What happens if I miss my flight with Southwest?

Nobody tries to be late on purpose; the factors guiding your surroundings push you in that direction. Usually, it is not a hassle to make up for the lost time, but not in case of missing a flight. You can not control what happens around you, people do miss their flights. Every person will miss a flight at least once in their lifetime, and since this is a prominent issue, Southwest has decided to build a structure and set some rules. Knowing about these Southwest Airlines missed flight policies is a great way to ensure a backup plan or execute one on the spot, should the need arise.

What To Expect If You Miss Your Southwest Flight?

Whether it’s an emergency, an unexpected situation, or simply because you slept through your alarm, when you miss your Southwest flight, you need to take the following steps to ensure that the situation does not spiral out of control.

Inform the Airline: Whenever you realize you are going to be late, it is your duty to inform the airline about the situation. Call the airline and let them know about your situation.

Explain Your Situation: If you can give a valid reason for your delay and back it up with some legit proof, you can sway the airline in your direction. Be humble and polite and try to explain the severity of the situation.

Act-On the Possible Solution: Don't panic thinking about what to do if you miss your Southwest flight; information is your solution. Call the airline and ask about the next possible solution, find out if you can book another flight, whether you are eligible for a free flight change, or if you would have to pay the penalty.

Go for the 'Flat Tire' Policy: This is an unofficial policy. According to the passengers who have gone through the same experience, this policy helps you get the next available flight without any charges. This works at the discretion of the Southwest employee, so be humble and politely ask the employee during the check-in process to shift you to another flight going to the same destination. This agent can refer you to a gate agent as they have more authority and can help the standby passengers more easily.

Southwest Airlines missed flight policy

There is not much a person can do except book another one after missing a flight, but thanks to the 'Southwest Missed Flight Policies,' you can depend on a structure that can safely pull you out of this. Before acting on any impulse, read through the policies and see if you can benefit from them;

• The policies state that if you reach the airport within 2 hours after the departure of your flight, Southwest will accommodate you on the next available flight. But don't expect it to happen on the spot; finding a flight that goes to your destination immediately will not be possible, so be ready to wait a few hours.
• If you fail to inform the airline, then you can not hold the status of the Southwest missed flight standby passenger and will be treated as per the 'No Show' policy. According to the No-Show policy, you will have to pay a fee for missing your flight, and unless you do so, you will not be allowed to make any future bookings with the airline.
• If the passenger manages to inform the airline within the desired time frame, then the airline can exempt you from paying the missing flight fee.
• If you don't wish to utilize the fare on a replacement flight, you can ask for a refund for the unused portion of the ticket.

Can I change my flight if I miss it Southwest?

Once you miss your flight, you have the option to reschedule it either through the airline support team or through the website.

(1) Through Southwest Support Team:

When you miss a flight, every second counts, so you should connect via phone call. Dial the Southwest missed flight phone number- 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792), 1-800-VAMONOS 1-800-826-6667 and request a reschedule.

(2) Through the Official Website:

If connecting with the airline support team is impossible, you can follow the given rescheduling steps;

• Log into the Southwest booking management system and retrieve your flight details.
• Select the missed/delayed flight section.
• On Reschedule Service, choose the best option in the list, and make payment to confirm.

Does Southwest charge for missed flights?

Southwest is an experienced airline service provider; they know that missing a flight is an uncontrollable situation, and accordingly, they do not charge any missed flight fee from a passenger. The Southwest missed flight refund will consist of the unused section of the fare. But this is applicable only if the passenger promptly informs the airline about the delay. If you forget to inform, the airline will execute the No-Show policy, and you will have to pay a fee, as decided by the airline. So remember that a simple phone call can save you a lot of trouble.