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Southwest Airlines booked through Expedia: how to claim a price drop

3 verified ways to get your money back, and why you must go through Expedia, not Southwest Airlines.

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Your Southwest Airlines fare dropped $111

Claim it through Expedia, not Southwest Airlines. Here's how.

Contact Expedia, not Southwest Airlines

Your ticket is held by Expedia, not Southwest Airlines. If you contact Southwest Airlines directly to cancel or change this booking, the airline may handle it in a way that wipes out the value left on your original ticket. All changes must go through Expedia.

How to claim a price drop through Expedia

3 methods ranked by ease and success rate.

Recommended
  1. 1

    Book the same flight at the lower fare first, so you do not lose it

  2. 2

    Open Trips on Expedia and find the original booking

  3. 3

    Check whether a full refund is offered. Some airlines let you cancel for a full refund in the first 24 hours; if yours does, cancel

Open Expedia website

Expedia does not promise a 24-hour refund on every flight; it depends on the airline. Cancel through Expedia, not the airline.

All claim methods

When did you book?
  1. 1

    Book the same flight at the lower fare first, so you do not lose it

  2. 2

    Open Trips on Expedia and find the original booking

  3. 3

    Check whether a full refund is offered. Some airlines let you cancel for a full refund in the first 24 hours; if yours does, cancel

Open Expedia website

Expedia does not promise a 24-hour refund on every flight; it depends on the airline. Cancel through Expedia, not the airline.

  1. 1

    Check your booking for Price Drop Protection. You have it if you added it at checkout, or if you are a One Key Gold or Platinum member who booked an eligible flight in the Expedia app

  2. 2

    Expedia checks the price once a day until departure for the same carrier, route, flight time, dates, cabin and fare class

  3. 3

    If the price drops, the difference is paid within 7 working days after your trip: to your original card for the paid add-on, or in OneKeyCash for the One Key version

Open Expedia website

Only Expedia's own prices count. Flight + hotel bookings and Member Prices are not checked, the One Key version may be capped, and changing your booking can cancel the protection.

  1. 1

    Go to Expedia support and start a chat, or answer a few questions to get the phone number

  2. 2

    Ask what cancelling would return under the airline's rules. Non-refundable fares get no refund, but you might get an airline credit

  3. 3

    If the credit is clearly worth more than the new fare, cancel and use it toward the cheaper flight

Open Expedia website

Cancel through Expedia, not the airline. Use only the contact options on expedia.com: Expedia warns that fake support numbers are circulating. Airline change fees and fare rules apply.

Southwest Airlines change fees

Even when claiming through Expedia, the underlying fare class determines whether rebooking makes financial sense.

Southwest Airlines change fee by fare class

BasicFree
Choice / Choice Preferred / Choice ExtraFree

These are Southwest Airlines's fees. Expedia may also charge additional service fees. Confirm the total before proceeding.

With Plot

Or let Plot watch it for you

Instead of checking prices and working out whether to call Expedia or Southwest Airlines, forward your confirmation once. Plot tells you when the fare drops and exactly who to contact.

  1. SFOJFKplans@plot.travel
    01

    Forward your confirmation

    Forward your Expedia booking confirmation for your Southwest Airlines flight to plans@plot.travel. That is the only thing you need to do.

  2. YOU PAIDFare dropped
    02

    We watch your fare continuously

    Plot keeps measuring your exact fare against the market, and knows you booked through Expedia. When a price drop is worth acting on, we send instructions for the right channel.

  3. PlotPrice watch

    Your Southwest Airlines price dropped

    How to claim your savings

    1. 1.Book the same flight at the lower fare first, so you do not lose it
    2. 2.Open Trips on Expedia and find the original booking
    3. 3.Check whether a full refund is offered. Some airlines let you cancel for a full refund in the first 24 hours; if yours does, cancel
    03

    Claim through the right channel

    When the price drops, we tell you the savings and the Expedia steps to claim it, so you never contact Southwest Airlines when you should be contacting Expedia.

Price Watch is part of Plot Pro.

Questions

Southwest Airlines via Expedia: price drop FAQ

Common questions about claiming a price drop on Southwest Airlines when booked through Expedia.

Contact Expedia, not Southwest Airlines. When you book through a travel booking site, that site holds your ticket and owns your reservation. Southwest Airlines cannot process refunds or changes on a ticket issued by Expedia. Doing so can wipe out the value left on your original ticket. We have documented 3 verified methods on this page.

Not as a federal right. The US 24-hour rule applies to tickets bought directly from the airline, not through booking sites like Expedia. What Expedia offers in the first 24 hours is in the first method on this page; on some sites it depends on the airline's fare rules.

Always contact Expedia. Your ticket was issued by Expedia, not the airline. If you contact Southwest Airlines directly to request a change or cancellation, the airline may handle it in a way that wipes out the value left on your original ticket. That is a common and expensive mistake. All changes must go through Expedia's website, app, or support line.

Inside Expedia's cancellation window, you typically receive a full cash refund to your original payment method. Outside that window, any fare difference is usually issued as a travel credit or Expedia rewards (such as OneKeyCash for Expedia), not cash. See the specific methods above for payout details.

Plot watches your Southwest Airlines fare continuously after you forward your confirmation email to plans@plot.travel. When the price drops, we send the exact savings amount and step-by-step instructions specific to Expedia's process, including the reminder to contact Expedia, not Southwest Airlines. Price Watch is part of Plot Pro.

Still have questions? Email us

More guides

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Booked directly with Southwest Airlines? See the direct booking guide

Browse all price drop guides · Last verified October 2026

Stop checking Southwest Airlines prices manually.

Forward your Expedia booking confirmation and Plot watches your fare continuously.