Southwest Airlines Flight Cancellation- Fare Rules & Fees

All You Need To Know About Southwest Airlines Flight Cancellations

Has an unexpected situation interrupted your travel plans with Southwest Airlines, and you already have confirmed tickets? Rest assured. Southwest Airlines flight cancellation policy makes it easier for you to manage your bookings in such situations. You can cancel your entire booking and get a refund on your fare, depending on the ticket type. 

This blog clearly explains the details of flight cancellations with Southwest and how to handle them for multiple fares. Read till the end, and you will be able to understand:

• Terms and Conditions to Cancel a Southwest Airlines Ticket
• Southwest Airlines Flight Cancellation Process
• The cost associated with flight cancellations.

In addition to these, you can also get help from the lowfarescanners team to find and explore the best possible methods to book and manage Southwest Airlines flight bookings. Let’s continue to the subsections below to understand their cancellation options!

Terms & Conditions To Cancel A Southwest Airlines Flight

It's easy to cancel a Southwest flight regardless of which fare you book as long as you do it before departure. The tricky part is getting refunds. Therefore, Southwest Airlines has outlined this simple flight cancellation policy. You can read through the below points to get a clear idea of what terms and conditions apply to your tickets in case of cancellations:

Southwest Airlines 24 Hour Cancellation Rule

If you cancel your flights within 24 hours of booking them, Southwest Airlines allows you to make cancellations free of charge. This also gives you a choice to get a full refund to the original payment source or a flight credit. There is no charge as long as your flight is not departing within the next seven days

• Other Cancellation Rules

  • Southwest Airlines Business Select and Anytime tickets are fully refundable. You can get a refund to your original payment method or hold the ticket value as flight credit for these fares.
  • The Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares are nonrefundable, and your ticket value is converted into a transferable or nontransferable flight credit based on which fare you have.
  • You must cancel your tickets at least 10 min before the scheduled departure to be eligible for any type of refund.
  • If you fail to cancel your tickets before 10 minutes of the scheduled departure, the airline will forfeit your booking amount for Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus Tickets. However, Business Select and Anytime fare customers can still get a flight credit for future travel.
  • Eligible Southwest customers can also cancel a portion of their trips rather than the entire itinerary using the airline's official website or mobile app.

• Rules For Southwest Rapid Rewards Booking

  • You can cancel your Southwest Airlines business select and anytime reservation free of cost and get the points returned to the account you used to purchase the tickets,
  • The airline will convert any taxes and fees with the reward tickets into a transferable flight credit.
  • Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares booked as reward tickets do not offer credit or refund of points. All points, including the taxes and fees associated with the ticket, will be forfeited.

How Do I Make Flight Cancellations With Southwest?

There are different ways you can cancel your flight booking on Southwest Airlines. Just make sure to follow their flight cancellation rules and continue with one of the methods mentioned below to terminate your itinerary and get a refund. Here are the details:

Online Method

Make flight cancellations using Southwest Airlines' self-service option on its website or mobile app. Just open whichever one you wish to use and follow the instructions below:

• Go to the airline’s website homepage or app.
• Find and Click the “Change/Cancel” option.
• Enter your confirmation number, first name, and last name.
• Choose the cancel flight option and click search.
• Select the itinerary you wish to cancel.
• Proceed with the screen instructions that follow suit.
• Check the T&C related to cancellations and agree,
• Finalise cancellation and ask for a refund.

Note: You can also log in to your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Account using your credentials to find the booking you wish to cancel directly. 

Offline Method

Cancel your flights by calling the Southwest Airlines customer service phone number or visiting the airport desk at your departure airport or nearest booking office. Here are the detailed steps to consult a customer service agent on the phone:

• Find and dial Southwest Airlines phone number.
• Listen to the IVR menu and choose flight cancellation.
• You can also choose to talk to a live agent directly.
• Wait in line till an agent connects on the call.
• Share your concerns and request ticket cancellation.
• Provide your trip information and reason for cancelling tickets,
• Get available updates and ask him to cancel flights.
• Make a refund request.
• Wait for the booking amount to be credited.

You can even ask an airline agent at the Southwest customer service desk at your specific airport for the same and easily make cancellations. 

Note: Most Southwest flights can easily be cancelled online, but you can still call them for specific concerns.

How Much Does Southwest Airlines Charge For Cancellations?

Southwest does not charge anything, and there is no penalty for ticket cancellations with the airline. The airline will forfeit your booking amount if your fare does not qualify for any refund or transferable/non transferable flight credit. However, you do not have to pay a penny more to request the cancellation of flight tickets.

What If The Airline Cancels or Delays My Flight?

Suppose Southwest Airlines cancels your flight due to an unavoidable reason or the flight gets significantly delayed. In that case, the airline will offer you enough flexibility to change or cancel most trips on their official channels. Here are the details:

• You can fly on an alternate flight to your destination at no extra cost.
• You can cancel the flight and request a refund to your original form of payment.
• The airline also offers you a Southwest LUV voucher if they entirely caused the delay or cancellation.

Find the button to cancel your flights and get refunds for future travel. Make sure to consult an airline agent or check the Southwest website for better options.

In Conclusion

You can easily cancel and refund your Southwest Airlines flight tickets with the information above. For more details, contact the Lowfarescanners team or get in touch with the airline experts. Act fast and terminate your travel plans without delay.