What Do I Do If I Was Bumped Off of My Southwest Airlines Flight?

Southwest Airlines is a United States based airline that offers both domestic and international flights. Passengers will get bumped off of flights occasionally due to the overselling of flight tickets by Southwest Airlines. If you have been bumped off your flight for Southwest Airlines, you will be rescheduled to a new plane with no extra charge and will be compensated for the inconvenience that this bumping has caused. Speaking to a gate attendant or phone customer service representative will help with this rescheduling process.

Jul 9, 2020

Southwest Airlines is a United States based airline that offers both domestic and international flights. In some cases, a trip will become overbooked and have more passengers than they have seats on the plane. When a flight becomes overbooked, you may be bumped off of the flight involuntarily and will need to reschedule for a new flight. In this guide, you will learn what to do if you are bumped off a Southwest Airlines flight.

Getting Bumped Off a Flight

Airlines generally oversell tickets to flights due to the large number of changes that happen in the flight scheduling process for its passengers. There are times when everyone has shown up to an oversold flight, and the airline has no other option but to bump off passengers to meet the maximum passenger total.

Fortunately, airlines have a Contract of Carriage that outlines that they will get you to your destination without any extra costs when you are bumped from a flight. Southwest Airlines is not an exception to this contract. You will receive adequate compensation for this inconvenience in the form of things like future flight vouchers, cash compensation, and free amenities for your travels.

What to Do if You are Bumped Off a Flight

There are two ways to get bumped off of a flight on Southwest Airlines. You can either be involuntarily bumped off or voluntarily give up your seat if you are not in a rush. If you are involuntarily bumped off of your flight, you will be given an alternative flight to your destination at a later time using your ticket you had purchased for the original price.

If you are bumped off of your flight while you are at the airport, you can speak to a gate agent about how scheduling a new flight and the compensation you would like to receive for being bumped off of the flight. If you have been bumped off the flight and have not yet reached the airport, speaking to a customer service representative on the phone can sort out this problem.

Contacting Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines Phone Support

When speaking to a Southwest Airlines attendant, make sure to gather the information about your flight. This will help the representative to access your flight's information and help you reschedule a new trip to the next nearest time. If you need to wait overnight for the next flight to your destination, your hotel will be compensated.

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