How can I cancel a flight with Southwest Airlines?

Confirm the seller first, then open Manage Reservations and identify the current fare bundle before cancelling. Choice Preferred and Choice Extra are refundable; Choice and Basic are non-refundable and normally return conditional flight-credit value. Cancel at least ten minutes before departure, and check the whole-round-trip rule when any segment is Basic.

Independent booking assistance

Need help with cancelling a flight?

The phone option appears only when a current offer covers this airline and request.

View Southwest Airlines information and official-channel guidance

What this answer depends on

  • Confirm flight or package in the exact booking before submitting.
  • Confirm fare on every segment in the exact booking before submitting.
  • Confirm hours since booking in the exact booking before submitting.
  • Confirm minutes to departure in the exact booking before submitting.
  • Confirm whole round trip in the exact booking before submitting.
  • Confirm refund or credit in the exact booking before submitting.
  • Confirm credit expiration in the exact booking before submitting.
  • Confirm partner or Southwest disruption in the exact booking before submitting.

Important exceptions

  • The older Wanna Get Away names should not be used to infer current Southwest cancellation terms.
  • Missing the ten-minute deadline can forfeit funds on Basic or Choice, while Getaways and partner itineraries use different rules.

Important unknowns

  • Seller or merchant: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Who issued the ticket: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Flight only or package: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Operating carrier: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Fare or award product: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Booking time: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Departure time: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Unused or partly used segments: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Check in or no show state: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Payment method: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Point of sale and jurisdiction: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.
  • Live cancellation result: check the live booking or cancellation result before confirming.

What to do next

  1. Step 1

    Confirm the seller and whether the booking is a Southwest flight rather than a Getaways package or partner itinerary.

  2. Step 2

    Retrieve the reservation and identify Basic, Choice, Choice Preferred or Choice Extra for every segment.

  3. Step 3

    If within 24 hours of booking, inspect whether a method-of-payment refund or credit option is offered.

  4. Step 4

    For Basic in a round trip, verify whether the whole itinerary must be cancelled or the Basic segment upgraded first.

  5. Step 5

    Complete the action at least ten minutes before scheduled departure and record the credit type and expiration if applicable.

Sources and last checked