Southwest Airlines cancellation policy is one of friendliest on the market. It allows you to cancel your flight without penalty if you cancel within the prescribed time limit. However, the Southwest cancellation policy varies, depending on the ticket you’ve purchased.

Southwest Cancellation Policy
  • Cancelling Wanna Get Away Tickets
    Under the Southwest flight cancellation policy, Wanna Get Away tickets are reusable but non-refundable. Southwest allows you to cancel (and reuse later) a Wanna Get Away ticket up to 10 minutes before your flight’s departure. After you cancel your ticket, you must use your travel funds within 1 year of the purchase date of your ticket (remember, purchase date—not flight date).

    Hot Tips
    • Save the confirmation number of your cancelled flight because you will need it to access your travel funds later.
    • If your travel funds have expired, Southwest may reinstate them for a fee of USD 100.
  • Cancelling Anytime, Business Select, and Senior Tickets
    Anytime and Business Select are costlier but refundable. Southwest Airlines cancellation policy allows you to cancel an Anytime, Business Select, or Senior ticket at least 10 minutes before departure and receive a 100% refund to your original form of payment. This is applicable to tickets purchased by cash or Rapid Rewards points. 

Southwest Airlines flight cancellation policy states that if you no-show for an Anytime, Business Select, or Senior ticket—i.e., you don’t cancel at least 10 minutes before your flight’s departure—the value of your ticket will be converted into travel funds. 

You must use the travel funds within 12 months from the date of original purchase. If you purchased your ticket with Rapid Rewards points, all your points will be redeposited back to your account. Alternatively, you can reuse it for future travel. However, if you cancel, you must do it at least 10 minutes before your flight’s scheduled departure time.


Southwest 24 Hours Cancellation Policy

According to the Southwest 24-hour cancellation policy, you can cancel any ticket—including a non-refundable Wanna Get Away ticket—within 24 hours of booking and receive a full refund. 

You can cancel the ticket online via Southwest.com, via the app, or by phone. You have the option to receive the refund to your original form of payment or convert the value of your ticket into Travel Funds for future travel. 

You’re also allowed to cancel a ticket purchased fully or partially with a Southwest Gift Card or an LUV Voucher within 24 hours of booking. But you can only cancel such tickets by contacting Southwest Customer Relations at 1-855-234-4654.


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

Southwest Airlines cancellation policy allows you to cancel both Companion Pass fares and flight tickets purchased with Gift Cards as explained below.

Companion Pass

Southwest cancellation policy allows you to cancel a Companion Pass fare. After you cancel, any taxes paid by you will be refunded to your original form of payment. 

Gift Cards

According to Southwest Airlines ticket cancellation policy, tickets purchased with Gift Cards are non-refundable. Different rules apply to them as opposed to the rules that apply to tickets purchased with cash or points.

Under the Southwest cancellation policy for tickets purchased with Gift Cards, the value of your cancelled ticket will be converted into reusable Travel Funds for future use. Travel Funds typically have an expiry date of 12 months.

However, if you used a different form of payment to purchase your ticket, the earlier expiry date will apply. If you cancel your gift card-purchased ticket (fully or partly) within 24 hours of departure, you must contact Customer Relations.


How to Cancel a Flight on Southwest Airlines?

Cancel Flight

The Southwest cancellation policy allows you to cancel your Southwest ticket by phone or online.
To cancel online:

  1. Go to Southwest.com
  2. Select the Change/Cancel tab from the top right side
  3. To retrieve your flight booking:
    1. Enter your
      1. Confirmation number 
      2. First name 
      3. Last name 
    2. Select the Cancel flight option 
  4. Click on Search 
  5. Select the flight you want to cancel 
  6. After you have selected your flight
    1. Confirm the cancellation
    2. If your ticket is fully refundable, you will have the option to request a refund to your original form of payment or hold it as a Travel Fund for future use.
    3. If your ticket is non-refundable (Wanna Get Away), you can request a Travel Fund for future use 

You can also cancel your Southwest Airlines flight(s) with the mobile app.


Southwest COVID-19 Travel Waivers

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Southwest Airlines allows you to:

  • Use the Travel Funds created out of a Wanna Get Away ticket for up to 1 year from the date of original purchase.
  • Convert Travel Funds that expire on September 7, 2022 into Rapid Rewards points at current point rates.
  • Since Rapid Rewards points never expire, you can use your new points whenever you want. Check if you have qualified travel funds soon — you can only convert your qualified travel funds through December 15, 2020.

Note:- If you’ve purchased your flight ticket from a travel website or agency, you can contact them directly to cancel your flight booking.


How to Use Southwest Airlines Travel Funds?

To access your Travel Funds, you must know the confirmation number associated with it. Travel funds can be used to purchase flight tickets, taxes, and fees. However, they cannot be used to purchase someone else’s ticket. 

To view your Travel Funds balance and expiry dates:

  • Click on Check Travel Funds
  • Enter your name (first and last) and confirmation number
  • Click on the Check funds button

FAQ’s on Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy

If you have questions related to Southwest Airlines Cancellation Policy you can check over below down here:-

Q. What is Southwest Airlines cancellation policy?

A. The Southwest Airlines cancellation policy allows you to cancel Anytime and Business Select tickets and either receive a full refund or convert it into a Travel Fund for future use. However, you must cancel your ticket at least 10 minutes before departure.

Southwest Airlines cancellation policy for Wanna Get Away fares allows you to cancel such tickets (at least within 10 minutes of departure) and exchange them for a Travel Fund.

Q. Can I cancel my Southwest Airlines’ flight?

A. Yes, you can cancel your Southwest Airlines flight without penalty if you cancel at least 10 minutes before your flight’s departure. To cancel your flight online, go to Southwest.com, click on the Change/Cancel tab, select the Cancel flight option, and retrieve your flight by entering your trip details. After you have retrieved your flight, select and cancel it.

Q. Can I get a full refund on my Southwest Airlines’ booking/reservation?

A. Yes, you can get a full refund on both refundable and nonrefundable reservations. To get a refund on a refundable ticket, cancel your flight at least 10 minutes before departure and choose to either receive a refund to your original form of payment or get your Travel Funds deposited to your account for future use.

To get a refund on a nonrefundable ticket such as a Wanna Get Away fare, you can cancel it within 24 hours of departure by phone, online, or through the mobile app. You will have the option to receive a full refund to your original form of payment or receive Travel Funds for future use.

However, if you purchased your ticket with a Southwest gift card or an LUV voucher and cancel it within 24 hours, call Southwest’s Customer Relations at +1-855-234-4654 and ask for a refund.

Q. What is Southwest Airlines’ No Show policy?

A. Southwest Airlines’ No-Show policy requires that all passengers holding a Wanna Get Away ticket must cancel it at least 10 minutes before departure. If they don’t, it will be considered a “no show”—and all the unused funds will be forfeited.

Southwest’s no-show policy for Anytime and Business Select fares is different. If a passenger holding an Anytime or Business Select fare no-shows for a flight, the entire portion of the unused funds for will be converted to reusable Travel Funds for future use.

Under Southwest’s no-show policy for reward travel reservations, all the points of a cancelled flight will be credited back to the passenger’s Rapid Rewards account, and any associated taxes and fees will be held for future use as reusable Travel Funds under the passenger’s name.

Q. What is the Southwest Airlines cancellation policy for non-refundable tickets?

A. Southwest Airlines cancellation policy for non-refundable tickets allows a passenger to cancel a Wanna Get Away ticket provided it is cancelled at least 10 minutes before departure. After you cancel the ticket, its value will be converted into a Travel Fund for future use.

Q. What is Southwest Airlines ticket cancellation policy for Business Select tickets?

A. Southwest Airlines ticket cancellation policy for Business Select tickets allows you to cancel your Business Select ticket at least 10 minutes before departure and either receive a full refund to your original form of payment or as a Travel Fund for future travel.

Southwest Airlines ticket cancellation policy further states if you no-show for a Business Select ticket (i.e., you fail to cancel within 10 minutes of departure), the value of your ticket will be automatically converted into a Travel Fund for future use.

3 thoughts on “Southwest Cancellation Policy”

  • I need to submit a request for a flight that was cancelled several times during a trip this Summer. I would like to see if there is any compensation for the repeated cancellation of flight 3569 on July 23from MCO that departed at 6:51 PM instead of 6:20 PM.
    The flight 4822 was cancelled and did not arrive in DTW until after midnight on July 24, and was changed to flight 5495 on July 23 from BWI.

    RR# 20154207301

    Please contact me at sfward17@att.net.

    Thank you

  • Virginia Stady says:

    I recently purchased tickets through Flights Mojo on Southwest Airlines for Dec.21-Dec.28. 2022. The flight on 12/28 was canceled by Southwest. When I spoke to them they told me I had to speak to Flights Mojo. I called them and was told I had to call Southwest. The confirmation numbers are 4***QE and 4K***9. Please advise me how I am to get a refund that was canceled by Southwest ( and with no notification to me- I only found out when I tried to check-in 24 hours ahead of my flight).

  • Rebecca Davidson says:

    I have an ticket booked back to Seattle from Palm Springs on Southwest Airlines. I can’t make the flight. The cancellation fee is more than the cost of my flight. Can I just be a no show for the flight and book another ticket with southwest Airlines? Or is there a penalty?

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