Airlines / Southwest Airlines
DOT dashboard · 5 of 8 commitments
Southwest Airlines delay compensation
Southwest Airlines pays no cash for a delay or cancellation — it is not on its dashboard list, and US law does not require it. What it does commit to, when the disruption is its own fault, is rebook on the same airline at no additional cost; meal or meal cash/voucher when the wait is 3 hours or more; complimentary hotel for an overnight cancellation or delay; ground transportation to and from the hotel and credit or travel voucher when the wait is 3 hours or more.
- 1Southwest Airlines WN
- 2Meal voucher at 3 h wait
- 3On time, Jan–Jun 2026 74.76%
- 4Cancelled 1.05%
What Southwest Airlines commits to
| Commitment (controllable delays and cancellations) | WN |
|---|---|
| Rebook on the same airline at no additional cost | Yes |
| Rebook on a partner or other airline at no additional cost | No |
| Meal or meal cash/voucher when the wait is 3 hours or more | Yes |
| Complimentary hotel for an overnight cancellation or delay | Yes |
| Ground transportation to and from the hotel | Yes |
| Credit or travel voucher when the wait is 3 hours or more | Yes |
| Frequent flyer miles when the wait is 3 hours or more | No |
| Cash compensation when the wait is 3 hours or more | No |
| Family seating: a young child seated next to an adult at no extra cost | No |
Southwest Airlines goes beyond care with a travel credit or voucher when you wait 3 hours or more past the scheduled departure for a reason within its control, though not miles. No other airline on the dashboard has exactly the same list. Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airways commit to more items.
Rebooking is promised on Southwest Airlines's own flights only; it does not commit to moving you to another airline, so on a cancelled flight the wait for a seat can be longer than on a network carrier with partners.
How often Southwest Airlines is late
Over January–June 2026, 74.76% of flights by Southwest Airlines arrived on time, so roughly 25.2% did not. That ranks it 4 of 8 on the dashboard, in the lower half, 1.38 points below the 76.14% all-carrier figure. June 2026 was worse than its average for the period: 65.3%, 9.5 points down, as summer traffic built.
1.05% of its scheduled flights were cancelled over the same period, one of the lowest rates on the dashboard (rank 2 of 8) and below the 2.23% all-carrier rate. Punctuality is a record of the past, not a forecast for your flight.
When the law gives you more than Southwest Airlines does
On a US domestic flight, the federal floor is a refund: if Southwest Airlines cancels or your arrival slips 3+ hours (6+ on an international itinerary) and you decline the new flight, the fare comes back within 7 business days on a card. Being bumped from an oversold flight pays up to $2,150.
Abroad, other countries' laws apply to Southwest Airlines too. Leaving an EU airport, EU261 covers any airline, so a Southwest Airlines flight from Europe that lands 4+ hours late can be owed €600 — but the same flight in the other direction is not covered, because Southwest Airlines is not an EU airline. Leaving the UK, UK261 works the same way (£520). Any flight to or from Canada falls under the APPR, where a large airline pays $400 from 3 hours late. Routes on this site where that applies: CDG–JFK, FRA–JFK, AMS–JFK, MAD–MIA, FCO–JFK, DUB–BOS, LIS–EWR, AMS–SFO, LHR–JFK, LHR–LAX, LHR–BOS, YYZ–JFK, YVR–LAX.
How to claim
Ask Southwest Airlines at the airport or through its customer-relations channel for the dashboard item that applies — meal voucher, hotel, rebooking, the travel credit — or for the refund if you decide not to fly. Its customer service plan is the binding version of these promises. If it refuses, the US Department of Transportation takes complaints and says it holds airlines to their plans.
For a flight from the EU or the UK, claim the EU261 or UK261 amount from Southwest Airlines in writing with your booking reference, flight number and arrival time; a claim company is not needed. Compare published claim-company fees in the fee guide.
Sources: US DOT Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard (text version); US DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard (family seating); US DOT Air Travel Consumer Report, August 2026 (June 2026 data), Tables 1, 1C, 6 and 6B; Southwest Airlines customer service plan. Checked 2026-10-20.