Get Southwest Delayed Flight Compensation: Easy Guide to Reimbursement

Categories: Southwest Airlines TipsBy Last Updated: August 8, 2023

If your Southwest flight has been delayed or cancelled, you can almost always get compensation from Southwest Airlines. This compensation typically comes as “LUV Vouchers” which is Southwest Airlines’s reimbursement currency that you can use to book flights in the future.

Follow these steps to get LUV vouchers for any of your Southwest cancelled flights or delays of an hour or more. LUV vouchers issued for delayed or cancelled Southwest flights typically range from $75 per person to $200 per person. After you’ve received your LUV Voucher, come back to learn how to use your voucher or turn it into a flight credit that doesn’t expire.

Keep in mind that Southwest Airlines is not usually required to compensate you. They almost always will — but only if you ask.

Here’s how to get compensated for your trouble and get a reimbursement.

How long of a delay can I get reimbursed for from Southwest Airlines?

Southwest Delayed Flight Compensation

There are no hard and fast rules. As a general rule, I never contact Southwest for compensation unless the delay is longer than 1 hour. But it never hurts to ask.  A couple of travelers have reported reaching out to Southwest Airlines about shorter delays (around 45 minutes) and receiving vouchers.  The customer service agent will be able to look up your flight’s information and determine whether the delay was long enough to warrant compensation or not.  You can contact Southwest about a flight that was delayed for any reason: weather, a mechanical issue, staffing, etc. 

Can I get reimbursed for my Southwest Airlines Cancelled Flight?

If your Southwest flight was cancelled, you can follow these steps to request compensation. Cancelled flights should also have been refunded or rebooked for another date and time. Even once you have been refunded or rebooked, you can still request additional compensation.

What do I get from Southwest for my delayed flight?

Southwest Delayed Flight Compensation

The type of compensation Southwest Airlines gives for delayed flights is a LUV Voucher.  These vouchers can be used for the cost of a future flight (but not to cover taxes and fees) on Southwest.  LUV Vouchers include an expiration date of one year from the date they were issued.  The booked flight must be completed by the date on the voucher, not just booked by that date.  LUV Vouchers are different from Southwest flight credits because they expire. But LUV Vouchers can be converted into flight credits so that they will NEVER expire.

How can I contact Southwest to get delayed flight compensation?

There are three main ways to contact Southwest Airlines customer service when you experience flight delays. You can do more than one method at once if you want to. Different agents seem to issue different voucher amounts.

Direct message on the Southwest Twitter account

Southwest Delayed Flight Compensation

This is typically the fastest way to receive a response from a Southwest customer service agent.   Responses can come in minutes, but they most often take a few hours to respond.  You can keep a Twitter account just to message Southwest about delayed flights.

Southwest Customer Service Email through Southwest.com

There is not a way to contact Southwest Customer Service Email directly from your inbox. You’ll have to go to their website and send a form from there to request delayed flight compensation.

Southwest Delayed Flight Compensation

On this Contact Us page you’ll click on the link that says “send us an email.” You will have to fill out a form that includes your flight information, confirmation number, name, etc.  This method takes a few days to get a response.  If it takes longer than 10 days, email them again, referencing the case number given to you in the auto response from your original email. Some anecdotes seem to indicate that email agents offer higher compensation amounts than Twitter agents.

Use the chat feature on the Southwest app

If you choose to chat on the Southwest app, you need to get past the chat bot in order to chat with a real customer service agent.  To do this, click on any of the preset options and then when it asks if your problem is solved, click “no”.  This will bypass the bot and a “chat with agent” option will pop up. 

What should I say to get delayed flight compensation from Southwest?

When you contact customer service, include:

  • Your flight number
  • Your reservation number (and the reservation numbers for all of the people traveling with you)
  • How the delay inconvenienced your family or travel plans. 

Most importantly, be gracious and polite to the customer service agents.

Southwest Delayed Flight Compensation

Sample Template for requesting delayed flight compensation

You can cut and paste this sample template when you contact customer service.

Good evening,

My family of 5 flew on flight XXXX yesterday evening from XXX to XXX. It was delayed by an hour due to (insert reason here). All of the delays resulted in (insert how it inconvenienced your travel plans/family).  We really love Southwest, but these delays were disappointing and made our travel day much more difficult. Our confirmation numbers were: HGOSN HSJNO SHJSN HSJSS SHSJS.


What If I’m Not Satisfied With My Southwest Reimbursement?

If you message through Twitter and don’t get the response that you think is fair (for instance, you have a two hour delay and the customer service agent on Twitter doesn’t offer you vouchers), try one of the other methods of communication instead. 

You can even copy and paste your original message and email it to see if you get a different answer.  This can also work the other way-if you get an email response you aren’t happy with, try Twitter instead. 

Who can get LUV vouchers for Southwest Flight Delays and Cancellations?

Every traveler on a delayed or cancelled flight can receive a LUV voucher, even those whose flights were originally booked with Rapid Rewards or Companion Pass.  When you write customer service, they should offer you a voucher for every person in your traveling party. If they don’t, follow up and remind them of the others traveling with you. Be sure to include their confirmation numbers as well (if different from yours).

Southwest Delayed Flight Compensation
Twitter reply from Southwest customer service from a recent request

How can I use Southwest LUV vouchers I get as delayed flight compensation?

After you receive your vouchers from a delayed or canceled flight via email, you can use those vouchers to buy plane tickets for ANYONE!

The vouchers you receive will have a name on them, but they do not have to be used to book a flight for the person named on the voucher. 

This is different from a Ticketless Travel Fund (typically from a flight you cancel yourself) which generally has to be used for the person the original flight was booked for. 

Southwest Delayed Flight Compensation

Southwest LUV vouchers can even be stacked to pay for one plane ticket. You can have up to three forms of payment in one transaction, but you only stack up to two vouchers because they can’t be used to pay taxes, so your third form of payment will have to be a card for the taxes/fees. 

Be sure to read our complete guide on LUV vouchers, including how to use them for booking flights and how to turn them into a transferrable flight credit that won’t expire.

Success Stories

Here are some messages from other people who were able to get LUV vouchers as compensation for their delayed flights.

Have a success story? Share it with us in the comments!

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

30 Comments
  1. Beverly Gallets October 6, 2022 at 9:55 pm - Reply

    Thank you .

    I’ve learned so much from you !
    🥳

  2. Heather October 13, 2022 at 9:37 am - Reply

    Thank you! I should be getting a voucher after a two hour delay after reading this article.

  3. Barb Harris October 27, 2022 at 12:19 pm - Reply

    My daughter and I came back from a cruise into FLL. Boarded our first flight along with 175+ other people (aka full flight) only to have the pilot come out and tell us of a mechanical issue that was going to take at least two hours to fix. We all unloaded and sat and waited. Then all of a sudden the gate agent called us up as they knew we were going to miss our connecting flight in DCA. They voluntarily rerouted us through STL instead but while we were standing there, another agent next to us was voluntarily telling his customer about the voucher grid for delayed flights which we knew nothing about. Our flight delay was in the 3 to 5 hour range so we each got $100. But in the end, we were delayed 7 hours in FLL so when we landed in STL, I went to the gate agent there and asked if we had now moved into the next grid on the voucher amount for delayed flights. It took a while, but in the end we each got another $200 voucher. Had it not been for the honest, forthright agent in FLL who voluntarily offered this compensation to his customer we would never have known to even ask for any voucher or get any compensation. That just goes to show how good Southwest customer service is. They didn’t have to voluntarily let us know we were entitled to compensation and could’ve left it up to us to ask for it. Even though I fly a lot, I never would’ve thought to ask for delay compensation. I know to ask for meal, vouchers, and hotels when I take a bump, but I’ve never experienced a mechanical delay that long to get compensated. Made the 3am arrival at home much more palatable!

    • Katie Holden November 2, 2022 at 10:43 pm - Reply

      Glad to hear they did compensate you after all that!

  4. Mark November 13, 2022 at 2:09 pm - Reply

    I’ve had one delay of about 2 hours and one flight cancellation that ended up delaying me to my destination by about 7 hours (both maintenance issues). I got LUV vouchers of $100 and $200 without even asking. I have a Southwest Rapid Rewards account but no premium status – perhaps having the RR account automates things a bit.

  5. kylie November 29, 2022 at 10:38 am - Reply

    If you had round trip flight that was delayed on both ends ( same confirmation #) should you submit those together or separately? It seems like there is only one spot to fill in the flight number, destination, etc?

    • Katie Holden December 4, 2022 at 2:18 pm - Reply

      Yes, you can do each one separately! You should receive compensation for both

      • Leslie November 27, 2023 at 6:58 pm

        I’m so grateful that I cam across this article after our flight was delayed. I submitted an email and we’re receiving $200 each in LUV vouchers and a $40 refund for early bird check-in. We experienced rude customer service in the chat, on the phone and at the airport boarding desk, no one was willing to help so I didn’t have high hopes from the email.

      • Mike March 15, 2024 at 6:57 pm

        great post. Was delayed and was issued $200 LUV Voucher for myself & companion.

  6. Renee Bell December 28, 2022 at 2:12 pm - Reply

    Southwest cancelled our flight 27 Dec, 2022 from DCA to FLL the day before we were to fly. We had tickets to see Dave Chappelle in Hollywood Fl on 29 Dec 2022. We also had tickets to a New Year’s Eve gala on 31 Dec 2022. We couldn’t reschedule our flight with Southwest until 31 December leaving DCA at 5:30 PM arriving FLL at 7:30 PM. How can we get compensated Or inconvenience and tickets? When

    • Katie Holden February 2, 2023 at 3:38 pm - Reply

      Did you submit your expenses to Southwest? They were very generous with a lot of people I talked to as far as reimbursements of costs.

  7. E December 28, 2022 at 10:36 pm - Reply

    Vouchers? I don’t want vouchers! I want my $900 1-way flight on another airline because Southwest couldn’t get me on any of THEIR flights from where I was until 5 days later and I needed to be home THAT day.

    • Katie Holden February 2, 2023 at 3:37 pm - Reply

      They should have fully reimbursed you for that!

  8. Jolene Hancock January 5, 2023 at 10:00 pm - Reply

    I have tried twice to submit an Expense Reimbursement Request. I have tried twice and it want let me submit it.

    • Katie Holden February 2, 2023 at 3:37 pm - Reply

      Have you tried recently? I know their system was overloaded for a while.

  9. Lauren February 24, 2023 at 11:49 am - Reply

    Do you have an experience or tips on if a flight is delayed overnight and one would choose to get a one-way car rental just to get home instead? Currently have a flight book with the last leg being from MDW – CLE and am worried about there being problems with an evening flight out of Midway. Looking ahead I think we’d prefer to just drive home that night rather than stay in Chicago if there’s a flight problem.

    Would Southwest reimburse the rental car cost (or unused flight portion costs?) Would it be better to ask them to pay for a hotel and meals (and vouchers) and take the the next-day flight instead? I supposed with a significant delay we would be entitled to vouchers either way?

    • Katie Holden February 28, 2023 at 8:35 am - Reply

      This also can come down to what credit card you booked with! If you book with a card that provides trip delay insurance, that would probably cover the alternate transportation with rental car. Southwest isn’t required to do that (and if it was a delay due to weather, they probably don’t even have to provide a hotel).

  10. Trista Chau June 27, 2023 at 6:55 pm - Reply

    SWA is amazing with their dedication to their customers hands down!
    Not only are they professional and quick to respond at your request, they also want to best for their customers and whatever makes their customers safe and comfortable for their flights as well. GREAT JOB SWA!!!
    That’s why I choose YOUR airline to be my domestic carrier all the time!

    Always & sincerely
    Trista Chau 😁

  11. Sharon Cohen July 26, 2023 at 3:22 pm - Reply

    I just recently got a $50 LUV voucher from Southwest Airlines due to a one hour and 15 minute delay flying from Phoenix Arizona back to Burbank California. Thank you so much for all your travel information! I would have never thought I could get this voucher!☺️

    • Katie Holden July 30, 2023 at 12:27 pm - Reply

      yay! So glad it helped!

  12. Julie Garitson August 3, 2023 at 4:25 pm - Reply

    I just received a $100 voucher for a SLC to PHX flight that was delayed for over an hour! Thanks for the info on how to obtain the voucher!!!

  13. Simone August 23, 2023 at 9:15 pm - Reply

    Hi! We were delayed for 45 mins and we ended up having to pay another day in the parking lot – SW gave us each a $100 voucher!

    • Katie Holden August 24, 2023 at 8:08 am - Reply

      Wow that’s a strict parking lot! Glad SW helped you out.

  14. Sri August 23, 2023 at 11:56 pm - Reply

    Thanks for the helpful advice. My Southwest flight was delayed by over 3 hours and I got into my destination after 1 am. I emailed Southwest, and they compensated me with a $150 Southwest voucher.

    • Katie Holden August 24, 2023 at 8:08 am - Reply

      So glad to hear this helped and you got some compensation.

  15. Michelle September 11, 2023 at 8:58 pm - Reply

    Thanks for sharing your tips. My flight was cancelled, I was rebooked the next morning and Southwest gave me a $300 Luv voucher.

  16. Kevin Costello October 28, 2023 at 11:07 am - Reply

    today on October 28th my flight was at 940am and at 1240pm I’m still waiting to take off. can someone provide the actual link so I can get compensation for my time. thanx for your assistance, be well.
    Kevin

  17. Emi November 9, 2023 at 12:11 pm - Reply

    Really appreciate all of your helpful tips, Katie!
    Is there some time period by which one needs to request the compensation for a delayed flight? Ex. must be made within a day, week, month, etc?

  18. Paula Hubbard December 12, 2023 at 10:15 am - Reply

    Just opened your website and read about delayed compensation. Sitting in airport with 3.5 hour delay i used chat feature. Within 30 minutes total, I received two $150 Luv. Ou hers and drink vouchers for being so kind. Thank you Katie for your guidance!

    • Katie Holden December 21, 2023 at 6:11 pm - Reply

      So glad it helped and you got compensated!

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