8 Reasons Why Your Southwest Airlines Flight Could Be Canceled

There’s nothing more crushing than having your flight canceled before a highly anticipated trip.

Southwest plane

However, the unfortunate truth is that sometimes it’s unavoidable, So the best thing you can do is be as prepared as possible. If you’re flying Southwest, that means knowing the most common reasons flights are canceled, and knowing what to do if that happens.

Why Does Southwest Cancel Flights?

According to Southwest, there are several reasons flights are canceled, including “standard maintenance tasks, severe weather, and staffing logistics (planes are legally required to have a minimum number of staff on the plane.)”

Southwest Plane

The airline went further into what “severe weather” entails, saying that they keep “planes on the ground when there is bad weather, especially weather that might cause unfavorable conditions. These weather events can include dense fog, heavy rainfall, low clouds, heavy snowfall, lightning, and other extreme weather at any point along the route, not just at the departure and arrival cities.”

What To Do If Your Southwest is Canceled

Now that we’ve established the most common reasons WHY Southwest cancels flights in their own words, here’s what you should do if you find yourself in the unenviable situation of having one canceled.

According to Southwest, if your flight is canceled, “you’ll receive a new itinerary automatically via email, text, phone call, or you will see it in your Southwest app.” As long as the new itinerary works for you, then there’s nothing else you’ll need to do other than show up once this automatic process is complete. If the new provided itinerary doesn’t work, “you can cancel or change your flight to a better time” according to the airline.

Southwest Airlines at the Orlando Airport

If you choose to cancel, the airline’s current refund policy is relatively straightforward: “If you choose a method-of-payment refund, you’ll receive it in the form of the original payment within seven business days. For cash refunds, you’ll receive a check within 20 business days. If you used Rapid Reward Points, they will return to the account used to book the flight.”

Southwest Cabin

Having your flight canceled — whether it’s a long-awaited vacation, or you suddenly need to get somewhere quickly — can be immensely disappointing. However, knowing why flights are canceled (and in turn being prepared for the possibility) as well as (arguably more importantly) knowing what to do in the event of cancellation can make the whole process much easier to deal with, and get you back on your way as quickly as possible. Stay tuned to DFB for more travel tips.

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Have you ever dealt with a canceled Southwest flight? Let us know how that went in the comments below.