Does Southwest have to compensate for delayed flights?

Flight delays with Southwest can happen sometimes due to severe weather conditions or internal issues. Whatever the flight delay case is, Southwest does not guarantee you compensation for a delayed flight. However, it offers free cancellations and a full fare refund of the same. On certain conditions, a person might be eligible to request compensation for their delayed flight. To get a better understanding, review the Southwest Airlines Delayed Flight Policy and claim your compensation according to the conditions.

Policies for delayed flight at Southwest:

• A rebooking or cancellation option will be available to all the passengers when their flight gets delayed by 3 or more hours without surging additional charges. 
• If, due to a significant delay in the flight’s boarding, a passenger has to stay at the airport overnight, they will be entitled to receive compensation for the hotel stay, food, or other necessary expenses. 
• If Southwest is responsible for the delay, passengers are entitled to request an LUV Voucher as compensation. 
• When the delay is less than 3 hours, compensation, rebooking, or free cancellation is not permitted.

Southwest Airlines Delayed Compensation Procedure:

The individuals entitled to fair compensation from Southwest for a significant delay in the flight’s boarding must now look forward to learning about the procedures for claiming compensation. There is a reimbursement form available that can be filled out online with the following procedure:

• Start by visiting the homepage of Southwest on your browser,
• Navigate the “Help Center” option to select on the bottom bar,
• Now, click the refunds column,
• On the diverted page, you have to select the “Request a refund due to major delay or Cancellation” option,
• Now, you will obtain the reimbursement form on the site,
• Fill out the required flight information and contact information, 
• Click the “Next” key and again give the necessary details on the form,
• Once completed, click the Submit button and deliver the form to Southwest. 

Alternatively, one can reach out to a live person using the Southwest Airlines Phone number 1 802 304 5670 / 1 (800) 435 9792 and request compensation for a significantly delayed flight. The live person will take your flight information to check eligibility and later submit your request for the compensation claim at the airline.

How long does a flight have to be delayed for compensation in Southwest?

A flight should be delayed for more than 3 hours to get compensation for the same at Southwest Airlines. However, one must keep in mind that a long delay in the flight’s original schedule due to weather conditions or reasons out of the control of the airline does not permit receiving compensation. If your flight has been delayed for more than 3 hours due to Southwest Airlines' fault, they will compensate you according to the need.

How often do Southwest flights get delayed?

According to a recent study, Southwest is one of the top airlines that operates flights at their original scheduled time. If you wonder how often they cause flight delays, the average is 21%. If you face any disruption with your flight schedules, you can reach out to Southwest Airlines Customer Service for prompt assistance.