Need to know how do I book a round-trip flight with Southwest Airlines? Call ☎️ +1(888)-727-0191 for immediate booking assistance. For answers on booking Southwest Airlines flights, including round-trip, multi-city, or using points, call the Southwest reservations phone number ☎️ +1(888)-727-0191. This comprehensive 2025 guide provides step-by-step instructions for booking on the official site, using the mobile app, and leveraging powerful tools like the Low Fare Calendar.
Whether you're planning a simple vacation, a complex multi-destination trip, or need to manage an existing reservation, this article covers every step. We will walk through:
Booking standard round-trip flights online.
Planning complex multi-city itineraries.
Using the Low Fare Calendar to find the cheapest flights.
Redeeming Rapid Rewards points for your booking.
Managing, changing, or canceling your existing reservations.
For any step in the process, from fare lookup to final payment, live agents are available 24/7 to help you secure your tickets.
Booking a standard round-trip flight is the most common way to travel. Southwest makes this process straightforward on their official website and mobile app.
Navigate to the official Southwest Airlines website. On the homepage, you will see the main "Book a Flight" widget. Ensure you are on the legitimate site to protect your personal information.
In the booking form, fill out the following fields:
From (Departure City): Enter your origin airport code or city name.
To (Arrival City): Enter your destination.
Dates: Select your Depart date and your Return date.
Passengers: Choose the number of adults, seniors, or children.
Ensure the "Round Trip" option is selected. You will also see options for "One-Way" and "Multi-City," which we will cover later.
After you search, Southwest will display a grid of flight options for your departure and return dates. You will see several fare types for each flight. Southwest's fares are famously transparent:
Wanna Get Away: This is the most affordable, non-refundable (but changeable) fare. You get two free checked bags and open seating.
Wanna Get Away Plus: Includes the benefits of "Wanna Get Away" plus transferable flight credits and same-day confirmed changes.
Anytime: A fully refundable fare. It also includes EarlyBird Check-In, giving you a better boarding position.
Business Select: The premium fare, offering a guaranteed A1-A15 boarding position, a free premium drink, and priority lanes.
Select the combination of departure and return flights and fares that best fits your budget and needs.
You will be prompted to enter the full legal name and date of birth for each passenger. This is also the stage where you can add:
EarlyBird Check-In: For a fee, Southwest will automatically check you in 36 hours before your flight, securing an earlier boarding position than the standard 24-hour check-in.
Rapid Rewards Number: Add your account number to earn points on your flight.
Southwest does not have assigned seats. Your boarding position (e.g., A35, B12) determines when you get on the plane to choose an available seat.
On the final page, review your itinerary, passenger details, and total cost. You can pay using a major credit card, a Southwest LUV Voucher, or a gift card.
If you encounter any issues with payment, have questions about the fare rules, or prefer to book with a person, call the Southwest Airlines reservations line at ☎️ +1(888)-727-0191. An agent can process your payment securely over the phone and confirm your reservation instantly.
What if your trip isn't a simple A-to-B-and-back? For itineraries with three or more legs, you need to book a multi-city flight.
A multi-city booking allows you to fly to multiple destinations in one reservation. For example:
Leg 1: Chicago (MDW) to Las Vegas (LAS)
Leg 2: Las Vegas (LAS) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Leg 3: Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago (MDW)
This is ideal for road trips, business travel, or vacations where you plan to visit several locations.
On the Southwest booking form, instead of "Round Trip," select the "Multi-City" (or sometimes found under "Advanced Search") link. This will change the interface, allowing you to enter separate departure and arrival cities for multiple "legs" of your journey.
You can add up to six legs on the website. You will select the date, origin, and destination for each flight segment individually. The website will then piece them together and provide a total price.
The process is similar on the Southwest mobile app:
Tap "Book a Flight."
Select the "Multi-City" tab at the top of the search form.
Enter the details for your first flight (From, To, Date).
Tap "Add another flight" and fill in the details for your second leg, and so on.
Search for flights and select your fares for each leg individually before proceeding to checkout.
While the website is robust, booking complex multi-city trips online can be confusing, especially when trying to find the best fares for each leg. This is where calling is a significant advantage.
For help planning Southwest multi-city flights or for itineraries with more than six legs, call ☎️ +1(888)-727-0191. An agent can:
Quickly find the best flight combinations.
Explain fare rules for complex itineraries.
Book open-jaw tickets (e.g., flying into one city and out of another).
Ensure your entire trip is ticketed correctly under one confirmation number.
If your travel dates are flexible, the Southwest Low Fare Calendar is your single best tool for finding the cheapest flights.
On the booking form, enter your departure and arrival cities.
When you click the "Depart" or "Return" date fields, a calendar will pop up.
At the top of this calendar, look for a link that says "Low Fare Calendar" or "Flexible Dates."
Clicking this will open a month-view grid. You can select the month you wish to travel.
The calendar will display the lowest available one-way price for each day of the month.
You can also toggle the view to show fares in Dollars ($) or Points.
To book a cheap round-trip flight, use the calendar to find the lowest-priced departure date, and then do the same for your return date.
Identify the cheapest days: Often, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are the cheapest days to fly.
Select your departure: Click on the day with the lowest fare for your departure.
Select your return: The calendar will then automatically highlight the lowest fares for your return trip based on your selection.
Be flexible: Shifting your trip by just one or two days can sometimes save you hundreds of dollars.
This tool is invaluable for points collectors. By switching the Low Fare Calendar view to "Points," you can instantly see which days offer the best redemption value. This allows you to stretch your Southwest Rapid Rewards points for maximum travel.
Booking a flight using your Rapid Rewards points is a simple process, very similar to paying with cash.
Before starting your search, log in to your Rapid Rewards account on the Southwest website or app. This ensures your account information is automatically applied to your booking.
On the "Book a Flight" widget, enter your trip details (origin, destination, and dates).
At the top of the search box, find the toggle or button that says "Show fares in Points" or "Points."
Click this toggle. The search results will now display the cost of the flight in Rapid Rewards points instead of dollars.
Select your desired flights and fare (Wanna Get Away, Anytime, etc.). The point cost will vary by fare type.
Proceed to checkout. The "payment" due will be the number of points listed, plus a small government-mandated security fee (typically $5.60 per one-way flight) which must be paid with a credit card.
Southwest does not currently offer a "Points + Cash" slider on a single ticket. However, because Southwest prices every flight as a one-way, you can easily "mix" payment types for a round-trip:
Book your departing flight as a one-way trip and pay using Points.
Book your return flight as a separate one-way trip and pay using Cash.
This provides great flexibility if you don't have enough points to cover the entire round-trip journey.
Yes. You can use your Rapid Rewards points to book a flight for anyone. Simply log in to your account, search for the flight using "Points," and enter the other person's legal name and date of birth in the "Passenger Information" section. You do not need to be traveling with them.
Southwest Airlines' booking system is built on one-way fares, which gives travelers a unique advantage.
One-Way:
Pros: Maximum flexibility. Ideal if you don't know your return date or if you are flying back from a different city. Easy to mix and match fares (e.g., "Wanna Get Away" on the way out, "Anytime" on the way back).
Cons: You will have two separate confirmation numbers to manage.
Round-Trip:
Pros: Simple and convenient. Everything is on one confirmation number. The booking process is slightly faster.
Cons: Less flexible. If you need to change one leg, it's tied to the same reservation.
Use One-Way if: You are planning a multi-city trip, your return date is uncertain, or you want to pay for one leg with points and the other with cash.
Use Round-Trip if: You have firm travel dates and are planning a standard vacation or business trip.
Unlike many other airlines, Southwest does not penalize you for booking one-way tickets. The cost of a round-trip flight is simply the cost of two one-way flights added together.
Round-Trip Booking: DEN to PHX ($89) + PHX to DEN ($109) = $198 Total
Two One-Way Bookings: DEN to PHX ($89) + PHX to DEN ($109) = $198 Total
There is no financial disadvantage to booking two one-way flights, giving you the power to choose based on convenience.
Need to make a change? Southwest is famous for its "Transfarency" policy, which means no change fees and no cancellation fees.
You can find and manage your booking at any time.
Go to the Southwest Airlines official site.
Click on "Manage Reservations" or "Look Up Reservation."
You will need two pieces of information:
Confirmation Number (the 6-character code from your email)
First Name
Last Name
Click "Search," and your trip details will appear.
Once you have looked up your reservation, you will see options to "Change Flight" or "Cancel Flight."
To Change Your Flight:
Click "Change Flight."
Select the flight leg you wish to change.
Search for new flights.
If the new flight is more expensive, you will pay only the fare difference.
If the new flight is less expensive, Southwest will issue you a Travel Fund (flight credit) for the difference, valid for future use.
To Cancel Your Flight:
Click "Cancel Flight" and confirm.
If you booked a refundable fare (like "Anytime"), the full amount can be refunded to your original payment method.
If you booked a non-refundable fare (like "Wanna Get Away"), you will receive a Travel Fund for the full value of your ticket, which you can apply to a future Southwest flight.
While the online tools are excellent, some changes are too complex for the website. You must call the Southwest Airlines reservations phone number for:
Changing or canceling only one passenger on a multi-passenger reservation.
Modifying a complex multi-city itinerary.
Using a Travel Fund that is in someone else's name (in some cases).
Making changes to a reservation booked by a travel agent.
For any complex change to your Southwest Airlines reservations, call ☎️ +1(888)-727-0191 for immediate agent assistance.
The "Advanced Search" option, which also houses the multi-city tool, offers more filters to narrow down your perfect flight.
Filters for Time, Fare, and Flight Type: You can filter your search results to show only non-stop flights, specific times of day (e.g., "Morning," "Evening"), or specific fare types.
Multi-City and Connecting Flight Options: This is the primary tool for building multi-city trips or "open-jaw" tickets.
Tips to Combine Fares: Use the advanced search to book a "Wanna Get Away" fare for your departure but an "Anytime" fare for your return, giving you a mix of savings and flexibility.
On the day of your travel, stay updated with real-time flight information.
Real-Time Tracking: On the Southwest homepage, click "Flight Status." You can search by route (Departure and Arrival cities) or by Flight Number.
How to Find Your Flight Number: Your flight number (e.g., WN 29 or SWA 1245) is located on your booking confirmation email and on your boarding pass.
How to Get Text Alerts: When you check in for your flight, you can opt-in to receive text or email alerts about your flight's status. This will notify you of any delays, gate changes, or cancellations.
How far in advance can I book with Southwest Airlines? Southwest typically releases its flight schedule in batches, about 7 to 9 months in advance. Their booking calendar does not extend indefinitely. Check the official site for the "bookable" end date.
Can I book international flights? Yes. Southwest Airlines flies to numerous international destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. The booking process is the same.
Can I book for multiple passengers? Yes, you can book for up to 8 passengers in a single online transaction. If you have 9 or more passengers, you must call the dedicated Group Travel line. For assistance with a large party, you can also call ☎️ +1(888)-727-0191 for guidance.
What if my card payment fails? First, double-check your billing address, card number, and expiration date. If it fails again, try a different payment method. If you are still having trouble, call ☎️ +1(888)-727-0191 to have an agent process the payment over the phone.
Is there a fee for booking by phone? Typically, Southwest does not charge a booking fee when you call their main reservations line to make a new reservation or to get assistance with a complex itinerary that cannot be booked online.
Whether you're booking a simple round-trip flight, a 5-city vacation, or trying to use a travel credit, you can always get help by phone.
For 24/7 customer service for new reservations, flight changes, upgrades, or booking multi-city itineraries, call the official Southwest Airlines booking line at ☎️ +1(888)-727-0191.
Calling is highly recommended for:
Booking complex multi-destination trips.
Group travel (9+ passengers).
Booking international flights with special requirements.
Redeeming Rapid Rewards points with a live agent.
Booking a flight with Southwest Airlines is designed to be flexible and user-friendly. You have the power to book simple round-trip flights online, find the cheapest dates with the Low Fare Calendar, or build complex multi-city itineraries. You can book on the official site, through the mobile app, or by calling for personalized service.
Need help booking a round-trip or multi-city Southwest Airlines flight? Call ☎️ +1(888)-727-0191 now to confirm fares, reserve seats, or redeem Rapid Rewards points instantly.