation policy for Southwest airlines flyer program member

You can find that there is no huge difference in the cancellation policy for southwest flyer program holders and non-flyer members. But still, they find some benefits:

If you are a member, you can cancel the ticket at any moment, even a few minutes before the departure. For this, they don’t have to pay any kind of cancellation fee.
They can connect with the live person within a given period and get a new flight for no-show conditions. But, they have to mention the reason along with proof.
If the cancellation occurs at the airport and is made by the airlines, then you can ask for compensation and a voucher.

It is all about Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy, and no doubt it is quite promising and customer-friendly. With this, you can make a better choice and get a full refund or avoid any unnecessary cancellation charges.

How do I reschedule a Cancelled flight on Southwest?

Steps to Reschedule a Canceled Flight on Southwest

If you have a canceled Southwest Airlines flight booking or reservation and you feel the need to reschedule it, you can always do that with the help of the points listed below.

Reschedule your Canceled Southwest Flight

You can reschedule your canceled Southwest Airlines flight with the help of the methods listed below;

Official Website- You can reschedule a canceled Southwest flight with the help of its official website;

Visit the official Southwest Airlines website.
Now, locate and click on the option ‘Change/ Cancel.’
Enter the following details in the section box displayed on the screen;

Confirmation Number
First Name
Last Name

Now, select the option ‘Change Flight.’
Click on the option ‘Search.’
The following Southwest page will showcase all the information related to your Southwest booking.
Now, locate and click on the option ‘Change.’
You can reschedule your flight tickets and set a new date for your flight tickets.
Complete the payment to confirm your Southwest Airlines flight tickets.
After that, you’ll receive your new itinerary at your registered email address with Southwest Airlines.

Reservations Number- You can also reschedule your canceled flight tickets with the help of the official reservations number of Southwest Airlines. Ensure that you have all the booking-related information handy to make the necessary changes on your flight tickets while speaking with the reservations associate of Southwest on the phone.

Thus, you can reschedule a Cancelled flight on Southwest Airlines with the help of the methods listed above for your instant benefit and convenience at the same time.

Can I change the date of my Southwest flight?

Does Southwest allow me to change the flight date?

Yes. Southwest Airlines allows you to change the flight date without paying any change fees. The customers need to pay the fare difference depending on the new flight. They can use the Manage Booking option from the homepage and make the required changes.

Important flight date change policy of Southwest

If you desire to know more about Southwest flight date change, check the points below. Remember that the airline allows you to change the flight date for free until 10 minutes before the scheduled departure. Here are some more important points-

You must pay the fare difference of the new flight depending upon the itinerary, booking class, and destination.
You can change the date from the same platform where you have booked the flight ticket.
If you purchased the ticket using a travel agency, contact the agent to make the changes.

How do I change the flight date on Southwest?

Open the official website first and click on the Manage Booking option.
Go to your bookings and open the ticket you want to edit.
Head to the data section of the itinerary and change the dates.
Search for new flights and confirm the changes.
Make the payment for the fare difference and get the revised e-ticket in the email.

With the given information, you can change the flight date on Southwest. If you have any questions regarding the Southwest flight date change policy, call the airline's customer support. The support executive can help you with the flight change policy and procedure without any problem. So, don't worry if you have to change the travel plans when Southwest has made it so easy for you without any change fees.

Southwest Airlines FAQs:

Q. How do I call Southwest Airlines to Cancel my Flight?

Ans. If you have made a Southwest reservation to reach your destination and, at the last moment, your plan drops due to a sudden emergency, you can cancel your booking using either the online or the offline process. If you are thinking what the offline procedure is, then you can reach customer care services using the description mentioned below:

Reach Southwest Airlines to cancel flight:

This approach can be used by the customers and get connected to the representative. If you are searching “How can I Call Southwest Airlines to Cancel my Flight?” Then you must dial the official phone number 1 (800) 435-9792 or 1 (802) 636-9417 of the airline; as the call gets answered by a computer-generated voice, they need to press one number from the following IVR menu:

Press 1: To book a flight
Press 3: For cancellation
Press 5: For flight modifications

As you make a number selection, your call will be connected to corresponding representative who will help you to cancel your reservation.

Request a callback via live chat: Use the following steps to use this option and request a callback:

Visit the official southwest website.
Navigate to the contact us section.
Select option of live chat
As the chat window opens, provide contact details & your preferred time to receive a call and press the send button.

Q. How do I call Southwest Airlines to change my flight?

Ans. Guide to communicating with Southwest airlines for flight change

After making the flight reservations, multiple things can affect your plans, such as weather issues, uncertain health, etc., due to which you want to reschedule the flight. While making the bookings with Southwest airlines, you will get different facilities, and if you cannot travel on the flight departure date, you can reschedule the bookings. If you do not have the flight rescheduling process, you will get complete information by reading below.

The steps to change the flight are below.

Via phone: If you are changing the flight for the first time or before changing the flight, if you want to know any information, you can communicate with the representative and take their help. You need to dial 1 (800) 435-9792 or 1 (802) 636-9417 and then choose the language. So now you can go through the below IVR options:

Select 1 to make the new flight bookings
Select 2 to cancel the bookings
Select 3 If you want to change the flight
Select * to connect with the representative

After completing the IVR instructions, choose the option, and the representative will help you change the flight.

By reading the above, you will receive information regarding call Southwest Airlines to change my flight. in case you are still obtaining any problem, use the other ways to contact Southwest.

Q. How can I cancel my booking?

Ans. There are several ways to cancel your booking. You can make the cancellation online by visiting the official website of Southwest Airlines. The other way to make the cancellation is to connect with customer support. There are several ways to communicate with customer care. You can contact with them on the bases of chat, call, or even with the help of email. They’ll provide you with a quick solution.

Q. What is the online procedure to cancel the reservation?

Ans. In case you’re looking forward to making the cancellation online. Then you only need to follow the simple steps which are given above:

Get on the official Southwest Airlines website.
Now click on the button “Change/cancel.”
Once you’re there, you need to enter the booking code or the reference number, and your name.
Once you have entered it, then tap on the button of “Flight search.”
Now you would need to open your booking.
On the new page, you would need to select the control of “Cancellation.”

That is it. You have cancelled your booking online.

Q. How can I claim the refund after the cancellation?

Ans. There are two ways to claim your refund. The first is to fill the refund form, and the other is to get in touch with the customer support team to claim your refund. You can follow the procedure given below to claim your refund.

Refund form:

To fill the refund claim form.
You would need to open the website.
Once you’re there, you would need to click on the Search button.
Once you have connected there, mention “Refund form.” Now press the button of Search.
After the search, then you’ll come across the refund claim form.
Fill up the form. Then you would need to click on the submit form.

Once you have submitted your form, then within ten working days, you’ll be able to get your refund. You’ll receive the refund in the same account you made the payment.

The other way to claim the refund is to call the customer support and they’ll fix it for you.

Q. How can I avoid the cancellation fee?

To make sure that you avoid the cancellation fee, you would need to make it certain followed the Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy. You can go through the policy below:

To avoid the cancellation fee, you need to ensure that you have cancelled your flight at least 24 hours before the departure time. However, simultaneously it is also essential to follow the following condition.
You would need to maintain a gap of seven days between the booking and the cancellation date. Once you have held that gap, you can avoid the cancellation fee altogether.
If your flight got cancelled by the airline. Then you’re going to get a complete refund of that or a free booking on the next flight to the same destination.

Q. What is the time limit to cancel the booking?

Ans. Southwest Airlines understands that there can be an emergency at times. That is why you can make the changes or cancel your booking up until ten minutes before the departure time.

Q. How can I connect with customer support for cancellation?

Ans. To connect with the customer service of Southwest Airlines. You only need to call up their official number. Once you have dialled it. Then you need to select the suitable options on the IVR menu. That is it. Soon, your call will be connected to an executive dedicated to your cancellation query. He’ll quickly sort it out for you.

Q. Can I change my Southwest flight free of charge?

Ans. If you want to know, “Can I change my Southwest flight free of cost?” then the simple answer is yes. But details of this procedure are given as follows.

Southwest flight understands this concept, and the airline will never charge any fee to change your fight.
If the new flight you choose has a fare higher than the originally booked flight, the airline has the right to ask you to pay the difference in the amount.
The no-fee policy is only applicable up to 14 days ( 2 weeks) from the original booking date. Once 14 days have passed after booking, you will have to pay additional charges for changing your flight.

Here is a list of sub-queries that come after answering “Can I change my Southwest flight free of cost?” go through them to gather more information.

If the new flight tickets cost less, the airlines will refund your extra money.
This extra money can also be used as a travel fund for booking flights.
The above two points are only valid for a year. The time is counted from the date of the original booking.
There is no limit on the number of times you can change your flight.
Passengers can change their flight up to ten minutes before the flight takes off.
Even after you have checked in your original flight, the above point is applicable, but only if ten minutes are left in take-off.

You can get in touch with the airline customer care representatives for more assistance. They are available round the clock and will be delighted to help you.