Southwest Airlines Cancellation and Refund Policy

Book Cheap Flights- Save Huge

Round Trip

One Way

Origin

Destination

Departure

Return

Select Passengers

1 Traveler Economy

Adults(Age 12+)

1

Child (Age 2-12)

0

Infant (Age 0-2)

0

Select Class Economy PremiumEconomy Business First

Done

Search

About Southwest Airlines

Canceling a flight after paying for the fare is a tedious task. And if you are not aware of the concerned airline’s policies, you may lose your money. Hence, it is always better to book your flight if you are sure about your trip or cancel as soon as you know you can’t make it to the trip to avoid paying a hefty amount as a cancellation fee. Here we will discuss Southwest Airlines cancellation and refund policy, so if your flight is with Southwest (WN) and you need to cancel it, at least you know your rights.

It is one of the major airlines of the USA and the world’s largest low-cost carrier; it was founded in 1967 as Air Southwest and commenced its operation in 1971. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and offers scheduled flights to over 121 destinations in the USA and 10 other countries.

Southwest Cancellation Policy

Due to unavoidable circumstances, you have to cancel your Southwest flight. What should be your next move? What are your rights? How much will you have to pay for the cancellation? And are you even eligible for a refund? These are the basic questions that will come to your mind in such cases. Here are the amendments in case of flight cancel:

• All domestic flights require cancellation 5 hours before scheduled departure, and for international routes, the passenger must cancel the flight at least 8 hours before its scheduled departure.
• Passengers who are part of the same reservation need to be canceled simultaneously.
• Southwest offers three kinds of fares- Wanna Get Away, Anytime, and Business Select. Under the southwest cancellation policy, all of them can be used for future travel up to one year from the original date of purchase.

Southwest 24-hour Cancellation Policy

Southwest 24-hour cancellation policy is a great option to cancel the flight when there is an emergency due to which you can’t travel on the date of your journey. Under this policy, you are eligible for a refund and do not have to incur any penalty. The policy accommodates passengers with specific flexibility:

• If the Southwest flight is canceled within 24 hours of booking and your flight departure is at least 7 days later at the time of reservation.
• The airline will not charge any cancellation fee if you cancel the flight within 24 hours.

Southwest Cancellation Policy for Refundable and Non-refundable Ticket

If you are unsure about your trip, it is better to book a Southwest flight at Anyme or Business Select fare. These are non-refundable, and in case you want to make changes in the itinerary instead of canceling it, you can do that too.

• All Southwest tickets are refundable except for Wanna Get Away.
• Want to Get Away ticket holders can reuse their ticket instead of canceling it.
• Southwest charges a cancellation fee for canceling a non-refundable ticket.
• Passengers can change the booking on refundable and non-refundable tickets without any cancellation charges.

Southwest Cancellation Policy for Different Class

Wanna Get Away

It is the low-cost version of economy plus and is non-refundable. With every Wanna Get Away ticket, you earn a rapid reward point for each dollar. You can upgrade your ticket or reuse it for future travel.

Anytime

Although Anytime fares cost more, it offers higher reward points and has a flexible change and cancellation policy. Anytime tickets are both refundable and reusable.

Business Select

Business Select allows you same-day change and same-day standby. The Business Select is reusable and refundable and offers higher reward points for future trips with Southwest.

How to Get compensation in Case of Flight Delay or Cancellation?

The compensation will be initiated only if the airline has canceled the flight due to an emergency or you were denied boarding or the flight is delayed due to some technical reasons. You should be aware of your right to claim a refund if the cancellation was made by the airline.

• You are entitled to USD 325 if the flight is delayed by 3 hours or more and the distance is shorter than 1500 miles.
• You are entitled to USD 475 if the flight is delayed by 3 hours or more and the distance is between 1500 to 3500 miles.
• You are entitled to USD 725 if the flight is delayed by 3 hours or more and the distance is more than 3500 miles.
• If you were denied boarding due to overbooking of the flight, the airline will offer you an alternate flight. If the alternate flight is not suitable for you, then the airline will offer you monetary compensation.
• Sometimes the compensation may include accommodation in a hotel, free transportation, and meals.

How to Cancel Southwest Flight?

You can cancel a Southwest (WN) flight both online and offline. For online cancellation, you need to visit the official website of the airline and for offline cancellation, you can contact Southwest (WN) over a phone call.

Online Method

• Visit https://www.southwest.com/
• Click Rewards on the website and enter 6-digit confirmation code along with the name of the passenger
• The remaining credit will reflect on the page.
• Click on the cancel button
• Once the airline approves your cancellation request, you will receive a confirmation mail on your registered email

Offline Method

• You can either visit Southwest’s (WN) counter at the airport or call +1 800 435 9792.
• If you have called Southwest’s (WN) customer support number, select the language that suits you the best.
• Provide the required information asked by the agent (user name, ticket number, arrival city, and other information to verify your identity).
• Choose the trip you want to cancel.
• Choose a payment method if you have to pay a cancellation fee for Southwest’s (WN) flights.
• The airline will send a confirmation mail regarding the cancellation.

Southwest Cancelation Fee

If you cancel a Southwest flight outside the 24-hour free cancellation policy, the airline will charge you a cancellation fee. The fee depends on the fare type, time of the cancellation, and the route.Here is a list of fees you will have to pay in case you cancel the flight:

• Cancellation fee for Wanna Get Away tickets is USD 200 per passenger.
• Cancellation fee for Anytime tickets is USD 150 per passenger.
• Cancellation fee for Business Select tickets is USD 125 per passenger.
• No Show is not permitted for Wanna Get Away fares. For Anytime tickets, the passenger will have to incur USD 150+USD 50 per passenger. And for Business Select, the passenger must pay USD 125+USD 75 per passenger, in case of no show.

Southwest Refund Policy

• If the cancellation is made within 24-hours of booking, the passenger will receive a complete refund without cancellation charges.
• Only Anytime and Business Select tickets are refundable. If you have a Wanna Get Away ticket and cancel it outside the 24-hour window, you must pay for the cancellation charges.
• Non-refundable tickets can be used as travel credits for future trips with Southwest Airlines (WN), and it is valid up to one year from the time of booking.
• The refund will be issued only for the unused portion of the ticket.

How to Get Refund from Southwest Airlines?

There are two ways to request for a refund if you cancel the flight- online and offline.

Online Method

• Visit https://www.southwest.com/
• Follow the above mentioned process to cancel the flight
• Enter your booking reference number and your name
• Click on Refund
• If you are eligible for a refund, you will receive the refundable amount within 7 to 10 business days.
• You will receive a confirmation mail regarding the refund status on your registered mail

Offline Method

• Call +1 800 435 9792 or visit Southwest’s office
• Inform your confirmation code number to the customer support executive
• Provide other required information asked by the agent (user name, ticket number, arrival city, and other information to verify your identity).
• The airline will send a confirmation mail regarding the cancellation.

Southwest Customer Support Number for Cancellation and Refund Related Queries

For any cancellation or refund related queries, call ’s customer support number +1 800 435 9792. You can also visit the airline’s official website and click on ‘Contact Us’ to get in touch with their support team.

FAQs