Southwest Airlines Change to No-Show Policy

Southwest Airlines Change to No-Show Policy

Southwest Airlines passengers who fail to cancel bookings prior to departure will now face the complete loss of the ticket’s value.  This is a change in policy that took effect on Friday, September 13, 2013 – and states that customers who buy non-refundable tickets such as Wanna Get Away fares must cancel at least 10 minutes before scheduled departure or forfeit the ticket’s value.

In the past, there was little incentive to cancel tickets on Southwest because the airline allowed its customers to use the value of the unused ticket toward another flight within one year.  This policy change will allow Southwest Airlines to better manage their seat inventory.

Southwest still allows passengers to change non-refundable tickets ahead of time without penalty.