Cancelling a fare reserved with points

[idbirdnerd]

Does anyone know how long it will take for my points to be refunded to my rapid rewards account after cancelling a flight?  I found I could save 6000 points by cancelling a reboooking a flight to Cancun and I thought the points would show up right away, now I am worried it will take so long I'll miss the good fare!

[tsmcknig]

When I see a fare with lower points, I just call Rewards directly and have them rebook. Points are deposited back immediately, and they rebook for me.

[chgoflyer]

On a Points-based booking, don't cancel/rebook -- simply "change" your itinerary and select the same flight at the now lower price. The difference in points will generally be deposited back into your account immediately.

If you've cancelled and your points aren't redeposited within an day or two, contact Southwest. Your best bet for a quick reply is to reach out via Twitter.