You planned well and booked your tickets with Southwest Airlines on time. But as the trip date was approaching, an emergency came up, and you had to cancel your booking. Now what? Will you get a refund, or will your money go in vain? Put your queries to rest, as Southwest Refund Policy has got you covered. Thanks to its smart and customer-friendly approach, you can easily get a refund on your cancellation.
The airline understands that travelers sometimes things get out of control and trip cancelation is the only method to come out of the situation. That’s why it offers a dedicated cancelation and refund policy so that you don’t lose your money. Wondering how does it help? Without waiting any further, continue browsing the page and find all the tidbits about the airline’s refund policy here. Read the key pointers carefully to avoid the last-minute mess.
Can I Get a Refund from Southwest Airlines?
Yes, Southwest Airlines Refund policy allows you to get a refund if you –
- Cancel your tickets within 24 hours of booking without any cancelation fee (for every ticket type)
- Have a refundable flight ticket (to cancel after 24 hours of booking)
Please note
- For third-party reservations, contact the travel agency and seek further assistance.
What is Southwest Airlines Refund Policy?
Before you jump into the flight cancelation process, it’s good to learn the key pointers associated with the refund policy. The airline offers refunds in both the original mode of payment and as travel credits, based on the fare type. Here are Southwest Refund Policy highlights for your reference. Check them out and cancel your tickets accordingly.
- You can cancel your tickets within 24 hours of booking, and Southwest Airlines will offer you a complete refund. This is applicable to all fare types.
- Refundable fares get a refund to the original payment form.
- Non-refundable tickets get flight credits for future trips.
- However, if you cancel your tickets after this risk-free 24-hour window, your ticket type determines the cancellation fee and refund amount.
- Your Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus tickets are nonrefundable. However, you can still get future travel credits on these.
- The airline gives a full refund on Business Select and Anytime tickets.
Note: Passengers can apply for a refund only if they cancel their flight tickets at least 10 minutes before departure. If they fail to do so, the refund amount either gets forfeited or automatically converted into travel credits, depending on the fare type.
Request a Refund from Southwest Airlines
Those eligible for making the refund request from Southwest Airlines can either visit the official website, download the mobile app, or call the airline’s executive to get their money back. Let’s outline these methods in detail.
Online Refund Request
Online refund requests can be made through the official site or the Southwest Mobile app. The process is simple and mentioned below for travelers’ sake of convenience.
- Visit the official website of Southwest Airlines. Alternatively, you can install its mobile app on your smart device.
- Go to the Manage Reservations option.
- Click on the Cancel your flight button.
- Once a new page opens, as shown below, enter your –
- Confirmation number
- First and last names
- Hit the Continue button.
- Once canceled, choose if you want a refund to your original payment mode or as travel funds.
Besides, you can try sending an email to the airline and claiming your refund. Please remember that the process may take a bit extra time. Here’s how to do so.
- Simply go to the Email Us page of the website.
- Carefully fill in the form here to request a refund.
- Select the nature of your email.
- Choose Travel Disruption > Expense Reimbursement Request for your submission
Offline Refund Request
Another way to get a refund from Southwest Airlines is through a phone call. Here’s how.
- Simply dial 1-800-435-9792 on your preferred device.
- Listen to and follow the IVR instructions.
- Once a live customer service representative connects, request a refund.
- Share the details required.
- Once the representative finds you eligible for the refund, your request is processed.
Will I Get a Refund if Southwest Cancels My Flight?
If Southwest cancels your flight, it offers you a chance to rebook your flight ticket or cancel your itinerary altogether. Now, if you cancel your reservation, the airline will issue a refund –
- For the unused part of the ticket (all ticket types).
- Besides, you will get compensation for extras like the baggage fee, EarlyBird Check-In or Upgrade.
To get the refund to your original form of payment, call the customer service executive or send an Email to the airline.
Please note
If you don’t get in touch with the airline for a refund after it cancels your flight, you get a flight credit.
Types of Southwest Refund Options
Southwest Airlines offers different types of refunds, depending on your ticket type and preference. A few of them are listed here. Scroll through these options and choose wisely.
-
Credit card
Have you made Southwest bookings via credit card? In that case, the airline will issue a refund to the same mode of payment within 7 business days.
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Cash
- You will get a refund by check (cheque) within 20 business days from the refund request date for the domestic trip.
- If you have used local currency for an international trip, visit Southwest’s International Travel page for refund policy.
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Southwest gift card or Southwest LUV Vouchers
- Get a Southwest LUV Voucher or Southwest gift card as flight credit for reservations canceled after 24 hours.
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Flight credit
The airline issues Flight Credits for tickets purchased using Wanna Get Away and Wann Get Away Plus fares. If a Southwest flight credit was used before for a Business Select or Anytime fare, you get a Transferable Flight Credit for it.
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Points
The airline returns the points to the Rapid Rewards account through which the booking was made. Moreover, you’ll get a refund for any taxes you have paid when purchasing flight tickets. The refund will be issued either in your original form of payment or as a flight credit.
In Conclusion
In a nutshell, Southwest refund policy is flexible and customer-friendly. So, don’t worry if you have to cancel your booking. Southwest refunds you the ticket value to the maximum possible as per its refund rules. Follow the policy and guidelines to claim a refund, and you will receive a refund from Southwest within the assured timeframe.
