Southwest Airlines Refund Policy

When comes to air travel, flexibility and convenience are the main factors that you should consider, especially if you need to change your travel plan unexpectedly. Southwest Airlines is renowned all over the world for its customer-friendly approach. Its flexible refund policy stands out in the industry. Whether you’re flying for vacation or business, you should understand their cancellation and refund policies before making any changes. From this article you can get detailed information about Southwest Airlines’ refund policy that help you navigate your travel plans smoothly.

Ticket Types and Refund Eligibility offered by Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has different fare types than other airlines. Your refund eligibility will depend largely on you’ve purchased ticket type. Here’s a detailed discussion of Southwest Airlines Refund Policy:

About the Non-Refundable ticket of South West Airlines named Wanna Get Away ticket

• Non-refundable tickets are the most affordable fare option of the airlines.
• If you cancel your Wanna Get Away or non-refundable ticket, you are not eligible to receive the cash refund. Instead, the fare amount of ticket cancellation will be converted into Travel Funds, which you can use for your future travel on Southwest Airlines.
• You should remember that the Travel Funds offered by Southwest Airlines are typically valid for 12 months from the original booking date. Only the Original purchaser can use the travel fund.
• You need to make the cancellations at least 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time by which you can avoid losing the value of the ticket.

Anytime and Business Select Fares of the airlines named Refundable

• Anytime and Business Select fares refer to refundable fares which are fully refundable and more flexible than non-refundable tickets.
• After canceling your ticket, you need to choose the refund that you can get it the original payment method or request to receive the Travel Funds for future use.
• You can only request for refunds after cancelling your ticket, as long as it is before departure.

Southwest’s Companion Pass

• A companion pass is another option of a refund offered by Southwest Airlines. If you want to fly with a Companion Pass, you should cancel your primary traveler’s ticket first then request the companion’s ticket or convert it to Travel Funds.

Detail of Same-Day Flight Changes

With Southwest Airlines, you can get the chance of same-day flight changes where you do need not to pay any additional fees, provided there’s availability. The flexibility is perfect for those travelers with changing schedules. However, you need to pay the fare differences.

Travel Fund Expiration and Extension

Travel Funds is the most unique aspect of Southwest Airlines. In the case of non-refundable fares, you will receive a refund of the cost of your canceled flight in the form of a travel fund, which you can apply to any future travel with Southwest Airlines.

• Expiration: you should use the Travel within one year of the date of the original purchase which typically expires after one year.
• Extension: Though Southwest doesn’t officially offer any extensions, you can find some leeway. You should contact customer service before the travel funds expire. However, Southwest has historically provided some special extensions or reassurances in certain cases.

Southwest does not take any Cancellation or Change Fees

Southwest does not get the cancellation and change fees, which is one of the most customer-friendly aspects of the Southwest Airlines Refund Policy. There are lots of airlines that usually charge hefty fees for changing or canceling flights. With Southwest, you can cancel or reschedule your flight without penalty. However, you need to pay the difference in fare if the new flight is comparatively expensive.

How to Cancel a Flight through the official website of the Southwest

Cancelling a Southwest flight online is a straightforward process through the website or their mobile app:

• Log in to your Southwest account on the Southwest website or mobile app.
• Then navigate to the “Manage Reservations” section.
• After that, you should select the flight you want to cancel and follow the prompts.
• Finally, you’ll get the option to refund (if applicable) or receive Travel Funds.

If you purchased a flight using Rapid Rewards points, you will receive points to your account. Additionally, if you pay any taxes or fees you can get it in the original form of payment.

The Timing that a Refund Processing usually Takes

To refund the money, Southwest typically takes 7-10 business days. The airlines are popular for processing refunds very quickly. Within 7 to 10 days, the money will be returned to your credit card. If you purchase the ticket using a debit card, then the refund may take up to 30 days to return to your account, depending on your bank.

What Happens If Southwest Cancels Your Flight?

If Southwest cancels your flight, you have the option to:

• You can rebook your other Southwest flight without paying additional charges.
• You can request a refund for the unused portion of your Southwest flight ticket. It is applicable for both refundable and non-refundable tickets.
• With the non-refundable ticket, you can convert your fare into Travel Funds for future use.

COVID-19 Considerations

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Southwest has offered its travelers some additional flexibility. At the peak of the pandemic, there is evidence that the airline extended the expiry date of travel funds. It was also observed that even after certain pandemic-related periods expired, these airlines continued to maintain a passenger-first approach.

Conclusion

Southwest Airlines always focuses on offering flexibility to travelers. So they also design a flexible Southwest Airlines Refund Policy, with generous terms for cancellations, changes, and refunds. Whether you have a refundable or non-refundable ticket, Southwest makes it easy to adjust the travel plans of travelers without getting too much stress by extra fees. Their user-friendly online system and no hidden costs, allow travelers to focus more on their journey.

FAQ