Can I Change My Flight Reservations with Southwest Airlines?
Yes, you can definitely change your flights with Southwest Airlines. The change in plans becomes inevitable, you must alter your flight schedule to fit your needs. Southwest Airlines understands that and offers you a chance to reschedule your flight as per the change of plan. Under the Southwest Airlines change flight policy, customers can change the date, time, schedule, and even name on the tickets. The airline does not charge any change fees for these adjustments as long as you have an eligible fare and you follow the airline rules.
But how do you change a flight with the airline, and what is the airline’s policy for changing flight schedules and names on tickets? To know everything in detail, check the below subsections.
Can you change flights on Southwest without a fee?
Yes, Southwest Airlines flight changes do not cost you anything. The airline may ask you to pay the difference in fare for a flight that costs more than your initial booking. However, there is no change fee for choosing a new flight up to 10 minutes before the departure.
The airline also refunds you the amount difference between the new and original fare when the new flight costs less than the initial price. Remember that the refund amount can be in the original payment form or flight credit, depending on the type of your ticket.
What is Southwest Airlines Flight Change Policy in 2023?
When you request to change your flight with Southwest, the airline does not charge you anything. However, you must know how this works and how you can manage to alter your ticket itinerary without paying too much. If you want to change your Southwest Airlines flights in 2023, you should know their policy in detail. You will find the major points below:
- You can change your flights free of cost up to 10 minutes before the flight takes off for any fare type.
- Southwest customers can change their flights even after check-in at no charge.
- If there are less than 24 hours left in the departure, make sure to check in for the new flight immediately after changing.
- Same-day flight changes are subject to availability. If you do not change or cancel a flight and neither show up, you will be a No-Show and the corresponding policy will apply.
- If you have a nonrefundable fare, you can still pay the associated difference in fare and upgrade to a refundable booking while making flight changes.
- Customers can make changes to their return flights by paying the difference in fare after completing the first leg of their itinerary.
These were the basic change flight rules for Southwest Airlines. You can call Southwest Airlines change flight phone number if you want to make additional changes to your bookings, or need more information on these rules.
What if Southwest Airlines Changes My Flight?
The change flight rules apply to all Southwest reservations, even when the changes are involuntary. There are times when the airline changes your flight out of a situation that is uncontrollable. If Southwest Airlines alters your schedule, it’s important to be aware of the available options.
- When Southwest Airlines calls or emails you about a new itinerary with a confirmed reservation, check the details of the booking and see if that works for you.
- In case the available option does not work, you can choose to change or cancel your flights according to your preferences.
Option 1: Change Flight
- For any Involuntary changes to a flight, choose a new flight by clicking Manage My Booking on Southwest Airlines.
- You have the option to modify the date or time of each flight in your original reservation, regardless of whether it was impacted or not.
- You can do this twice, and each change can be made within 14 days of your original travel date, without incurring any extra fees.
Option 2: Cancel Flight
In case Southwest causes a schedule change that makes you opt out of traveling, you have two options.
- Get a refund via a method of payment
- Retain the ticket’s value as a flight credit, which you can use to purchase a future flight.
For more information on refunds and flight credits, please refer to the relevant guidelines. Check the Southwest Airlines cancel flight policy for canceling any type of flights affected by involuntary changes.
What do a ‘+’ and ‘-’ indicate while changing a Southwest flight?
When you are making a change to your Southwest Airlines reservation, if you see a ‘+’ by the new flight cost, it indicates that the new itinerary cost more than the original. And a ‘-’ sign indicates its opposite. For example:
- +$29 means your new flight costs 29 Bucks extra than the initial cost.
- And, -$29 means it costs 29 bucks less than the original one.
The new flight fare difference will be nil if the flight says $0. In that case, you will be able to change your Southwest booking at no extra cost.
Can I Change My Southwest Flights Linked to a Minor?
Yes, you can change a flight that is linked to a minor’s flight. However, the change flight process is different. First of all, you have to cancel the originally linked minor’s flight and then change a new time or date for your flight. After that, you can rebook the flight for the minor again.
If the process seems confusing, call a Southwest Airlines customer service agent at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA and get additional information on the same.
Does the same process apply to a Southwest Companion Booking?
Yes. If you want to change your flight that is linked to a companion’s ticket, you need to cancel it first and then make the required changes. After Southwest confirms your change, you can rebook the companion’s flight.
Is it possible to Change Southwest Airlines Flights for Just One Person?
Yes, you can divide Southwest Airlines reservations into different segments to change them for a single passenger on the itinerary. In other words, if you just wish to change a flight for a specific traveler in the booking, with two or more persons, you need to divide it.
To do so, you can contact the airline experts and request the same. They will help you divide the reservation. Southwest has recently updated its change flight rules for customers so that they can divide flights online by changing the number of passengers without calling.
Once you do so, you will receive an email where you will get a new confirmation number for the customer divided from the initial booking. You can easily change the flight by then.
Can I change my Southwest flight to an earlier time on the same day?
Yes, you can change your Southwest flight time to an earlier flight. However, this falls under the same-day flight change rules rather than general flight changes. So, a different set of conditions will apply when you wish to change flights on the same day.
Southwest Airlines Same Day Change Flight Policy
- Each Southwest Fare type is eligible for unrestricted same-day change and standby benefits.
- A-List preferred, and A-List members of Rapid Rewards can also do it for free.
- Fare difference may apply even in case of same-day changes.
- For same-day standby, you need to be at the airport gate in person and get help from an airport agent.
- After you change to a new flight, your already check-in boarding position will no longer be available in same-day change.
- You only get a new boarding position after clearing the standby flight, but the original position remains yours as long as you are not officially on the new flight booking.
Except for same-day change or standby, Southwest allows you to change your flight date as many times as you want. You can also check with the airline whether you can change your destination for an already checked-in Southwest flight. However, there may be additional conditions.
Final Words
Now, you must understand the Southwest Airlines flight change policy. If you still have questions, please feel free to call the airline, or get in touch with Tripohlz for immediate assistance.