How Can I Cancel a Southwest Airlines Flight?

You can cancel your Southwest flight online, and depending on the fare class, you will receive a refund or travel cash.

Can Southwest flights be cancelled? Yes. Among major airlines, Southwest Airlines has one of the strongest cancellation policies.

If you don't intend to fly again and merely want your money back, you're in luck. Southwest has long been known for its customer-friendly change and cancellation procedures. Other airlines' openness towards flight adjustments has improved as a result of the pandemic, but Southwest cancellation policy remains one of the most liberal.

Here's all you need to know about cancelling your own Southwest flight.

Cancelling a Southwest flight

It is pretty straightforward to cancel your Southwest flight. You can cancel your reservation by visiting southwest.com/cancel or by using the Southwest mobile app. Enter the first and last names of the ticketed passenger, as well as the reservation confirmation number.

You can also call Southwest reservations at 1-800-998-6716, or if you included your Rapid Rewards number on the first reservation, the flight will appear on your My Account page. Once you've input your flight information, any travel balances or refundable sums will be displayed next to the confirmation number.

To cancel the flight, choose "Cancel."

How to Rebook or Change Your Southwest Airlines Flight

southwest airlines change flight is straightforward: there are no change costs if you need to amend your travel reservation. You can change your ticket as many times as you wish, but if the new flight is more expensive than the original, you must pay the difference. If you plan a last-minute flight, this can be quite costly.

To change your Southwest travel, call the reservations department or look up your flight online or on the app using the confirmation number and passenger details.

Also, keep in mind that merely requesting to change your flight time isn't enough. There must be an available seat on another aircraft, which proved difficult during the Great Southwest Meltdown during the winter vacations in 2022. Even though Southwest was eager to put clients on other flights at no additional cost, there simply weren't enough seats on the few planes that were taking out, causing travellers to be delayed for up to a week.

How to Get a Southwest Airlines Refund

Refunds for Southwest Airlines Refund are determined not only by the type of ticket purchased, but also by whether it was purchased with cash or Rapid Rewards points. Furthermore, some flight add-ons, such as Early Bird boarding, are non refundable. If you cancel a flight on which you purchased Early Bird boarding, you will not receive a refund.

For cash-booked flights

Wanna Get Away tickets are often the lowest-priced on the airline, and you will only receive Southwest travel dollars if you cancel. The same rules apply to the new Wanna Get Away plus fare.

If you prefer to receive your money returned in cash rather than as a travel voucher, you must book a Southwest Anytime or Business Select ticket.

When booking flights with Southwest Rapid Rewards points

Southwest has a generous cancellation policy for reward tickets. If you cancel a Southwest Rapid Rewards flight, your points will be automatically returned.

Furthermore, any taxes and fees paid with your points can be converted to travel cash for future travel or reimbursed to the original mode of payment.

The cancellation policy of Southwest Airlines

The Southwest airlines cancellation policy is straightforward: you can cancel your ticket at any time, with no fines, up to 10 minutes before the planned departure time.

If you used Rapid Rewards points to purchase a flight, the points will be reimbursed to your reward account.
If you paid cash for your flight, it will be reimbursed to your payment method or converted into Southwest travel funds, depending on the type of fare you purchased.
Even if your reservation is non refundable, you can cancel within 24 hours of booking and obtain a refund in the original form of payment or convert the airfare into travel money.

If you get Southwest travel funds as a result of cancelling a Southwest Airlines journey, you should be aware that there are some limitations to using your credit. The travel funds for Wanna Get Away Fares are only accessible with the confirmation number and the name of the original ticketed passenger — in other words, they are not transferable to anyone else. Wanna Get Away Plus, Business Select, and Anytime fares, on the other hand, can be transferred to another Rapid Rewards member.

The trip money has no expiration date, so you can keep it until you're absolutely ready to utilise it, regardless of the sort of ticket you purchased.

If your plans change or the price reduces, you should consider cancelling your flight because the cancellation policy is customer-friendly and the process is pretty simple. You can always use your points, travel dollars, or cash refund to rebook.