Even the taxes and fees paid for the award reservation can go back to the original credit card used for the purchase. You can cancel award flights without penalty and the points you redeemed will go back into the account you originally used to book the flights. This generous Southwest cancellation policy also applies to tickets purchased with Southwest Rapid Rewards points, regardless of the fare type booked. Related: The best Southwest Airlines credit cards Canceling a Southwest reservation booked with points
If you need to cancel your flight, you’ll receive the exact amount paid straight back to the credit card you used to book the reservation. The amount paid goes straight back to the credit card you used to book the flight, so you don’t have to worry about a flight credit.Īnytime and Business Select fares are fully refundable.
You must fly by the expiration date (not simply book a new flight by this date), and you can only use the credit for travel by the original passenger.Īdditionally, if you cancel a paid reservation within 24 hours of booking the flight, you’re able to cancel your flight for a full refund (as per the Department of Transportation rules). This fare credit expires 12 months from the date the flight was initially booked (not from when you canceled the flight) and is nontransferable. But, even if you need to cancel your Southwest flight, as long as you do so more than 10 minutes before the flight’s scheduled departure, you’ll receive a credit for the exact amount paid. Most passengers will find themselves booking Wanna Get Away fares, as they are the least expensive fare type. Southwest offers three different types of fares - Wanna Get Away, Anytime and Business Select, and the exact Southwest refund policy varies across these fares. The process is very similar for paid and award reservations. Southwest makes it extremely easy to cancel a flight. Canceling a Southwest flight (Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)