How to get Reimbursement and Compensation: Southwest Airlines

Flight delays and cancellations do happen, and oftentimes, there is very little that air passengers can do about it.

However, for flights that are departing within the EU, you may be able to claim for Southwest Airlines flight compensation, even though they are not a European airline. This is because of a regulation known as EC 261.

According to this regulation, all flights departing from an EU airport are protected, which means that you can claim Southwest Airlines compensation in the event of a delay, cancellation, or overbooking. Unfortunately, though the departures are covered, the same cannot be said for arrivals. If your Southwest Airlines flight arrives in the EU from an airport that is outside of the EU, you are not covered by EC 261.

You can find out more about your rights here.

Flight delays are never fun. The stress, the confusion, the long hours waiting at the airport — it can be extremely frustrating and even cause you to miss out on pre-planned tours, events, and other time-sensitive engagements at your destination.

Generally, you are eligible for flight delay compensation from Southwest Airlines if you are departing from an EU airport, and if you are delayed by more than 3 hours. Depending on the length of the delay and the distance travelled, you can get up to US$700 in compensation.

You are also entitled to receive care including free food, refreshments, and, during lengthier delays, a hotel room, as well as free transfers to and from the airport.

However, not all Southwest Airlines flight delays are eligible for compensation. One notable exception is in cases known as extraordinary circumstances, which include bad weather; as well as health, safety, or security threats; and airport personnel strikes and political unrest. In these cases, Southwest Airlines might have no choice but to delay the flight to ensure the safety of its passengers.

Learn more about flight delays here.

You can get up to US$700 in Southwest Airlines flight cancellation compensation, provided that your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before you were set to depart, and that the airline was considered responsible for the issue. The flight must also have been scheduled to depart from an EU airport. You can check what is covered in the table below.

If you think you're eligible for Southwest Airlines flight cancellation compensation, be sure to hold onto all of your flight documents. Remember that you have the right to care — which means that the airline must provide you with necessary food, refreshment, and lodgings while you wait for your replacement flights.

You are entitled to a replacement flight to your final destination free of charge — if you choose to travel. Otherwise, you also have the option to ask for a refund.

There are exceptions to receiving compensation, however — if your replacement flight arrives at a similar time to your original arrival time, Southwest Airlines is not obligated to pay compensation. You only receive compensation for lost time.

Learn more here.

Which Southwest Airlines Flights are Covered by EC 261?

Table shows values in € as specified in EC 261

If your disrupted flight meets all the requirements of EC 261, you can expect to receive up US$700, depending on the travel distance of your flight. However, there may be a few exceptions, so be sure to check with our Compensation Checker. You can claim for flights that occurred in the past 3 years.