Below, I’ll summarize the historical Swoop cancellation policy for reference, based on available information from sources
Historical Swoop Airlines Cancellation Policy (Pre-October 29, 2023)
24-Hour Risk-Free Cancellation:
- You could cancel a Swoop flight within 24 hours of booking for a full refund to the original payment method, provided the flight departed at least 7 days (168 hours) later, per U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR). This applied to all fare types, including bookings made via flyswoop.com, the Swoop app, or contact center.
- No cancellation fees applied, and refunds included the ticket cost and contact center fees (if applicable). Refunds were processed within 7–10 business days.
- Exclusions: Group bookings (9+ passengers), reward bookings, or discounted fares were not eligible.
After 24 Hours:
- No Cancellations Permitted: Swoop’s ultra-low-cost model did not allow cancellations after the 24-hour window, regardless of fare type. Tickets were non-refunded and non-transferable, with no travel credits issued.
- No-Show Policy: Failing to cancel or board the flight resulted in forfeiture of the entire ticket value, with no fees or credits.
- ModiFly Option: If purchased at booking for $15, ModiFly allowed one fee-free change to the flight’s time or date (fare difference applied). Without ModiFly, changes incurred fees: $100 per passenger per segment (7+ days before departure) or $150 (3–7 days before departure). No changes were permitted within 72 hours of departure.
Cancellation Process:
- Phone: Contact Swoop’s support at +1-877-240-6770.
- Third-Party Bookings: Cancellations had to be processed through the travel agency, subject to their fees.
- Refunds were credited to the original payment method within 7–10 business days.
Special Circumstances:
- Airline-Canceled Flights:
- If Swoop canceled a flight due to reasons within their control (e.g., maintenance), passengers were offered a full refund, rebooking on the next Swoop flight, or rebooking on another airline (per Swoop’s tariff). Under APPR, compensation of CAD 400–1,000 was available for delays of 3+ hours or cancellations with less than 14 days’ notice, depending on delay length.
- For EU departures, EC 261 regulations provided up to €600 ($650) in compensation for cancellations with insufficient notice, unless due to extraordinary circumstances (e.g., weather, strikes).
- For uncontrollable events (e.g., weather), Swoop offered refunds or rebooking but no compensation.
- Delays: For delays of 3+ hours due to Swoop’s control, passengers could claim APPR compensation or cancel for a refund. EU routes followed EC 261 rules.
- COVID-19 Waivers: Swoop allowed fee-free changes for bookings affected by pandemic restrictions, with ModiFly offered free for flights booked by March 13, 2020, if 7+ days from departure. These waivers have expired.
