How to Make the Most of Southwest Airline's Cancellation and Change Policy
Johnnyjet.comFlying Southwest airlines can be a great deal if you want to avoid fees for changing or canceling a flight.
How Southwest Airlines Compares to Other Airlines
The chart below provides an overview of airline ticket change fees for six major airlines compared to those for Southwest Airlines. On average, airlines charge around $200 to change a ticket once the grace period has passed. For Alaska airlines, any changes must be made 60 days in advance of the flight to avoid a fee. Since most of us don't plan to make flight changes unless something comes up (usually at the last minute), this 60-day timeframe can be very frustrating. Even more shocking is the whopping $450 fee Delta charges for changes to some international flights. The rest of this article provides the details and exceptions associated with Southwest's cancellation and change policy.
| Airline | Ticket Change Fee | Same Day Change Fee |
| Alaska | $125 | $25 |
| American | $200 | $75 |
| Delta | $200 (up to $450 on some international fares) | $50 |
| Frontier | $50 - $100 | $25 - $50 |
| Jet Blue | $75 - $150 | $50 |
| United | $200 | $75 |
| Southwest | Free | None - but fare difference may apply |
Refund Policy Overview
As with most major airlines, Southwest Airlines offers a full refund within 24 hours of purchase. After the 24 hour refund period has passed, the price of non-refundable tickets is applied to future travel within one year of the purchase date. Ticket change fees are discussed in greater detail below, but it should be mentioned here that other major airlines will generally refund the price of your non-refundable ticket minus the ticket change fee after this 24 hour grace period ends. Since Southwest offers a free ticket change policy, you are getting a full refund of the price you paid for your ticket to apply towards your next trip.
Southwest Ticket Change Fees
The majority of airlines charge a ticket change fee. These fees can range anywhere from $50 to $200. This is not the case with Southwest, which offers an unconditional, free ticket change policy as well as a free same-day ticket change policy. It is worth mentioning that Southwest's ticket change policy does not restrict customers from traveling to the same destination as their original ticket. It is free no matter what, even if you choose to travel to a different destination altogether. This is rare for a major airline. Most airlines will not honor a flight to a new destination on the same fare.
Southwest Flights Booked with Points
What happens if you use your frequent flyer miles to book your flight? According to Southwest's No Show Policy, you must notify the airline at least 10 minutes prior to departure if you know you won't make your flight. If you fail to notify them, your reservation will be canceled and you will not be issued a refund. However, if they are notified in time, the full points value of your ticket will be credited back to your account.
Southwest Fare Categories
Southwest offers several fare categories that each carry their own fine print when it comes to refunds and ticket changes. The information below is recent as of the time of this writing and was taken from the Southwest website. Please note that non-refundable fares may sometimes be upgraded to a refundable fare category (for example, senior fares that want to be put on standby), but a fee will apply.
Business Select® and Anytime (Refundable Fares)
These fares are refundable and changeable and may be applied to future travel for the originally ticketed passenger only. Standby travel between the same cities and on the same day is permitted free of charge. Senior fares are also considered refundable but must be upgraded to Anytime to qualify for Standby travel. Reservations must be canceled at least 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure. If the reservation is not canceled, all funds will be forfeited.
NOTE: Under the "Next Generation Reservation System", modifying a refundable fare (Business Select® or Anytime), will result in the fare becoming nonrefundable. To get around this restriction, simply cancel your existing reservation, receive the refund, and book a new reservation with the necessary modifications.
Wanna Get Away (Nonrefundable Fare)
Wanna Get Away fares are nonrefundable but may be applied toward future travel for the original ticketed passenger. If the passenger does not apply the fare to future travel within 1 year of the purchase date, the fare and all associated taxes and fees will be forfeited. The same 10-minute no-show policy applies to nonrefundable fares. Standby travel requires an upgrade to the Anytime fare.
The Bottom Line on Southwest Airlines Cancelation Fees
Southwest's cancellation and change policy far exceeds those of other major airlines; however, it is essential to understand the fine print associated with the airline's various fare levels to truly make the most of it. More often than not, your best bet is to cancel and rebook a flight rather than make changes at the last minute. For fully refundable flights and flights booked with points, the fine print associated with flight changes is a non-issue, but for non-refundable flights (which are typically less expensive), you will get your full ticket value back if you use this approach.
A couple of important caveats to note. Refunds may only be made back to the original ticketed passenger and will be applied only to the original form of payment. Those flying using a companion pass (a free pass that may be purchased with award miles) must be accompanied by the original ticketed passenger to board a Southwest flight. So, if the original ticketed passenger has to cancel a flight, the companion pass will be forfeited.
">Southwest Airlines has one of the most flexible cancellation and change policies of any major airline. It is also one of the more straight-forward policies out there. We've all dealt with the frustration of last minute travel changes that lead to navigating daunting cancellation policies and ticket-change fees which can sometimes cost as much as the ticket itself, especially if you use travel rewards points. So when an airline puts their customers first, it is worth acknowledging. Here, we break down the details on the cancellation and change policies of Southwest flights.
Johnnyjet.comFlying Southwest airlines can be a great deal if you want to avoid fees for changing or canceling a flight.
How Southwest Airlines Compares to Other Airlines
The chart below provides an overview of airline ticket change fees for six major airlines compared to those for Southwest Airlines. On average, airlines charge around $200 to change a ticket once the grace period has passed. For Alaska airlines, any changes must be made 60 days in advance of the flight to avoid a fee. Since most of us don't plan to make flight changes unless something comes up (usually at the last minute), this 60-day timeframe can be very frustrating. Even more shocking is the whopping $450 fee Delta charges for changes to some international flights. The rest of this article provides the details and exceptions associated with Southwest's cancellation and change policy.
| Airline | Ticket Change Fee | Same Day Change Fee |
| Alaska | $125 | $25 |
| American | $200 | $75 |
| Delta | $200 (up to $450 on some international fares) | $50 |
| Frontier | $50 - $100 | $25 - $50 |
| Jet Blue | $75 - $150 | $50 |
| United | $200 | $75 |
| Southwest | Free | None - but fare difference may apply |
Refund Policy Overview
As with most major airlines, Southwest Airlines offers a full refund within 24 hours of purchase. After the 24 hour refund period has passed, the price of non-refundable tickets is applied to future travel within one year of the purchase date. Ticket change fees are discussed in greater detail below, but it should be mentioned here that other major airlines will generally refund the price of your non-refundable ticket minus the ticket change fee after this 24 hour grace period ends. Since Southwest offers a free ticket change policy, you are getting a full refund of the price you paid for your ticket to apply towards your next trip.
Southwest Ticket Change Fees
The majority of airlines charge a ticket change fee. These fees can range anywhere from $50 to $200. This is not the case with Southwest, which offers an unconditional, free ticket change policy as well as a free same-day ticket change policy. It is worth mentioning that Southwest's ticket change policy does not restrict customers from traveling to the same destination as their original ticket. It is free no matter what, even if you choose to travel to a different destination altogether. This is rare for a major airline. Most airlines will not honor a flight to a new destination on the same fare.
Southwest Flights Booked with Points
What happens if you use your frequent flyer miles to book your flight? According to Southwest's No Show Policy, you must notify the airline at least 10 minutes prior to departure if you know you won't make your flight. If you fail to notify them, your reservation will be canceled and you will not be issued a refund. However, if they are notified in time, the full points value of your ticket will be credited back to your account.
Southwest Fare Categories
Southwest offers several fare categories that each carry their own fine print when it comes to refunds and ticket changes. The information below is recent as of the time of this writing and was taken from the Southwest website. Please note that non-refundable fares may sometimes be upgraded to a refundable fare category (for example, senior fares that want to be put on standby), but a fee will apply.
Business Select® and Anytime (Refundable Fares)
These fares are refundable and changeable and may be applied to future travel for the originally ticketed passenger only. Standby travel between the same cities and on the same day is permitted free of charge. Senior fares are also considered refundable but must be upgraded to Anytime to qualify for Standby travel. Reservations must be canceled at least 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure. If the reservation is not canceled, all funds will be forfeited.
NOTE: Under the "Next Generation Reservation System", modifying a refundable fare (Business Select® or Anytime), will result in the fare becoming nonrefundable. To get around this restriction, simply cancel your existing reservation, receive the refund, and book a new reservation with the necessary modifications.
Wanna Get Away (Nonrefundable Fare)
Wanna Get Away fares are nonrefundable but may be applied toward future travel for the original ticketed passenger. If the passenger does not apply the fare to future travel within 1 year of the purchase date, the fare and all associated taxes and fees will be forfeited. The same 10-minute no-show policy applies to nonrefundable fares. Standby travel requires an upgrade to the Anytime fare.
The Bottom Line on Southwest Airlines Cancelation Fees
Southwest's cancellation and change policy far exceeds those of other major airlines; however, it is essential to understand the fine print associated with the airline's various fare levels to truly make the most of it. More often than not, your best bet is to cancel and rebook a flight rather than make changes at the last minute. For fully refundable flights and flights booked with points, the fine print associated with flight changes is a non-issue, but for non-refundable flights (which are typically less expensive), you will get your full ticket value back if you use this approach.
A couple of important caveats to note. Refunds may only be made back to the original ticketed passenger and will be applied only to the original form of payment. Those flying using a companion pass (a free pass that may be purchased with award miles) must be accompanied by the original ticketed passenger to board a Southwest flight. So, if the original ticketed passenger has to cancel a flight, the companion pass will be forfeited.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnnyjet/2017/11/27/how-to-make-the-most-of-southwest-airlines-cancellation-and-change-policy/
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