Changing your flight might sound like a stressful, expensive event, and with some airlines, it is. But Southwest Airlines knows life happens, and you might need to change your flight for several reasons.
That’s why there are no fees for changing your flight, and you can change your flight easily. Not only do they not charge change fees, but they also allow you to change your flight up to 10 minutes before departure.
Find helpful tips, policies, and procedures below to help you navigate changing your Southwest Airlines reservation.
Flight Changes with Southwest Airlines
Southwest has made changing your flight as seamless as possible so that, in most cases, you don’t have to call in to change your flight. Simply go to our Change Your Flight page, add your information (confirmation number and first and last name), and make changes to your flight.
Are There Hidden Fees with Changing My Southwest Flight?
Southwest doesn’t charge fees for changing your flight, dates, destination or origin, or fare type. However, you might pay more if the new flight you select costs more than the original flight. For example, if you are flying from Boston to Chicago and your flight costs $300, but then you change your destination to Orlando. The flight from Boston to Orlando costs $500, so you’d owe $200 because of the change in destination.
Deadline for Southwest Flight Changes: How Late Can You Modify Your Booking?
You can modify your booking as late as 10 minutes before departure time. You'll be subject to our no-show policy if you don’t modify your booking at least 10 minutes before departure.
Read More: Southwest Airlines’ Official Same-Day Flight Change Policy
Missed Flights with Southwest Airlines
First, try not to panic. Southwest does their best to accommodate any missed flights because life happens. As long as you check in with the Southwest Airlines Ticket desk within 2 hours of your missed flight, they’ll get you on the next available flight to your destination, like a standby passenger.
If you can’t make it to the ticket desk within 2 hours of your missed flight, you’ll get a refund in the form of a Transferable Flight Credit if you booked an Anytime or Business Select ticket. If you booked a Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus ticket, any funds will be forfeited.
What Are Your Options After Missing a Southwest Flight?
If you’ve missed your flight, you have a few options. First, you can check in at a Southwest Ticket desk within 2 hours of your missed departure and ride stand-by on the next available flight. If you miss your flight and the 2-hour window to ride standby, your reservation will be canceled, and you’ll receive a Transferable Flight Credit if your fare was an Anytime or Business Select ticket. Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus funds will be forfeited.
How to Avoid Missing Your Flight: Tips for Southwest Airlines
Avoiding the hassle of missing your flight is a win for everyone, so we have some tried and true tips for helping you get to your flight with as little stress as possible. First, we recommend downloading the Southwest Airlines App. Here, you can manage your bookings, double-check your departure time, and check your flight status.
A few days before your flight, double-check all the information you’ll need to get on the plane- documentation for lap infants, passports, etc. Then check how long it takes you to get to the airport, whether you are driving yourself or taking a rideshare service, and factor that time into your plans.
Check your luggage, both carry-on and checked baggage, to ensure you are bringing approved items only on your flight. Wear comfortable clothing (we recommend layers as temperatures can vary throughout your travels) and shoes that are easy to remove.
If you are bringing little ones, prep them on the basic steps of preparing to board a flight (from security to the boarding process and everything in between) and, if they are old enough, practice getting their shoes on and off by themselves.
Arrive at the airport around 2 hours before your flight departs so you have plenty of time to check bags, get through security, get through customs if you are traveling internationally, and get to your gate with plenty of time.
Remember that if you are flying with a lap infant, you’ll need to show proof of age and get them a boarding pass at the ticket counter or kiosk, so you’ll need at least 30 minutes for that process.
If you are assisting an unaccompanied minor through to their gate, give yourself at least 30 minutes extra.
Updating Your Companion on Southwest Flights
How to Change Your Companion on a Southwest Flight
In order to change your Companion Flight, you’ll need to cancel the flight first and then rebook it with the correct information.
Changing Your Travel Companion with Southwest: What You Need to Know
You can change your travel Companion three times during the calendar year. However, any reservations with your current Companion must be canceled (or completed) before you change to a different companion. To change your companion, contact Southwest here.
What Are the Costs and Restrictions for Changing Your Companion on Southwest?
There are no additional fees for changing your Companion; however, you are only allowed to change your companion three times a year. You must cancel any existing reservations for your current Companion to switch to a different Companion. To switch your companion, contact Southwest here. You’ll need to allow 21 business days to process this change.
Adding a Lap Child on Your Modified Southwest Flight
How to Add a Lap Child to Your Southwest Flight After a Change
If you’ve changed your flight that originally had a lap infant as part of the booking, you will need to call 1-800-435-9792 to add them to the booking. Remember, you’ll need to check in at the ticket desk or kiosk when flying with a lap infant to get a Boarding Verification Document (BVD). You’ll need to bring proof of age (birth certificate or passport, either the original or a photocopy; digital copies like phone images or screenshots are unacceptable) to receive the BVD.
What to Know About Adding or Changing a Lap Child Booking on Southwest Airlines
Changing your flight with a lap infant is straightforward—if you change your flight with a lap infant, contact us here. You’ll need to follow the normal protocol for a lap infant once you are at the airport, starting with getting a Boarding Verification Document (BVD) by proving their age with the appropriate documentation.
Read More: Southwest Airline’s Official Lap Child Policy
Canceling Individual Passengers from a Southwest Reservation
How to Cancel One Person from a Southwest Reservation
In order to cancel individual passengers from a reservation, you have to divide the reservation. Once you divide the reservation, you can cancel the flight for the passenger who is no longer going on the trip.
Read More: Southwest Airlines’ Official Cancellation Policy
Correcting Name Errors on Your Southwest Flight Booking
How to Fix a Misspelled Name on Your Southwest Flight Reservation
To change a misspelled or changed name on your reservation, go to your reservation and find “manage reservation.” Then, if the name is eligible to be changed, you’ll see “edit” next to the name. Here you can edit and update the name. If you’ve already checked in, you’ll need to check in again with the correct name. Here’s a breakdown of which reservations can edit the name and which can’t:
Eligible reservations for self-serve name correction:
- Accompanied Minors
- Name correction after checking in
- Completely un-flown itineraries
- SWABIZ booked
- Booked by phone
- Youth Traveler
- Booking with EarlyBird Check-In
- Revenue and points bookings
- Involuntary Changes
Not eligible for self-serve name correction:
- Extra Seat
- Name correction after checking bags
- Rapid Rewards number included in booking
- Within 60 minutes of flight departure for domestic and 90 minutes for international departures
- Partially flown itineraries
- Group bookings
- Lap Child
Understanding Southwest Airlines' Cancellation Policy
What Are the Details of Southwest's Flight Cancellation Policy
- Our cancellation policy is fairly straightforward: you can change or cancel your reservation online and then rebook when you’re ready.
- There are no fees for canceling or changing flights; however, if you are just changing a flight and your new flight costs more, you’ll have to pay the difference (if your first reservation costs $300 and your new one costs $500, you’ll have to pay the $200 difference).
- You can change or cancel your flight up to 10 minutes before the scheduled departure, even if you’ve already checked in. You will get a refund in the form of a flight credit or a method-of-payment refund if your reservation was a Business Select or Anytime ticket. If your reservation was a Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus ticket you cannot get a method-of-payment refund, but you can keep the ticket cost as a flight credit or a Transferable Flight Credit.
Navigating Last-Minute Cancellations with Southwest Airlines: What to Know
You can cancel your flight up to 10 minutes before your flight’s departure time, and you can get a refund if your reservation was an Anytime or Business Select ticket. If your reservation was a Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus you will get a refund in the form of a flight credit or a Transferable Flight Credit.
If Southwest Airlines cancels your flight, you’ll receive a text, email, or call with a new itinerary. If you receive an itinerary, your new reservation is confirmed, and you don’t have to do anything but show up at the new departure time and date. You can change or cancel your reservation if the new time and date don’t work for you. If you cancel your reservation because of a Southwest Airlines-initiated flight cancellation, you’ll receive a flight credit or a method-of-payment refund.
Read More: Southwest Airlines’ Official Cancellation Policy
Southwest Airlines Refund Policy After A Changed Flight
What You Need To Know About Refunds After A Changed Flight
If you change your flight at least 10 minutes before its scheduled departure, you can get a refund for your flight. If your reservation was an Anytime or Business Select reservation, you can get a method-of-payment refund or a flight credit. If your reservation was a Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus reservation, you can get a refund in the form of a flight credit or a Transferable Flight Credit.
You can choose how to receive your refund when you change or cancel your reservation. If you booked with Rapid Rewards, your Rapid Rewards points will go back into the account used to book the reservation, and a method-of-payment refund will be issued for the taxes and fees.
What Happens to Your Money When You Change a Southwest Flight?
If you booked your reservation as an Anytime or Business Select ticket, your money will be refunded as a method-of-payment refund or a flight credit. If your ticket was a Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus ticket, you’ll receive a flight credit or a Transferable Flight Credit.
If you choose to get your refund in the form of a flight credit, the next time you book, you’ll be asked if you want to use your flight credits as a form of payment.
In the meantime, that flight credit will sit in your account until you’re ready to use it (flight credits don’t expire!). If you opt for a method-of-payment refund, we’ll refund a credit card method within seven days of your request. If you paid with cash, you’ll receive a refund in the form of a check within 20 days of your request.
Read More: Southwest Airlines’ Official Flight Change Policy
Enhance Your Travel Experience: Upgrading Flights with Southwest
How to Upgrade Your Southwest Flight
Upgrading your reservation is easy with Southwest. You can upgrade your ticket 24 hours before departure to boarding position A1-A15, depending on availability, this is called Upgraded Boarding. The cost of an Upgraded Boarding starts at $30 per segment per customer based on the length and popularity of the flight.
If you purchase a Business Select ticket, you don’t need to purchase Upgraded Boarding as your ticket allows you to choose seats in A1-A15. If all the seats from A1-A15 have been claimed by either a Business Select reservation or an Upgraded Boarding reservation, you cannot upgrade.
You can purchase Upgraded Boarding 24 hours before departure when you Check In to the flight. When Upgraded Boarding is available, you’ll see the Upgraded Boarding position option under “View Boarding Pass.” You can add Upgraded Boarding to one or more flight segments. You can also purchase Upgraded Boarding at the gate based on availability.
Upgraded Boarding is not refundable or transferable for changed flights. However, if Southwest Airlines cancels your flight, you can get a refund for your Upgraded Boarding.
One or all tickets on one reservation can purchase Upgraded Boarding; however, only those who purchased Upgraded Boarding will be allowed to board during Upgraded Boarding. For example, if you are traveling with a friend and they don’t want to purchase Upgraded Boarding, but you do, you will board with the A group (Upgraded Boarding), and they will have to wait for their assigned group to board.
Read More: Southwest Airlines’ Official Flight Upgrade Policy
What Are Your Options for Flight Upgrades with Southwest Airlines
Although Southwest doesn't have upgrades, you can elevate your travel experience with Priority Boarding—boarding position A1-A15. There are only two ways to do this. If you purchase a Business Select ticket, you’ll automatically be assigned within boarding positions A1-A15 as part of the benefit of that ticket.
If you don’t purchase a Business Select ticket, you can still purchase Upgraded Boarding for your ticket 24 hours before the flight to receive boarding positions A1-A15; however, Upgraded Boarding is based on availability.
Other ways to enhance your flying experience include Early Bird Check-in, which allows you to check in 24 hours before your flight automatically. You can book Early Bird Check-In 36 hours before your flight.
Making Southwest Flight Changes Can Be a Breeze
Changing flights on other airlines can be a hassle. That’s why Southwest makes it as simple as possible. Not only is the changing flight process seamless, but unlike other airlines, they don’t have fees for changing your flight. Whether you want to change, upgrade, or cancel your flight, the process is easy.
