Southwest lets you cancel within 24 hours of booking with a full refund to your original payment method
Southwest Airlines has a 24-hour cancellation window that starts the moment you complete your booking. If you cancel within that window, you get back the full amount you paid—whether you booked a Basic Economy, Business Select, or any other fare type. The refund goes to the credit card, debit card, or other payment method you used to buy the ticket.
This is different from canceling after the 24-hour window closes. Once that period ends, Southwest treats the cancellation differently: you lose the ticket price but keep a credit good for future travel on Southwest for one year from your original flight date.
The 24-hour window applies to all ticket types and all routes, including flights to Hawaii and international destinations. It does not matter whether you booked directly on Southwest.com, through a travel agent, or via a third-party booking site—the same rule holds.
Key Takeaways
- You have 24 hours from the moment you complete your booking to cancel and receive a full refund to your original payment method.
- After 24 hours, you lose the ticket price but keep a travel credit valid for one year from your original flight date.
- The 24-hour window applies regardless of how you booked—directly with Southwest, through an agent, or on a third-party site.
- To cancel, log into your Southwest account, find your reservation, and select the cancellation option; you do not need to call.
- If you booked through a third-party site and the 24-hour window has closed, contact that site first, as they may have their own refund policies.
How to cancel your Southwest flight online
Log into your Southwest account at southwest.com using your confirmation number and last name. Find your reservation in the "My Trips" section, then select "Cancel Flight" or "Manage Booking" depending on what appears on your screen. Follow the prompts to confirm the cancellation.
Southwest will show you the refund amount and the payment method where it will land. Once you confirm, the cancellation is complete. You should see the refund appear in your account within three to five business days, though some banks take longer to post the credit.
If you booked a round-trip ticket and want to cancel only the outbound or return flight, Southwest will let you do that—you will receive a refund for the leg you cancel, and the remaining flight stays on your reservation.
What happens if you booked through a third-party site
If you purchased your ticket through Expedia, Kayak, Google Flights, or another booking site, you cannot cancel directly through Southwest. Instead, you must go back to the site where you booked and request the cancellation there. Those sites have their own policies, which may be stricter than Southwest's 24-hour window.
Some third-party sites charge a cancellation fee even within 24 hours, or they may issue a credit to the booking site rather than a refund to your original payment method. Check the terms you agreed to when you booked. If the 24-hour window has already closed and you booked through a third party, contact their customer service first—they may have options Southwest does not offer directly.
The difference between a refund and a travel credit
A refund returns money to your original payment method—your bank account or credit card. A travel credit is a voucher that Southwest holds for you, usable only to book future Southwest flights. The credit does not expire for one year from your original flight date, but it cannot be transferred to another person and it cannot be converted back to cash.
Within the 24-hour window, you get a refund. After 24 hours, you get a travel credit instead. This is why timing matters: if you are certain you will not fly Southwest again soon, canceling within 24 hours is the better choice.
When the 24-hour window starts and ends
The clock begins the moment your booking is confirmed—when you see your confirmation number on the screen or receive it in your email. If you book at 2:15 p.m. on a Monday, your 24-hour window closes at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday. After that moment, you can still cancel, but you will receive a travel credit instead of a refund.
Southwest counts the 24 hours in your local time zone, not the airline's time zone. If you are unsure when your window closes, log into your account and check your booking details—Southwest does not display a countdown timer, but you can calculate it from your confirmation timestamp.
Canceling a flight that has already departed or is about to depart
If your flight has already left the gate, you cannot cancel it. Southwest considers the flight operated once the aircraft pushes back from the terminal. At that point, your only option is to keep the travel credit and use it for a future flight, or contact Southwest customer service to discuss other options.
If your flight is scheduled to depart in the next few hours and you are still within the 24-hour booking window, you can cancel online when ready. If you are outside the 24-hour window, you can still cancel through your account, but you will receive a travel credit rather than a refund.
What to do if you cannot cancel online
If you are having trouble accessing your reservation or completing the cancellation online, call Southwest at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792). Have your confirmation number and the phone number or email address associated with your booking ready. Southwest's phone lines are busiest in the morning and early afternoon; calling in the evening or early morning may mean shorter wait times.
You can also visit a Southwest ticket counter at the airport if you are there before your flight departs. The agent can cancel your reservation and process your refund on the spot if you are within the 24-hour window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I lose my money if I cancel after 24 hours?
You do not lose the money entirely. Instead of a refund, Southwest converts it to a travel credit you can use to book any future Southwest flight within one year. The credit is nonrefundable and nontransferable, so it only has value if you plan to fly Southwest again.
Can I cancel a Southwest flight I booked with points?
Yes. If you booked with Rapid Rewards points, you can cancel within 24 hours and the points return to your account. After 24 hours, the points convert to a travel credit instead of returning to your balance.
What if I cancel and then want to rebook the same flight?
If you cancel within 24 hours and receive a refund, you can rebook when ready at the current price—which may be higher or lower than what you originally paid. If you cancel after 24 hours and receive a travel credit, you can use that credit to rebook the same flight or any other Southwest flight at no additional cost if the new flight is cheaper, or you pay the difference if it is more expensive.
Does Southwest charge a cancellation fee?
No. Southwest does not charge a fee to cancel your flight at any time. The only cost is that you lose the ticket price if you cancel after the 24-hour window and receive a travel credit instead of a refund.
Can I cancel a flight someone else booked for me?
Only the person whose name is on the reservation can cancel it. If someone else booked the ticket for you, they must log into their Southwest account and cancel it, or you can call Southwest with the confirmation number and ask them to help you cancel. Southwest may ask security questions to verify your identity.