Southwest Flight Delay Compensation

One of the most important things you can do is understand your rights as a passenger to ensure you receive fair compensation for delayed or cancelled flights. Reading through the Southwest flight delay compensation can be extremely beneficial since your rights on U.S. vs E.U. flights are very different.

Unfortunately, no U.S. federal law requires U.S. airlines to provide compensation for delayed domestic flights in the U.S., and Southwest does not fly to/from the E.U., where the laws mandate a Southwest flight delay compensation. Going strictly by U.S. laws, Southwest flight delays do not guarantee any flight compensation. However: 

• You are entitled to Southwest flight delay compensation if you were involuntarily denied boarding and the flight you were rebooked on is delayed. 
• Southwest Airlines may offer delayed flight compensation, but solely at its discretion.

Below are the key points relating to Southwest flight delay compensation policy:

• Per U.S. laws (Department of Transportation’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard), if your flight is delayed or cancelled due to reasons within its control, Southwest’s passenger commitment is limited to:
  • Rebooking you on another flight at no additional cost. 
  • Providing (or compensating you for) a meal or cash voucher for delays or cancellations resulting in a wait time of 3 hours or more for a new flight. 
  • Providing (or compensating you for) free hotel accommodations for delays resulting in overnight stays. 
  • Providing (or compensating you for) free ground transportation from and to the hotel in case of overnight stays.

Note: Southwest will not rebook you on a partner flight or another airline at no additional cost if it doesn’t already have an agreement with them. 

• The flight delay compensation offered by Southwest Airlines (solely at its discretion) is a LUV Voucher, which:
  • Can be used to cover the cost of future travel on Southwest, except taxes and fees.  
  • Has a 1-year validity from the date of the issue requiring you to complete your trip by the expiration date mentioned on the voucher. 
  • Every passenger is entitled to receive, incl. passengers whose flights were booked with Companion Pass or Rapid Rewards. If any passenger on your booking does not receive a voucher, follow up and remind Southwest’s Customer Service. When doing so, don’t forget to include the names and confirmation numbers of the passengers.
  • Can be used to purchase a ticket for anyone—even if the voucher includes another person’s name (LUV vouchers are different from Travel Funds, which you typically receive after cancelling a flight and must use only for yourself. 

Southwest Delayed Flight Policy

According to the Southwest delayed flight policy: 

• In case of tarmac flight delays nearing 2 hours due to mechanical problems, air traffic requirements, or gate-space limitations, you will be provided snacks and drinking water, as well as access to restrooms.
• If your flight is overly delayed or cancelled Southwest Airlines will:
  • Notify you of flight delays of 30 minutes or more—by phone, text, or email within 30 minutes of being aware of the delay.
  • Rebook you on the next available flight on Southwest at no extra cost. 
  • Provide a meal or cash voucher if the waiting time for your new flight is 3 hours or more. 
  • Provide complimentary hotel accommodations if the delay results in an overnight stay.
  • Provide complimentary ground transportation to and from the hotel if the delay results in an overnight stay.

The Southwest delayed flight policy does not include free rebooking on partner airline/other airline flights with which it does not have an agreement. 

U.S. laws do not provide financial compensation for flight delays, except in case of involuntary boarding denials. Since Southwest does not fly to or from Europe, its flights do not qualify for the European Union’s Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004, which entitles passengers to compensation for flight delays of 3 hours or more.

Tip: If a flight has been delayed by more than 1 hour, Southwest has been known to almost always give delayed flight compensation, even though it’s not required. You will likely be issued a LUV Voucher as Southwest flight delay compensation, which you can use to travel later. The voucher has a 1-year validity, which means you must complete your travel before expiration. It can be used by anyone, even if it includes another person’s name.

Are Southwest Flight Delays Eligible for Compensation?

Southwest flight delays are not required by U.S. laws to provide compensation, except for involuntary boarding denials. This means if your flight is delayed and you have not been involuntarily denied boarding, you will not be eligible for any compensation. 

However, if your flight is delayed, Southwest will:

• Provide drinking water and snacks, plus access to restrooms, for tarmac flight delays approaching 2 hours. 
• Inform you of delays of 30 minutes or more by phone, text, or email.
• Book you on the next flight available at no additional charge. 
• Offer a cash voucher or meal (or compensate you for the meal) if you have to wait for at least 3 hours for your new flight. 
• Provide free overnight boarding accommodation (or compensate you for it) if required.
• Provide free ground transportation to and from the hotel if required (or compensate you for it).

Note: Although not guaranteed, Southwest offers LUV Vouchers as flight delay compensation, depending on the length and reason for the delay. They can be used for future travel. You can also request a refund of the unused portion of your ticket, as long as you’re ready to rebook yourself to your destination on an alternative flight.

To learn about compensations relating to involuntary boarding denials, refer to the section titled Southwest Delayed Flight Compensation. 

Southwest LUV Voucher

A Southwest LUV Voucher is a type of compensation provided by Southwest in case of flight delays, luggage delays, etc. It’s Southwest’s way of keeping customers happy. Southwest has been known to traditionally offer LUV Vouchers for flight delays of more than 1 hour (solely at its discretion)—although this is not required. 

• LUV Vouchers are goodwill gestures and not the same as Travel Funds/Flight Credits. 
• Unlike Flight Credits which never expire and cover taxes and fees, LUV Vouchers have a 1-year expiry date, are transferrable, do not cover taxes and fees, and can be used up to 2 times. However, after you use your voucher to book a ticket, nobody else can use it.
• LUV Vouchers are mostly emailed to whoever books a flight and have a flight confirmation number. 
• You can use a Southwest LUV Voucher toward future air travel:
  • Online via Southwest.com
  • Southwest Airlines Mobile app/mobile website 
  • By phone at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792)
  • At Southwest Airlines’ Ticket Counter
• The vouchers do not have any cash value and can’t be sold. 
• If stolen, lost, or destroyed, the voucher will not be replaced, so be sure to save the email with your LUV Voucher. 
• To check the balance of a LUV Voucher, go to Southwest.com, click on Flight, Check travel funds, and then Southwest LUV Vouchers. Enter your Voucher Number and Security Code and the voucher balance will show up. 
• LUV Vouchers expire 1 year after they are issued and cannot be renewed. This means you must have booked your flight and flown by the expiry date indicated on the voucher. 
• You can use a LUV Voucher to book any type of fare, but you cannot pay taxes or fees with it (which must be paid by credit card or another acceptable payment method).  
• Although LUV Vouchers are issued against a name, they are not tied to that name. This means you can use your LUV Voucher to book a flight for anyone you choose. 
• If you cannot use your LUV Voucher by the date of expiration, you can convert it into Travel Credits/Travel Funds and then use the Travel Credits to pay taxes and fees. Unless you do this, you won’t be allowed to use your LUV voucher to pay the taxes and fees.

Southwest Delayed Flight Compensation

Southwest compensation for delayed flights applies only to passengers who have been involuntarily denied boarding and offered an alternative flight with a delayed scheduled arrival time (i.e., after the original flight). The amount of delayed flight compensation due to involuntary boarding denials will depend on the route (national/international) and the extent of the delay, as shown below.

• The delayed flight compensation will be at least 2 times the fare to the passenger’s first stopover or destination or USD 775 (whichever is lower) if the scheduled arrival time of the alternative transportation at the time of the arrangement is:
  • More than 1 hour but less than 2 hours after the scheduled arrival time of the original flight on a domestic route, or 
  • More than 1 hour but less than 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time of the flight on an international route
• The Southwest compensation for delayed flights will be at least 4 times the fare to the destination or first stopover or USD 1,550 (whichever is lower) if Southwest does not offer alternative transportation that is scheduled to arrive at the passenger’s first stopover or destination:
  • Within 2 hours of the scheduled arrival time of the original flight on domestic itineraries, or 
  • Within 4 hours of the scheduled arrival time of the original flight on international itineraries. 

Exceptions: You will not be entitled to any compensation if you’re offered comparable alternative transportation (at no additional charge) if it arrives at your stopover/destination within 1 hour after the scheduled arrival time of your original flight. 

You have the option to receive compensation in the form of a draft (in your favor) or a Southwest LUV Voucher (if you wish) which you can use to complete your travel within 1 year from the date of issue of the voucher. 

Can You Get Compensation for Delayed Flights?

In Europe, delays exceeding 3 hours may entitle you to compensation under EU261, unless the flight delay resulted from extraordinary circumstances, such as bad weather, air traffic decisions outside the carrier’s control, political strife, security risks, etc. Eligible flights include flights within the European Union, flights departing from the E.U. to any country, including connecting flights booked within the U.S.

However, U.S. laws do not provide for Southwest flight delay compensations, unless you are involuntarily denied boarding and the alternative flight offered to you is delayed, i.e., arrives later than your original flight. The compensation will depend on the route (domestic/international) and the length of the delay.

The compensation for flight delays resulting from boarding denials on Southwest are as follows: 

• At least 2 times the fare to your final destination/first stopover or USD 775, whichever is less, if you’re offered alternate transportation scheduled to arrive at your first stopover, or if there’s none, your final destination:
  • For a domestic itinerary, more than 1 hour but less than 2 hours after the scheduled arrival time of your original flight, or 
  • For an international itinerary, more than 1 hour but less than 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time of your original flight 
• At least 4 times the fare to your destination or first stopover or USD 1,550, whichever is lower, if you’re not offered alternate transportation scheduled to arrive at your first stopover, or if there’s none, at your final destination:
  • For a domestic itinerary, less than 2 hours after the scheduled arrival time of your original flight, or 
  • For an international itinerary, less than 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time of your original flight 

Payment of Compensation

Southwest Airlines will pay the compensation on the day and place of the boarding denial. However, if it arranges alternative transportation before the payment of the compensation, you will receive the compensation by mail or other means no more than 24 hours after the boarding denial occurs. 

You will initially be offered compensation by draft (payable to you) or with your consent, a LUV Voucher that you can use toward future travel. 

Southwest 1-Hour Delay Compensation

The Southwest 1-hour delay compensation applies to alternative flights delayed by at least 1 hour when offered to a passenger who has been involuntarily denied boarding. If you were involuntarily denied boarding and offered an alternative flight that is planned to arrive at your first stopover, or if there’s no first stopover, your destination, the compensation will be at least 2 times the fare or USD 775, whichever is lower:

• For a domestic U.S. flight scheduled to arrive at least 1 hour after but 2 hours before the scheduled arrival time of your original flight. 
• For an international flight scheduled to arrive more than 1 hour after but less than 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time of your original flight. 

Southwest 2-Hour Delay Compensation

The Southwest 2-hour delay compensation applies to flights delayed by up to 2 hours when offered to passengers who have been denied boarding involuntarily. If you were denied boarding involuntarily and not offered an alternative flight, and the flight taken by you is scheduled to arrive late at your first stopover/destination within 2 hours of your original domestic flight, the compensation will be at least 4 times the fare or USD 1,550, whichever is lower.

Southwest 3-Hour Delay Compensation

The Southwest 3-hour delay compensation applies to flights offered to passengers who face involuntary boarding denials, and includes international flights scheduled to arrive late by:

• More than 1 hour but less than 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time of the original flight 
• Less than 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time of the original flight 

The Southwest 3-hour delay compensation for the flights mentioned above is:

• The lower of 2 times the fare or USD 775 for international flights scheduled to arrive more than 1 hour and less than 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time of the original flight.
• The lower of 4 times the fare or USD 1,550 for international flights scheduled to arrive less than 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time of the original flight if you were not offered an alternative flight by Southwest 

How to Apply for Southwest Flight Delay Compensation

You should apply for flight delay compensation in the U.S. soon after your flight is disrupted. Although Southwest is not obligated by law to provide compensation for flight delays, long flight delays may offer restitution in the form of LUV Vouchers that you can use toward future travel. To place a compensation request, you will be required to provide your flight information, incl. your ticket number, so be sure to save this information.

You can apply for a flight delay compensation in any of the following ways:

• Via direct messaging on Southwest’s Twitter Account
• By email
• Via live chat through Southwest’s mobile app

When contacting Southwest’s customer service, have the following information with you:

• Your flight number
• Your reservation number
  (incl. of the passengers travelling with you)
• The inconvenience caused by the flight delay 

Tip: Always be polite to the agent you engage with.

Credit Cards that Offer Flight Delay Compensation

Below are a few cards that offer trip delay reimbursement, mostly for trips with a delay time of 6 – 12 hours. 

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card  (6 hours)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve (6 hours) 
• American Express Platinum Card (6 hours)
• Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card (6 hours)
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card  (6 hours)
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card  (12 hours/overnight)
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card (12 hours/overnight) 
• Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card  (12 hours/overnight)
• World of Hyatt Credit Card  (12 hours/overnight)
• United Club Infinite Card  (12 hours/overnight)
• United Explorer Card  (12 hours/overnight)

Frequently Asked Questions

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