How to cancel a Southwest Airlines flight?

Have a flight booked with Southwest Airlines and can no longer make it?

Read on, as we’ve put together a handy guide covering the easiest ways to cancel a Southwest Airlines flight.

We’ll even show you a quick tip for low-cost vacation spending, for when you do eventually take your trip. Get a Wise Card to spend in the local currency in 175 countries worldwide. Your USD will automatically be converted at a fair exchange rate, for just a small conversion fee¹.

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How to cancel a Southwest Airlines flight - your options

The quickest and easiest way to cancel your Southwest flight is online. You can also use the dedicated Southwest Airlines mobile app.

Head to the Manage Reservation pageon southwest.com or in the app. You’ll need to have your booking confirmation number to hand, along with the lead passenger name. Simply tap the ‘Cancel’ option and follow the on-screen instructions².

Is there a time limit on cancellations?

This part is really important if you’re looking to get a refund for your canceled Southwest flight.

You must cancel your flight at least 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time². However, this should be easily achievable for most people, even in those last-minute situations.

Is it possible to cancel a Southwest Airlines flight and get a refund?

Southwest Airlines offers a pretty generous policy when it comes to refunds for cancellations. However, it depends what ticket you have and when you initiated the cancellation. Let’s take a look.

Refunds for Business Select or Anytime tickets³

Both of these ticket types are classed as ‘refundable’. This means that if you cancel at least 10 minutes before your flight is scheduled to leave, you should get a full refund.

You’ll have a choice. Either you can receive a refund back to your original method of payment, or you can receive a flight credit to use towards a future booking.

If you cancel within 10 minutes of your scheduled flight time, you’ll only receive a flight credit.

Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus tickets³

Wanna Get Away tickets are classed as ‘non-refundable’. This means you won’t receive a refund back to your original payment method if you cancel.

However, you will receive an automatic flight credit to use against a future reservation. If you cancel within 10 minutes of your flight time, unfortunately you won’t receive any kind of refund or credit.

Is there a cancellation fee?

The great news is that Southwest Airlines doesn’t charge any cancellation fees⁴. This means you can change or cancel your booking at any time, up to the 10 minutes before your flight is scheduled to depart.

How to change a Southwest Airlines flight

If you’ve simply made a mistake with your booking, or would prefer to move your flight to a later date, you can amend it rather than canceling altogether.

The process for changing a Southwest Airlines flight is very similar to canceling. Use the app or head to the Manage Reservation pageon southwest.com. Enter your confirmation number to locate your flight, then tap ‘Change’ to amend the details². You’ll be shown options for alternative flights, and can choose what suits you best.

There’s no fee for changing flights with Southwest, but you may have to pay any difference in fare. If your new flight costs less, you’ll receive a refund - either in the form of credit or a refund sent to your original payment method².

How to contact Southwest Airlines customer services

Need assistance with changing or canceling your flight, or have a question about refunds? You can contact the Southwest customer services team on 1-800-435-9792⁵.

Get travel spending sorted with the Wise Card

Finally ready to travel? Now that you have your flights sorted, it’s time to think about how you’ll spend during your trip.

The Wise Card is the perfect solution.With the Wise card, you won’t have to worry about changing money at a currency exchange desk or the hassle of finding the best FX rates. You’ll have everything you need right there in your pocket. So, that’s travel spending sorted.

There’s only a tiny conversion fee to pay, or it’s free if you already have the currency in your Wise account¹.

Key features of the Wise debit card include:
Spend in 174 countries, Fee-free ATM withdrawal 2 times a month for a total of 100 USD, Your USD is automatically converted using the mid-market rate to the local currency when spending Only a one-time fee of $9¹, Dedicated 24/7 customer support in 14 languages.

It’s quick and easy to register a Wise Account online. Then, you can order your own international Wise Card for a one-time fee of just $9¹.

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And that’s it - your at-a-glance guide on how to cancel a Southwest Airlines flight. We’ve covered the easiest way to cancel (online or in the app), and whether you can get a refund (yes, in pretty much all circumstances).

The great news is that Southwest is one of the most flexible airlines when it comes to changing your plans. You can amend or cancel with no fees, and even get a refund or flight credit up to 10 minutes before your scheduled flight time.

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Sources used for this article:

1. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing: Only Pay for What You Use for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.
2. Southwest - Change or cancel your flight
3. Southwest - Refund policy
4. Nerdwallet - How to cancel a Southwest Airlines flight
5. Southwest - Contact us

Sources checked on 13-Jan-2023.