Southwest Cancellation Policy | Refund & Cancellation Fee

Table of Contents

• What Are the Rules of Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy?
  • Southwest Cancellation Policy: 24 Hours
  • Southwest Cancellation Policy for Flights Booking with Companion Pass and Gift Cards
    • Companion Pass: 
    • Gift Cards: 
  • Southwest Cancellation Policy Refund
  • How much is the Southwest Cancellation Fee?
  • What are the common reasons for canceling a Southwest Airlines ticket?
    • Southwest Cancellation Policy: Compensation For Delays and Cancellations
  • How do I Cancel My Southwest Flight?
    • Online:
    • Through the phone:
    • Ticket Cancellation to the Airport:
  • What Does Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy State for Vacation Package Cancellations?
  • How Do I Use Southwest Airlines Travel Funds?
  • Conclusion

Ticket cancellation may be frustrating and costly, but Southwest Airlines makes it very simple & straightforward. With Southwest Cancellation Policy, passengers are entitled to cancel their flight 10 minutes before their planned departure day. The 10-minute flight cancellation is subject to specific terms & conditions. In this guide, you will find all the updates on What is Southwest's cancellation policy. Does Southwest have a 24-hour cancellation policy? and how to avoid flight cancellation fees. 

What Are the Rules of Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy?

What Is Southwest's Cancellation Policy? Here are the Southwest ticket cancellation policy rules that you must keep in mind when canceling a flight. 

1. The airline does not permit a refund option upon a Wanna Get Away fare, but it is reusable. However, you may cancel it 10 minutes before your scheduled departure as per Southwest cancellation policy Wanna get away. 
2. Save the confirmation number of your canceled flight so you can use your travel funds in the future.
3. After the travel fund expires, the airline will charge you 100 dollars.   
4. If you booked a Business class fare, Anytime, or contrast ticket, Southwest permits you to cancel your flight 10 minutes before the planned departure day and get a 100 percent refund. 
5. You should purchase the business class fare, anytime fare, or contrast fare if you want more flexibility. These tickets are costly, but in the event of changes or cancellations, there is no need to pay additional charges as per cancel policy Southwest. 
6. You may utilize your travel funds for up to one year from the original date of purchase.  

Southwest Cancellation Policy: 24 Hours

One of the Southwest Airlines cancellation policies is Southwest cancellation policy 24 hours, under this passengers can cancel their reservation free of charge with Southwest Airlines. Southwest cancellation policy applies 24 hours to all passengers; it does not matter which kind of ticket they have. As per Southwest's ticket cancellation policy, the airline will not apply a cancellation fee if passengers cancel their flight within the first 24-hour window after purchasing.

Southwest Cancellation Policy for Flights Booking with Companion Pass and Gift Cards

Under the Southwest ticket cancellation policy, Southwest allows travelers to cancel their tickets if they make a reservation with a companion pass or gift card. Both fares are entitled to cancellation before departure day. The companion pass and gift card cancellation rules are mentioned at the points below.  

Companion Pass: 

If you book your ticket with a companion pass, you may cancel it before your scheduled departure. The good news is that for the companion pass, after the ticket cancellation, a refund will also be credited to your account.     

Gift Cards: 

As per the Southwest Airlines cancellation policy, if you paid for your booking with a Gift card, non-refundable ticket cancellation rules will apply to you. The airline will credit your account with travel funds instead of giving you a refund during the cancellation. The travel credit point you may utilize within one year from the original booking as stated by the cancel policy Southwest. You must get in touch with Southwest Airlines support staff if you want to cancel your gift card-purchased ticket.

Southwest Cancellation Policy Refund

You may obtain a refund if you meet the Southwest cancellation policy refund requirements. Let’s review the refund policy at the below points.  

• If you purchase a Business and Anytime ticket, you may get a refund or reuse. 
• According to Southwest cancellation policy Wanna get away, You can reuse your ticket within a year of the booking date, but you cannot obtain a reimbursement if you purchase a Wanna Get Away fare.
• The airline will provide you with a refund for the unused part of your ticket. 
• If your ticket is non-refundable, you will get travel credit points instead of a full refund.
• After the check-in, you may not ask for a refund if you want to cancel your non-refundable ticket. 

How much is the Southwest Cancellation Fee?

Under certain conditions, Southwest Airlines does not charge you a cancellation fee if you have a business fare, anytime, or contrast ticket. On a refundable flight, you can cancel your ticket 10 minutes before departure and receive a 100 percent refund by Southwest Cancellation Policy. The airline will transfer your account travel points if you cancel your Wanna Getaway or Plus fare ticket. All tickets are subject to cancellation charges, except for the Business, Anytime, and Contrast Fare types. 

What are the common reasons for canceling a Southwest Airlines ticket?

A ticket cancellation may occur for a variety of reasons, such as airline control or personal. You might be able to avoid cancellation charges if you are aware of Southwest Airlines cancellation policy terms & conditions. There are the following reasons why travelers need to cancel their tickets: 

• Health issue
• Hazard problems
• Due to airline control
• Miss Connectivity
• Heavy winds or rain
• Emergencies arise
• Technical issue
• Unforeseen situation
• Other unpredictable situations arise 

Southwest Cancellation Policy: Compensation For Delays and Cancellations

Cancel policy Southwest compensates its travelers if their flight is delayed or canceled due to airline control. The airline determines the compensation value based on the route distance and delay or cancellation period as per Southwest cancellation policy. If your flight is canceled 14 days before the scheduled departure day, you may get up to $700 compensation from the airline, which depends on your route distance. Check out the compensation structure in the table below.

How do I Cancel My Southwest Flight?

Southwest cancellation policy provides its passengers with several options for canceling their reservations hassle-free. You can select any option to cancel your ticket, wherever you feel comfortable. Let's know the cancellation option, which is mentioned in the points below.

Online:

1. Visit Southwest.com and go to "Look-up Reservation" under the "Menu Bar."
2. Enter your Southwest Booking confirmation number along with your first name and last name in the required columns. 
3. After entering your details, hit Retrieve Reservation. 
4. All your flight information will be visible on the flight details reservation page.
5. Re-check your details before clicking the flight cancellation button. 
6. Under the cancel button, only the "hold for future" option will appear if your ticket is non-refundable. 
7. If you have refundable tickets, the "Request a refund or hold for future use" option will show under the flight cancellation option. 
8. Once your cancellation procedure is done, save your confirmation code. 

Through the phone:

When you contact the Southwest customer executive team regarding a flight cancellation, they will update you on the flight cancellation steps over the call. They can also cancel your flight after getting your flight information along with your reservation code. Otherwise, you may visit the Southwest local office in your city or visit the help desk.

Ticket Cancellation to the Airport:

If you wish to cancel your flight ticket at least 10 minutes before the day of departure, you can do so at the ticket counter. Southwest cancellation policy permits you to cancel your flight ticket at the help desk or ticket counter. You must submit your flight confirmation code and your details.

What Does Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy State for Vacation Package Cancellations?

With the Southwest vacation package, you may make your journey joyful. Here are some rules for vacation package as per Southwest cancellation policy: 

• Due to unexpected situations, if you need to cancel your vacation package reservation, you must connect with airline representatives. 
• The airline does not reimburse you if your package does not meet the travel insurance requirements. However, you may earn travel credit points. 
• The travel credit points you may use for your future bookings 
• As per the Southwest cancellation policy, the airline does not apply cancellation charges if your reservation is canceled within the risk-free time.

How Do I Use Southwest Airlines Travel Funds?

The Southwest cancellation policy permits you to book your new ticket with your travel credit points. When making a new reservation, click "Do you want to apply for travel funds?" You must enter your name and Southwest Airlines confirmation number to cancel your flight. When canceling your ticket, don't forget to enter the confirmation number that you received in your email. Your new booking should be within one year from the original date of ticket cancellation. Under the rules of Southwest cancellation policy, After the one-year expiration, you cannot book your new ticket with your travel credit points. 

Conclusion

Southwest Airlines cancellation policy permits you to cancel your ticket free of charge and get a 100 percent refund under specific conditions. Business fare, anytime, or contrast fare tickets are entitled to free cancellation. With the Southwest cancellation policy refund, you may cancel your reservation 10 minutes before your planned departure.