Canceled Southwest flight: How to request a refund for your ticket?

The flight you booked with Southwest and you were supposed to take it in a few days, was cancelled? Surely in this case, you weigh to request a refund from your airline to recover your money in order to book another flight. You should know that the origin of the reimbursement for cancellation will depend on certain factors and scenarios provided for by the Federal Law on Consumer Protection and Civil Aviation Law.

Southwest Airlines allows you to refund money for a missed flight. Refunds are available for all fares.
Refunds are available with tickets purchased at the official ticket center or on the US airline’s website. Tickets purchased from intermediaries, such as tour operators, are returned to them.

Cancellation for liability attributable to the airline

When the reason for cancellation is due to problems attributable to the airline or the air transport service provider, the latter must: refund the price of the ticket; provide alternate transportation on the first available flight; or, transport the consumer at a later date that suits him to the contractual destination.

If the flight is delayed, Southwest Airlines is required to provide additional service based on the wait time. If the flight is delayed two hours, two phone calls and drinks; with a delay of more than four hours, coupons for hot meals; with a delay of more than six hours during the day and more than eight hours at night – a hotel room, a transfer to the hotel and a luggage storage service.

Cancellation due to problems not attributable to the airline

Where the cancellation of the Southwest flight is attributed to factors external to the US airline, such as official measures implemented to prevent the spread of the pandemic, the supplier is not required to refund any amount and/or compensate the passenger. However, the passenger carriage contract concluded with the consumer will be automatically extended when due to force majeure or fortuitous event the ticket is canceled, insofar as it is understood that said extension will be for a period equal to the duration of the effects of these causes, at no additional cost to the consumer.

If flights are canceled by Southwest, this is considered a forced reason to refuse to fly. This means that the price at which the ticket was purchased does not matter: even for holders of non-refundable tickets, the airline is obliged to fully refund the money for the canceled flight. You need to contact where the ticket was purchased: at the ticket aggregator or directly from the carrier. Usually, the request is submitted by mail or through a special form on the website, and the response comes within thirty days.

There is an alternative to reimbursement. For example, if a passenger had a ticket for a flight departing from an airport whose operations have been suspended, the airline may reissue it for later dates. And if the passenger had a flight to a suspended airport, the airline carries out transportation to another airport, from where you can get to your destination by ground transportation.

Voluntary flight cancellation

People who had planned to travel by plane and who requested the cancellation of their Southwest plane ticket on their own initiative, even though the flight was still planned, will be entitled to reimbursement of the sums paid without any penalty. Indeed, Southwest Airlines allows them to cancel their reservation up to 10 minutes before departure and have their money refunded.
Southwest Airlines offers passengers to request a refund of the ticket price in the Manage my Booking section of the website, in its mobile application or in its offices.

Where to file the complaint when the flight is cancelled?

If the ticket was purchased directly from Southwest, any complaint submitted must be filed with the company itself, while if the air ticket was purchased for a combination trip, the complaint must be filed with the travel agency where you were hired. Although there is no deadline for filing a complaint, it is recommended to do so as soon as possible.