Airlines are a great way to discover the world and reach new places. Sometimes though, you might need to cancel your flight for various reasons. In this article, we will explain how you can cancel or change your Southwest airline flight.
Southwest Cancellation Policy
While Southwest Cancellation Policy is similar to most other airlines, there are a few key differences. In general, the further in advance, you cancel your flight, the more likely you will be able to recover some of your fare in the form of a travel credit that is valid for one year from the date of issue.
Nonrefundable fares: If you purchase a standard Wanna Get Away? fare, then you will not receive any refund if you cancel your flight. These tickets are only eligible for a credit if they are canceled more than 10 minutes before departure. If your flight is canceled by Southwest for any reason, then you can request a refund at that time.
Refundable fares: Southwest also offers Anytime and Business Select fares, both of which are fully refundable if canceled more than 10 minutes before departure.
Fees: Southwest does not charge a fee for changes or cancellations as long as they are made more than 10 minutes before departure. Cancellations made within 10 minutes of departure carry a $100 fee per person that is not covered by the credit card used to purchase the ticket.
If you’re traveling on a Wanna Get Away fare
you can cancel your reservation within 10 minutes of booking and receive full credit for future travel. After that, the ticket will be nonrefundable and nontransferable.
If you’re traveling on Business Select or Anytime fare, you can cancel your reservation within 24 hours of booking and receive full credit for future travel. After that, the ticket will be nonrefundable and nontransferable.
You can cancel your flight via the southwest website, by calling Southwest directly, or through a Travel Agent. If you cancel with a Travel Agent or Southwest Vacations, contact information will be provided in your confirmation email, including the appropriate phone number to call to cancel your reservation.
If you cancel your reservation (or any portion of it) at least 10 minutes prior to departure, we’ll gladly refund any unused Wanna Get Away fare (less any applicable fees) in the form of travel funds for future use. The travel funds are valid for one year from the date of issue and are non-refundable if not used by their expiration date.
How to change or rebook your Southwest Airlines flight
We all have to change our plans sometimes. If something unexpected comes up, you can change your flight on Southwest Airlines for no additional cost.
You can change or rebook your reservation online, through the Southwest website. Here’s how:
- Head to Southwest.com and click on the “My Trips” tab. If you’re not already logged in, enter your confirmation number, first name, and last name to log into your account.
- Click on “View Details” next to the reservation you’d like to change or rebook.
- Click the link that says “Change/Cancel” under your flight information.
- To change your itinerary, follow the prompts to select a new flight and submit payment for any fare difference (usually an additional fee).
- To cancel a flight, select “Cancel Trip” at the bottom of the page and submit payment for any applicable cancellation fee (usually $0).
Note: If you’re not able to change your existing Southwest flight, the airline has a new offering called “Wanna Get Away?” It allows you to book a brand new ticket at the current fare price, but your unused ticket will be refunded as a credit which can be applied to future travel. Unused tickets from previous purchases can also be applied as credits in place of cash.
But if you do want to change an existing Southwest flight? Here’s how it works.
How much does it cost?
Changing or rebooking a Southwest Airlines flight is completely free. You won’t pay anything beyond what you paid for the original ticket—not even taxes and fees.
Changes made more than 10 minutes after booking may require that the difference between the old fare and new fare be collected, or a credit issued for any overpayment.
Southwest Airlines Flight Change Policy
Southwest Airlines typically charges a fee to change your flight. The amount varies based on how soon you want to make your flight change.
Southwest has one of the most reasonable policies for changing a scheduled flight. If you want to change your flight, you can do so for free up until 24 hours before departure. After that point, Southwest charges $75 per ticket if you want to change your itinerary. This means that if you have a group of tickets booked together and only one person wants to switch flights, all other passengers will have to pay $75 each.
If your plans change again after this 24-hour window, Southwest offers two options:
As per Southwest Flight Change Policy, You can pay $150 per change if you want to cancel your trip entirely and rebook it at a later date. This charge applies even if you have already paid $75 for a previous flight change attempt.
If you’re still interested in traveling on another day and just want an earlier or later departure time, then Southwest will allow one free change within seven days from the original departure date (itinerary must be rescheduled within 14 days of original purchase).
How to change a Southwest flight
If you need to change your Southwest flight, there are a few ways to go about it, depending on your situation.
Changing Your Flight With No Penalty
If you’re not too far out from your original departure date and time, you should be able to change your flight without paying any fees or penalties. You can do this by going into your account and selecting “Change My Departure.” Once there, choose the option that best works for you:
“Change my departure time” — This will allow you to change your flight up to seven days before departure. The new flight date will be the same day as the original departure date unless there’s no availability on that day.
“Change my destination” — This allows you to swap flights with another destination in the same region or regionally connected city-pairs (for example, Dallas/Fort Worth to Chicago O’Hare). If you want to travel on a different day than originally booked or if there isn’t another Southwest flight available at all times during the day of travel, then this option may not work for you.
To change your Southwest flight online:
Changing your flight is easy. Southwest Airlines will allow you to change your flight for free if you cancel and rebook within 24 hours of booking your flight. If you want to change the date of your flight, there are no fees, but you must cancel and rebook at least two days before your original flight.
To change your flight, call Southwest Airlines customer service at (800) 435-9792. You’ll need your confirmation number, which is on the email confirmation that was sent after booking your flight. The agent will then be able to assist you with the changes.
If you are unable to get through by phone or if the agent cannot change your flight online, you can go to a Southwest ticket counter at any airport or city where Southwest flies directly from them (not an airport they just serve).
If you paid for your ticket with a credit card, you have to call the Southwest Reservation line at (800) 435-9792. Booked online or with cash, go to southwest.com and log in using your personal information and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Then go to “Manage My Booking” and enter the confirmation number of your flight as well as your last name and address. From there, click on “Reservation Details.” Scroll down to find “Request Upgrades/Changes” and click on it. On the next page, select “Change Flight” to make an alteration.
Enter the date and time of your new flight and choose whether it should be earlier or later one by clicking on either option. You’ll see how much this will cost before confirming your request by pressing “Submit.”
How to change or cancel a flight with the Southwest Companion Pass
With the Southwest Companion Pass, you can designate a friend or family member to join you for free on any Southwest Airlines flight that you book. It’s a great perk, but it also means that if you have to cancel your flight, your companion also won’t be able to fly. So what happens if one of you needs to cancel? Here’s what you need to know.
How to cancel your Southwest Companion Pass reservation
First off, since the Companion Pass is technically an add-on to your paid flight, you and your companion will each have a separate itinerary. If either one of you needs to cancel a flight due to an unexpected circumstance, such as a death in the family or sick child at home, call Southwest directly at (800) 435-9792. to request a refund for the cancelled flight. You’ll need to provide proof of the emergency.
If no emergency exists and you simply want to cancel an upcoming flight without penalty, all tickets are fully refundable within 24 hours of booking.
How to cancel a Southwest flight
To change or cancel your flight, visit the “Log in” tab on SouthWest and click on “Change/Cancel reservation.” You will need to provide your last name, confirmation number, and flight date to access your information. You can then change or cancel your flight on that page.
Here’s how:
1) Find reservation number
2) Call this number (800) 435-9792.
3) Press 1 for English, then 2 for reservations, then 3 for everything else, then 4 to talk to a human
4) Give them your reservation number, your name, and the flight number you want to cancel
