Southwest Airlines: travel credit or voucher problem

Collect

• confirmation number of the original ticket
• credit details
• cancellation notice

Steps

1. If the credit came from a Southwest cancellation or significant change, ask for a refund to the original form of payment.

   FormNon-refundable Ticket Refund Request

More contacts for this issue

Facts you can cite

• Policy

  Flight Credits created from tickets issued or changed on or after May 28, 2025, have an expiration date by which travel must be booked and flown.

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

Rules in force

• DOT automatic refund rule for airline tickets and ancillary fees (2024)
  14 CFR part 260 and 14 CFR part 262 (89 FR 32760, April 26, 2024; amended 89 FR 65534, August 12, 2024)

  Airlines operating to, from or within the U.S. must give a full cash refund (to the original form of payment) when they cancel or significantly change a flight and the passenger does not accept the alternative. Refunds are due within 7 business days (credit card) or 20 calendar days (other payment). Airlines must also refund checked bag fees for significantly delayed bags and fees for paid extras that were not provided. Until July 7, 2027, DOT does not enforce the rule in one narrow case: a flight that is only renumbered, with no significant change or delay.

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

  2 citable points

  • Policy

    A carrier may offer a voucher or credit instead of a refund only if the offer states the passenger's right to a full refund, and the voucher stays valid for at least five years from the date it is issued.

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

  • Policy

    On request, carriers must give a transferable travel credit or voucher, valid for at least five years from issuance, to a passenger who cannot travel because of a government restriction related to a serious communicable disease, or who is advised by a licensed treating medical professional not to fly because of a serious communicable disease. The carrier may require documentation and may charge a per-passenger processing fee that was disclosed at purchase.

    Source: ecfr.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

Related

• Travel credit or voucher problem at other companies
• How Southwest Airlines complaints actually go (dossier, checked 2026-10-12)
• Airlines — how complaints work
• Southwest Airlines: flight cancelled or significantly changed
• Southwest Airlines: long delay
• Southwest Airlines: delayed bag
• Southwest Airlines: lost bag
• Southwest Airlines: damaged bag
• Southwest Airlines: bumped or denied boarding