Southwest Airlines: bumped or denied boarding

Collect

• boarding pass
• written Notice of Denied Boarding
• arrival time of the new flight

Steps

1. Ask for the written explanation of denied boarding compensation and payment the same day.

2. If not paid, complain in writing, then file with the U.S. DOT.

   FormHelp Center Contact Us (compliment and complaint sections)

More contacts for this issue

Facts you can cite

• Compensation

  For domestic itineraries, involuntary denied boarding compensation is at least 200% of the fare or $1075.00 (whichever is lower) if the alternate flight arrives more than 1 but less than 2 hours late, and at least 400% of the fare or $2150.00 (whichever is lower) otherwise. It is paid on the day and at the place of denied boarding, or sent within 24 hours.

  Source: southwest.com, verified 2026-10-12

Rules in force

• DOT oversales and denied boarding compensation
  14 CFR part 250 (limits revised by 89 FR 84815, October 24, 2024, effective January 22, 2025)

  When an airline involuntarily bumps a passenger with a confirmed reservation from an oversold flight that departs from a U.S. airport, it must pay compensation in cash or check on the spot: 200% of the one-way fare up to $1,075, or 400% up to $2,150, depending on how late the passenger arrives on the alternate transportation. It must also give a written statement of these rights.

  Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  9 citable points

  • Policy

    Part 250 applies to scheduled flight segments using an aircraft with a designed capacity of 30 or more passenger seats, in interstate transportation and on nonstop foreign segments that originate at a point within the United States.

    Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  • Compensation

    Domestic: no compensation is required if alternate transportation is planned to arrive within one hour of the original arrival time. If it arrives more than one hour but less than two hours late, compensation is at least 200 percent of the fare to the destination or first stopover, or $1,075, whichever is lower. If the carrier does not offer alternate transportation planned to arrive less than two hours late, compensation is at least 400 percent of that fare, or $2,150, whichever is lower.

    Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  • Compensation

    International flights from a U.S. airport: no compensation if the alternate transportation arrives within one hour; 200 percent of the fare or $1,075, whichever is lower, if it arrives more than one hour but less than four hours late; 400 percent of the fare or $2,150, whichever is lower, if the carrier does not offer alternate transportation planned to arrive less than four hours late.

    Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  • Deadline

    The carrier must pay in cash or an immediately negotiable check on the day and at the place the denied boarding occurs. If the alternate transportation leaves before payment can be prepared, the carrier must send payment within 24 hours after the denied boarding.

    Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  • Policy

    The carrier may offer free or reduced-rate travel instead of cash only if its value is at least the cash amount owed, and it must tell the passenger the cash amount, that the passenger may decline the travel offer and take cash, and all material restrictions before the passenger accepts.

    Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  • Policy

    The carrier must refund unused fees for optional services (for example a seat or bag fee) paid by a passenger who is voluntarily or involuntarily denied boarding, unless the service is provided on the alternate transportation.

    Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  • Policy

    No compensation is owed if the passenger did not comply with the carrier's ticketing, check-in and reconfirmation rules; if a smaller aircraft was substituted for operational or safety reasons (or, on aircraft with 60 or fewer seats, weight or balance limits applied); if the passenger was seated in a different section at no extra charge; or if the carrier arranged transportation planned to arrive no later than one hour after the original planned arrival.

    Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  • Process

    Immediately after an involuntary denied boarding, the carrier must give the passenger a written statement that explains the boarding priority rules, the compensation amounts, and the passenger's right to decline compensation and pursue damages another way.

    Source: ecfr.gov, verified 2026-10-12

  • Policy

    DOT raised the limits from $775 and $1,550 to $1,075 and $2,150 by a rule effective January 22, 2025, and did not enforce the new limits until March 20, 2025.

    Source: federalregister.gov, verified 2026-10-12

If that fails, escalate

Go up one step at a time. Keep the reference numbers and dates from each contact.

1. Customer service

   PhoneReservations and customer service (1-800-I-FLY-SWA) +1-800-435-9792

2. Written complaint

   FormHelp Center Contact Us (compliment and complaint sections)

3. Federal regulator

   RegulatorU.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Aviation Consumer Protection +1-800-778-4838

4. Card or bank dispute

   Fair Credit Billing Act billing-error and purchase-dispute rights (Regulation Z)

   Electronic Fund Transfer Act error resolution and unauthorized-transfer liability (Regulation E)

   Card dispute for a refund Southwest owes but has not paid.

State agencies for this sector: your state’s attorney general. Find yours in the list of state agencies, or as JSON in states/<code>.json (for example states/ny.json).

Watch out

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