Last updated on December 30th, 2022 at 05:33 am
Southwest Airlines is not only one of the most prominent US airlines, it is also the world’s largest low-cost carrier. With Southwest, travelers can fly to a total of 121 destinations across 11 different countries. The airline is known for its sparing policies and the same is the case with Southwest Airlines’ missed flight policy.
Did you book a Southwest Airlines flight but failed to reach the airport at the time of the scheduled departure? If yes, then there are a few actions you must take immediately such as informing the airline about the same. In this article, we provide details on the airline’s missed flight policy and how you can rebook a new flight to the destination of your choice.
What To Do When You Miss Your Southwest Flight?
A flight being missed can happen due to various reasons. Sometimes we just fail to reach the airport in time and at other times personal and professional obligations can come in the way of our travel plans. If you have indeed missed your Southwest flight, here’s what you can do.
Inform the airline about the missed flight: Southwest Airlines strongly recommends its passengers communicate about their missed flight situation as soon as possible. You can also inform the airline if you have not missed the flight yet but are sure that it is bound to happen. This can help you get a refund on at least the unused portion of your itinerary. The airline will also help you in getting rebooked on an alternate flight.
Get booked on another Southwest flight: As mentioned earlier, Southwest Airlines does provide a new flight option to its passengers who have missed their flight. This flight will have the same travel destination and travel class. Alternatively, you can choose a flight by yourself if the flight option provided by the airline does not meet your requirements.
State your case to Southwest: If you will be only a few minutes late to catch your Southwest flight, you can call the airline and communicate the same. If you have missed the flight already, then also you can state your case to the airline and provide a detailed reason behind missing your flight and the airline might help you recover your invested money one way or another.
Southwest Airlines Missed Flight Policy – No Show Policy
Southwest Airlines has much more lenient Let’s go through the essential guidelines provided by the airline under the Southwest Airlines missed flight policy.
- If the passenger fails to board the flight, the No Show policy of Southwest Airlines will be applicable. This will result in the airline charging a No Show fee.
- If you are sure that you will be missing the flight, you are suggested to cancel the booking to avoid having to pay the No Show fee.
- Passengers are allowed to cancel their flight up to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.
- If passengers are not able to cancel their Southwest booking due to any reason, they can inform the airline about it through Southwest’s phone number.
- Passengers can also change their flight if they are sure of missing it. Southwest Airlines does not charge any fee for the flight changes.
- If your trip has two different confirmation numbers, missing one flight won’t affect the other.
- All the funds are forfeited when the airline puts your flight booking under the No Show category.
If you are canceling your Southwest flight, read Refund For Southwest Airlines Cancellations.
Southwest’s ‘Flat Tyre’ missed flight rule
Southwest Airlines has a ‘Flat Tyre’ rule. According to this rule, if a passenger arrives at the airport within two hours of the scheduled flight departure, the airline will help them in getting accommodated on another flight. This rule will only be applicable if you inform the airline about you missing the flight 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure. Southwest is flexible about such policies so even if you communicate this to the airline after the given time limit, the airline will most definitely try and help you out.
Southwest Flight Change & Cancellation Fee
As mentioned earlier, if you are sure you will be missing your Southwest Airlines flights, your best bet is to either change or cancel your flight to avoid getting the funds forfeited. Southwest Airlines is very understanding of possible changes in travel plans. Hence, the airline does not charge any flight change fee whatsoever. Same-day flight cancellations can cost you $75 and above as a cancellation fee. This cancellation fee is dependent on factors such as the type of ticket you are carrying, your destination, etc.
If you are successful in canceling your flight at least 10 minutes before your flight departs, you will be receiving the ticket value as credit. This credit can be used to book a Southwest flight in the future. Make sure to use this credit within one year from the time of making the booking or else the credit shall expire.
Also Read: How to rebook a flight on Southwest
