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Southwest Airlines vs Delta Air Lines Refund Process
Side-by-side comparison of refund processs, conditions, and refund timelines.·Last updated: 2026-03-19
Refund Conditions
Southwest Airlines
- It is recommended to contact Southwest as soon as changes in plans are known.
- Refund qualification may require providing documentation to support your refund request.
- For Getaways by Southwest, refund requests must be made nine (9) or more days prior to the first flight's departure.
Delta Air Lines
- Cancellation within 24 hours of booking for a full refund (risk-free cancellation).
- Flight canceled or impacted by a significant delay (3+ hours domestic, 6+ hours international) or significant schedule change, and customer is not satisfied with rebooked flight or no rebooking is possible.
- For tickets issued before Oct 28, 2024, with travel on or after Oct 28, 2024, if departure/arrival time impacted by significant schedule change or delay of more than 120 minutes.
- Refundable ticket type purchased.
- If no portion of the ticket has been used, Delta will refund the total fare and all taxes, fees or charges paid.
- Taxes, fees or charges on nonrefundable international tickets are refundable if required by law or collected in error, with evidence of exemption.
Refund Steps
Southwest Airlines
- Contact Southwest upon knowing of change of plans.
- For Getaways by Southwest, cancel and request refund consideration online.
- For ticket refunds, fill out the provided form.
- Provide necessary documentation to support the refund request.
Delta Air Lines
- Cancel or manage your trip online via Fly Delta app or My Trips.
- Request a refund through the available options on the Delta website.
- Complete the Travel Resolution Form for specific refund or eCredit requests.
- Submit unused flight coupons/paper tickets by mail to Delta Passenger Refunds Department.
- Check your refund status online after submission.
Refund Methods
Southwest Airlines
- Refund consideration
- Return of funds
Delta Air Lines
- Original form of payment
- eCredit
Partial Refunds
Southwest Airlines
Not available
Delta Air Lines
- Unflown portion of the ticket.
- Pre-paid seat upgrade or Preferred Seat fees.
- Checked bag fees.
- Residual value and associated taxes/fees for partially used tickets.
- Refundable fare segment and associated taxes for domestic travel with mixed refundable/nonrefundable fares.
Additional Notes
Southwest Airlines
- This policy applies to seats purchased separately.
- Refund consideration for Getaways by Southwest can be requested online.
Delta Air Lines
- eCredit will not be issued if the cancellation fee exceeds the ticket value.
- Cancellation fees apply in most cases, unless a refundable ticket type is purchased or due to a significant schedule change/delay/cancellation.
- Tickets not changed or canceled prior to departure will have no remaining value.
- For domestic travel combining refundable and nonrefundable segments, only the refundable fare segment and associated taxes are refunded.