How to Cancel a Southwest Airlines Flight

Co-authored by Amber Crain

Last Updated: October 8, 2022 References

If you've booked a reservation with Southwest Airlines and need to cancel it, doing so is a breeze! You can do it two ways – online or via telephone. Have your flight confirmation number ready to input or provide to a representative to start the cancellation process. Once the flight is cancelled, you will be informed of any refund options you have.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Cancelling Your Flight Online

1
Navigate to the Southwest Airlines website and log in. Open your internet browser. Navigate to the Southwest Airlines homepage at https://www.southwest.com/. Click “Log in” at the top right of the page. Input your user name and password. Click the yellow “Log in” button.^{[1]
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- If you forgot your user name, password, or both, click the link at the bottom right that says “Need help logging in?”
- If you fly with Southwest often, you may want to check the tiny box that says “Remember me?” after you type in your credentials. That way, you won't have to remember it in the future.
2
Navigate straight to the cancellation page, alternatively. If you don't have an account, you can bypass logging in. Simply navigate straight to https://www.southwest.com/air/cancel-reservation/. Input your confirmation number, first name, and last name. Click the yellow “Continue” button.
- You must input the name of the person who originally booked the flight.
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3
Click the “Flight | Hotel | Car” tab at the top of the homepage. This will take you to a window with many options and links. Click the “Manage Reservations” link, which is located in the far-left column under the “Flight” header.^{[2]
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Click the “Cancel Reservation” link. Clicking “Manage Reservations” will take you to a new page, which provides you with several different options. Click the “Cancel Reservation” link at the top center of the page.^{[3]
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Enter your confirmation number, first name, and last name. 3 boxes will pop up. Input your confirmation number into the first one. Type your first name in the second box. Add your last name to the last box. Click the yellow “Continue” button.^{[4]
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- You must input the name of the person who originally booked the flight.
- If you don't know your confirmation number, you can view your booked trips in your Southwest Airlines account.
- Your confirmation number can also be found in the email you received from Southwest immediately after you booked your flight.
6
Review your flight information. Your booked itinerary and flight information should now be displayed on the screen. If you booked a round trip, you must cancel the entire trip. You can't cancel just one segment of the trip, unfortunately. If you booked a one-way ticket, this is a non-issue.
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Check the “Travel Funds” section at the bottom. Underneath your flight information, you'll see a section called “Travel Funds.” It will tell you whether or not the money you paid for the flight is refundable. If it says “Refundable,” you can then check the box next to “Request a refund of the refundable balance.” If it says “Nonrefundable,” you will not receive a refund.^{[5]
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- Refunds will be applied to your original form of payment.
- Not all reservations can be refunded. It depends on the type of fare you bought."Wanna Get Away" fares are nonrefundable, but you will get a voucher with travel credit that can be used for future flights.^{[6]
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Cancel the reservation at the bottom of the page. Near the bottom of the page you'll see “Cancel my reservation?” Click the yellow “Yes, Cancel” button to cancel your flight.^{[7]
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Cancel within 24 hours to get a refund on nonrefundable fares. If you book a nonrefundable fare, such as one of Southwest's "Wanna Get Away" fares, the only way to get a refund is to cancel it within 24 hours of booking it. Call 1-800-435-9792 and tell the representative you want to cancel the flight.^{[8]
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- Refunds will be applied to your original form of payment.^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Cancelling Your Flight by Phone

1
Call Southwest's Reservations Department at 1-800-435-9792. If you have specific questions about your fare, possible refunds, or prefer not to cancel online, contact Southwest via telephone instead. Dial 1-800-435-9792. Follow the prompts to speak with a live customer service representative.^{[10]
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Tell the representative that you want to cancel your flight. Provide your confirmation number, last name, and first name. The representative will pull up your flight information and review it with you. Confirm that you do want to cancel the reservation at this time.^{[11]
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Review your refund options. Ask the representative if your fare is eligible for a refund. If it is, put in a refund request at that time. The refund will be applied to the original form of payment. Some flights can be refunded with a voucher that can be used for a future Southwest flight. Other flights are completely nonrefundable.^{[12]
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Community Q&A

Question

When can a flight be canceled for a refund?

Community Answer

If you want a full refund, most airlines expect people to cancel flights at least a week before. If you cancel your flight last minute, that would mean that you may only get a very small refund or even nothing at all.
Question

Can I reschedule a flight on southwest?.

Community Answer

Yes, as long as you have it all planned out and you haven't bought the tickets for the first flight that you are rescheduling.
Question

Should I reschedule due to the government shutdown?

Community Answer

As tempting as it is, probably not. Depending on where you're flying from, the TSA delays shouldn't be too bad. I would recommend getting to the airport earlier than usual though.