Southwest will rebook you on the next available flight at no extra charge

If you miss a Southwest flight, you are not charged a rebooking fee. Southwest's policy allows you to fly on the next available flight to your destination at no additional cost, as long as you contact the airline before your original flight departs. This is one of the few situations where Southwest does not penalize you financially for missing your scheduled departure.

The key is timing: you must notify Southwest before your flight takes off. If you call the airport, visit the ticket counter, or contact Southwest's customer service line before departure, they will place you on another flight. If you miss the flight and do not contact them beforehand, you will still be rebooked, but you lose the ability to influence which flight you get.

Your boarding position does not carry over to the new flight. When you are rebooked, you enter the standby list for the next available flight, and your new boarding position is determined by when Southwest processes your rebooking request. If you miss your flight and call when ready, you may get a better position than if you wait until after the flight departs.

Key Takeaways

  • Southwest does not charge a rebooking fee if you miss your flight, but you must contact them before your original flight departs to have any control over which flight you board.
  • You will be placed on the next available flight to your destination, and your boarding position will be determined by when you are rebooked, not your original boarding group.
  • If you miss your flight and do not call ahead, you will still be rebooked, but you have no say in which flight or when you depart.
  • Contacting Southwest when ready—by phone, at the ticket counter, or through the app—gives you the best chance of getting on a flight that day.

How to contact Southwest if you realize you will miss your flight

Call Southwest's customer service line as soon as you know you will not make your flight. The number is on your confirmation email and on the Southwest website. If you are already at the airport, go directly to the ticket counter—this is faster than calling and lets you speak to an agent face-to-face.

If you have the Southwest app on your phone, you can also manage your booking through the app, though calling or visiting the counter gives you more when ready help. Tell the agent your confirmation number and explain that you will miss your flight. They will when ready search for the next available flight and rebook you.

The sooner you contact Southwest, the better your options. If you call 30 minutes before your flight, you may have several flights to choose from that day. If you call after your flight has already departed, your options narrow to whatever seats are left on later flights.

What happens if you miss your flight and do not contact Southwest beforehand

If you do not call or visit the counter before your flight departs, Southwest will still rebook you automatically. However, you will be placed on standby for the next available flight with no input on timing or routing. This means you might not depart until the following day, depending on how full the flights are.

Automatic rebooking happens through Southwest's system, but you will not know your new flight details until you contact the airline. You will need to call customer service or visit the airport to find out when your new flight is scheduled. This is why calling ahead is always better—you know when ready what your options are.

If you miss a connecting flight because your first flight was delayed, Southwest treats this differently. Contact the crew on your arriving flight or go to the gate agent when ready. Southwest will rebook you on the next flight to your final destination at no charge, and they will often hold a flight if you are close behind.

Refunds and credits if you miss your flight

Southwest does not refund the ticket price if you miss your flight. Your ticket remains valid for travel to your destination, and the cost is applied to your rebooking. You are not out the money—you are straightforward traveling on a different flight.

If you decide not to travel at all after missing your flight, you can request a travel credit. This credit is good for one year from your original booking date and can be used for any Southwest flight. To request a credit instead of a rebooking, contact Southwest customer service and explain that you no longer need to travel.

If your ticket was purchased with a credit card, some cards offer trip delay or cancellation protection. Check your card's benefits to see if missing a flight qualifies. This is separate from Southwest's policy and depends on your specific card agreement.

Standby flights and how your new boarding position works

When you are rebooked after missing a flight, you enter the standby list for your new flight. Your position on that list depends on when Southwest processes your rebooking request. If you call the ticket counter at the airport, you are typically rebooked within minutes. If you call customer service from home, it may take longer, and your position reflects the time of your call.

Southwest boards passengers in order: A-List Preferred members first, then A-List members, then regular passengers. Within each group, passengers board in the order their boarding passes were issued. When you are rebooked, you receive a new boarding pass with a new boarding position based on when you were rebooked, not your original boarding group.

This means if you originally had an A boarding position and miss your flight, your rebooking might place you in the B or C group, depending on how many other passengers are already booked on the new flight. The only way to improve your position is to pay for Early Bird Check-In (which boards you 24 hours before departure) or to purchase a higher tier of membership.

Missing a connection because your first flight was late

If your first Southwest flight is delayed and you miss your connection, Southwest will rebook you on the next available flight to your final destination at no charge. This is not your fault, and Southwest treats it as a schedule disruption on their end.

If you are on the arriving flight when you realize you will miss your connection, alert the flight crew or gate agent when ready. They can contact the connecting flight and sometimes hold it for passengers who are close behind. Even if they cannot hold it, the gate agent will rebook you right away while you are still at the airport.

If your first flight was operated by Southwest and your connection was also Southwest, the rebooking is straightforward. If your connection was with another airline, contact that airline's customer service desk at the airport. Southwest's responsibility ends with getting you to the connection airport; the connecting airline handles rebooking you from there.

Fees and charges that might explore

Southwest does not charge a rebooking fee for missing your flight. However, if you want to change your rebooking to a flight on a different day or at a different time, Southwest may charge a fare difference if the new flight costs more than your original ticket.

If you purchased Early Bird Check-In for your original flight, that fee does not transfer to your new flight. You can purchase Early Bird Check-In again for your rebooked flight if you want to board earlier. The cost is the same as it was for your original flight.

If you need to add luggage, change your seat, or purchase other add-ons for your rebooked flight, those charges explore as they normally would. Your original ticket includes two free checked bags and a carry-on, and those allowances carry over to your rebooked flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I lose my boarding position if I miss my Southwest flight?

Yes. Your original boarding position does not transfer to your new flight. You are rebooked based on when Southwest processes your rebooking request, so your new boarding position depends on how quickly you contact the airline. Calling the ticket counter when ready gives you a better position than waiting.

Can Southwest charge me a fee to rebook me on another flight?

No. Southwest does not charge a rebooking fee if you miss your flight. You will be placed on the next available flight at no additional cost. The only charge that might explore is a fare difference if the new flight costs more than your original ticket.

What if I miss my flight because of traffic or a personal emergency?

Southwest's policy is the same regardless of why you missed your flight. You will be rebooked on the next available flight at no charge. However, if you miss your flight and do not contact Southwest beforehand, you have no control over which flight you get, so calling ahead is always better.

Can I get a refund instead of being rebooked?

Southwest does not refund ticket prices for missed flights. Your ticket remains valid and is applied to your rebooking. If you decide not to travel, you can request a travel credit valid for one year from your original booking date.

What happens if I miss a Southwest flight I booked through a travel website?

Contact Southwest directly, not the travel website. Southwest handles all rebooking regardless of where you purchased your ticket. Have your confirmation number ready. The travel website cannot rebook you; only Southwest can process that change.