You have the Right to Reimbursement and Compensation: Southwest Airlines

There are few things as frustrating as hearing that your flight was delayed — or worse, canceled. A disrupted flight can wreak havoc on your journey and completely ruin your travel plans. You may be left stranded at the airport, missing out on bookings that you have already paid for — such as tours, events, and concerts. Sometimes, you may even miss out on special events at your destination, such as a wedding or an important business meeting.

If your flight was departing from an EU airport, however, you’re in luck. You can claim for Southwest Airlines flight compensation. Though Southwest Airlines is not a European airline, when departing from an EU airport, its flights are covered by a law called EC 261, an air passenger rights regulation that protects travelers.

According to EC 261, when your flight is eligible you can get up to €600 in compensation per passenger. This includes for delays of more than 3 hours and cancellations that were announced less than 14 days before departure.

EC 261 is not limited to just Southwest Airlines compensation either. The law also requires airlines to provide essential free food, drink, and lodgings for their passengers while they wait.

Though EC 261 is one of the world’s most comprehensive air passenger rights regulations, not all disrupted flights are eligible for flight delay compensation from Southwest Airlines.

As mentioned before, only Southwest Airlines flight delays that occur while departing from an EU airport are covered. If your flight departed from a non-EU airport, EC 261 does not provide coverage.

Another notable exception is if the flight was disrupted by extraordinary circumstances, which are situations over which the airline has no control. This includes severe weather conditions, medical emergencies, security threats, political unrest, and airport staff strikes.

It is important to note, however, that strikes conducted by airline employees are not considered extraordinary circumstances, as the airline is deemed to be responsible for the actions of their staff.

And when it comes to Southwest Airlines flight cancellation compensation, only significant delays count — if Southwest Airlines manages to provide you with a replacement flight that gets you in at a similar time to your original arrival schedule, they are not obligated to pay.

When claiming for Southwest Airlines canceled flight compensation, be sure to ask questions at the airport — ask how long your flight is expected to be delayed and the cause behind the delay or cancellation, if it hasn’t already been announced.

You will want to hold onto your documents as well — including your boarding pass and flight confirmation. You can even take photos of the departure board as proof that your flight was delayed.

Be sure to ask for food and refreshments while you wait. And if needed, ask for accommodation and transport to and from the airport until it is time to depart. This is especially important for long waits overnight.

And of course, use AirHelp to check if your flight is covered.

Which Southwest Airlines Flights are Covered by EC 261?

Table shows values in € as specified in EC 261

When it comes to determining exactly how much compensation you are owed, the distance traveled is what is important. EC 261 has set specific amounts for how much each passenger can receive, though exceptions and special cases may apply in some circumstances.