Southwest Airlines is one the most successful airline companies. They focus on efficiency, innovative logistics and low-cost pricing. This American airline is the largest and most affordable. The airline, headquartered in Dallas in 1967, was founded. Southwest Airlines was founded by Herb Kelleher. The name was later changed into Southwest Airlines in 1971. Southwest Airlines began its flights between Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. It is well-known for carrying more domestic passengers than any other airline within the United States. It employs over 60,000 people and can handle 4000 departures per day. Southwest Airlines operates flights to 103 destinations with crew bases at 11 hubs. In 2019, Southwest Airlines reported a net income in excess of US$ 2.3billion and operates 747 Boeing 737 aircraft. Southwest Airlines has been ranked 11th on Fortune’s Most Admired Companies List.
Southwest cancellation policy
Southwest’s cancellation policy is straightforward: You can cancel your Southwest flight at any moment, without penalty, up to ten minutes before departure.
- You’ll get your loyalty points back if you book a flight using Rapid Rewards Points.
- The cash you paid for a flight will be returned to you or converted into Southwest travel funds depending on what type of fare it was.
- You can cancel nonrefundable reservations within 24 hours.
Southwest travel funds cannot be used if Southwest Airlines cancels a flight. You can only access the Wanna Get Away Fares funds with the confirmation number provided by the ticketed passenger. They cannot be transferred to anyone else. You can transfer fares to another person using a Rapid Rewards account for any time, Business Select, or Wanna Get Away Plus.
No matter what type of ticket you bought, your travel funds can be kept indefinitely.
It is simple to understand the cancellation policy for flights and it is very user-friendly. If there are any changes to your plans or price drops, you should cancel. You can cancel at any time with your points, travel money, or cash refund.
How can I cancel my Southwest flight?
You can cancel most trips online or through our app.
Click or tap the Cancel button to cancel your reservation.
The Southwest app and our website allow customers to cancel a portion of their trip while still being able to fly the remaining portion.
How do I change my Southwest flight
Many trips can be changed online or through the Southwest app without having to call.
Click or tap the Change button to see the Manage Reservations option.
If you have to change your trip, or if some passengers need to stay on the original flight, please contact us. To split passengers or to change the number of people on your flight, please call us at 1-800-435-992.
Refund policy
Details about refunds and cancellations
Can I cancel my flight and get a refund? Our cancellation policy is in effect if you do not travel.
Anytime and Business Select(r), tickets can be refunded. Or you can keep the ticket value as a flight credit to use for a future flight.
Tickets for Wanna Get Away (r) or Wanna Get Away PLUS ™, are non-refundable. You will receive a flight credit to use for a future purchase of your ticket.
Important: Anytime or Business Select tickets that are not cancelled by 10 minutes prior to the flight’s scheduled departure time will be forfeited.
Any Wanna Get Away credit or Wanna Getaway Plus flight credit will be forfeited.
Find out more about flight cancellations and changes.
How do I get a refund for my method of payment?
Refunds by method-of-payment will usually be issued in the same format as the original payment.
Credit card: We will process your request within seven business days.
Cash: Checks will be refunded within 20 business days of receipt of domestic travel request. For information on refund policies for international flights, please refer to the International Travel Page.
Points:Points will be credited to the Rapid Rewards(r), account that was used to book the flight. You can get a refund for any taxes or fees not paid using points, or you can use the flight credit towards a future flight.
Southwest (r) gift card, or Southwest LUV vouchers(r): Please contact if you need to cancel your reservation within 24 hours. The Southwest gift card and Southwest LUV voucher will be refunded if the reservation is cancelled within 24 hours.
Flight credit: Southwest (r) flight credit that was applied to a Business Select or Anytime fare, will be refunded in the form of flight credit.
- Southwest’s No-Show Policy?
- You must cancel your reservation no later than 10 minutes before departure. Anytime or Business Select tickets will be cancelled. A Transferable Flight Credit ™ will be issued to recoup the cost of any business select (r). and Anytime tickets. Any Wanna Get Away and Wanna Getaway Plus funds will be forfeited.
- For Wanna Get away (r), and Wanna Getaway Plus(tm), award travel reservations, bookings must be cancelled at least 10 minutes prior to the flight’s scheduled departure time. All points will be forfeited along with any taxes or fees.
Choose from Anytime, Business or Both (r) Award travel reservation: The points used to book will continue to be redeposited into the purchaser’s Rapid Rewards (r) All taxes and fees associated to the award travel booking will be deducted from your account and converted into a future flight credit.
