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How Southwest Flight Delay Compensation Works

Anya Kartashova is a freelance writer and full-time traveler based in Salt Lake City. She has written about travel rewards and personal finance for FrugalTravelGuy, Fodor's, FlyerTalk, 10xTravel and Reward Expert. Her goal is to visit every country in the world by offsetting the cost with points and miles.

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Southwest notifies you of delays longer than 30 minutes

Few laws protect you in this scenario, you may be entitled to compensation, including vouchers for lodging and food, you can request compensation after the flight, your travel card may include travel insurance benefits, travel insurance can also protect you from expensive delays, if your southwest flight is delayed.

These days, it’s common to see posts about flight delays on social media or in the news. And if you fly often, it’s only a matter of time until you’re one of the unlucky ones trying to figure out how to handle a delayed flight. If you flew (or tried to fly) with Southwest during the 2022 holidays , flight delays were practically inevitable. During that meltdown, Southwest was fairly generous about its approach to compensating passengers , including offering out Rapid Rewards points and even promising to reimburse some non-Southwest expenses.

But what about other delayed flights? Whether it's due to inclement weather, staff shortages or mechanical problems, are you entitled to compensation from Southwest for other delays?

Here's how Southwest handles delays and how to get refunded or receive additional compensation for a delayed flight on Southwest:

If your flight is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you’ll be notified by email, phone or text within half an hour of Southwest being aware of the delay.

If your flight happens to be delayed on the tarmac because of gate-space limitations, mechanical problems or air traffic control requirements, Southwest will provide snacks and drinking water for delays nearing two hours. You’ll also have access to restrooms.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any U.S. laws or Department of Transportation rules that protect flyers against flight delays, except when they’re involuntarily denied boarding.

Additionally, Southwest doesn’t fly to Europe, so its routes don’t qualify for Europe-specific regulations such as Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004 , more commonly known as EC261.

» Learn more: How to get paid for airline delays

Southwest might provide you with some compensation if, as the carrier, it is responsible for the delay.

Weather delays are considered outside of the airline’s control.

There’s no guarantee, but depending on how long the delay is and the reason, Southwest could rebook you on the next flight or offer a LUV voucher that you can use toward future Southwest flight purchases. If you miss a connection because of a plane swap and must stay overnight, you can request a hotel voucher and transportation to your accommodation.

You can also ask for a refund of the unused portion of the ticket, but be aware that you’ll have to find an alternative flight to your destination on your own.

To request Southwest flight delay compensation or provide other feedback after the flight, you can contact the airline by phone or email.

» Learn more: How to book a flight that (likely) won’t get canceled

Many travel rewards cards — such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express — come with trip protections for cardholders. Terms apply. If you pay for all or a portion of your delayed Southwest flight with a travel card that offers trip delay insurance, you can claim reimbursement on some of your expenses.

Trip delay insurance typically covers meals, lodging and transportation costs incurred due to a delayed flight, so make sure to save your receipts to submit a claim later.

For example, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® both offer trip delay protection for delays of at least six hours or delays that require an overnight stay. You’re covered for up to $500 per ticket whether you pay for all or a portion of the flight with the card. Equipment failure, inclement weather, labor strikes and hijacking are covered.

The Platinum Card® from American Express also reimburses up to $500 per covered trip that’s delayed six hours or more. But the coverage extends to loss of passport or other travel documents, as well as inclement weather, terrorism and equipment failure. Terms apply.

Note that all of these cards offer supplemental coverage. So, if Southwest covered your expenses or you had purchased a separate trip insurance policy, you can claim only what hasn’t already been reimbursed.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

If you need more trip delay coverage than what’s provided by your credit card, you can also look into purchasing a travel insurance policy. More often than not, a comprehensive plan will offer higher coverage limits than travel credit cards.

We recommend Squaremouth, a travel insurance marketplace, to search for plans and compare policy quotes. More than a dozen travel insurance providers are listed on Squaremouth, and you can filter results by the coverage features you need most.

On top of trip delay, a comprehensive travel insurance plan will include several other protections, such as trip cancellation and interruption coverage, baggage delay, emergency medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation coverage.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

Even though there aren’t official regulations protecting passengers in case of flight delays, you can still request compensation from Southwest, especially if the delay is several hours long or overnight.

And if your efforts come up short, you may be eligible for coverage through the credit card you used to pay for the flight or your travel insurance provider.

Insurance Benefit: Baggage Insurance Plan

Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Covered Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier Vehicle (e.g., plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an Eligible Card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked Baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per Covered Trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each Covered Person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.

Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

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