Southwest Airlines Travel Credit Issue

[Goldsmegame]

Love Southwest. Usually always use them. However, they are not extending the travel credits from the cancellations past the one year date of the original purchase.  This makes it extremely difficult to use the credits if you purchased your airfare early last year. In our case, my husband and I have work conflicts which will push the availability for us to travel past this deadline.  Anyone else having this issue? And have or are you thinking of submitting for some sort of reimbursement through Princess? 

[Loritd]

I would call Southwest directly first.  My mother in law was sick (cancer, fine now) and could not  use the credit before it expired.  I called I don't remember if it was the day after it expired or the day before it did but they did give her another 6 months time.  The woman on the phone did say my mother in law would not be able to change the tickets once she used the credit.  Worth a call.

[Colo Cruiser]

49 minutes ago, Goldsmegame said:

Love Southwest. Usually always use them. However, they are not extending the travel credits from the cancellations past the one year date of the original purchase.  This makes it extremely difficult to use the credits if you purchased your airfare early last year. In our case, my husband and I have work conflicts which will push the availability for us to travel past this deadline.  Anyone else having this issue? And have or are you thinking of submitting for some sort of reimbursement through Princess? 

Princess does not use Southwest. So I doubt you could get any reimbursement from them.

Try the Ask a Question board.

[Coral]

4 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Princess does not use Southwest. So I doubt you could get any reimbursement from them.

Try the Ask a Question board.

8. What if I incur extra out of pocket expenses, such as air change fees, as a result of these cancellations?

We understand this change may cause you to incur unexpected expenses. Air change fees, increased flight costs and non-refundable transportation expenses will be reimbursed. Other expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. A Refund Request Guide & Form is available at https://www.princess.com/refund-request; please complete and submit this form and any relevant receipts and documentation for our review. Guests who purchased Princess Vacation Protection (US and Canada) or independent vacation travel insurance, should submit their claim through their carrier before submitting a reimbursement request.

[Colo Cruiser]

2 minutes ago, Coral said:

8. What if I incur extra out of pocket expenses, such as air change fees, as a result of these cancellations?

We understand this change may cause you to incur unexpected expenses. Air change fees, increased flight costs and non-refundable transportation expenses will be reimbursed. Other expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. A Refund Request Guide & Form is available at https://www.princess.com/refund-request; please complete and submit this form and any relevant receipts and documentation for our review. Guests who purchased Princess Vacation Protection (US and Canada) or independent vacation travel insurance, should submit their claim through their carrier before submitting a reimbursement request.

I would imagine any of these types of claims are on a case by case basis.

As the other poster suggested call SWA.

[pms4104]

If you booked WN early last year ... your original flites were fall 2019?  

[casavaha]

Southwest will extend the travel credit for another 6 months but they will deduct $100.00.  It is worth it to

pay the $100 instead of losing much more.

 

Greg

[cheriberi]

Southwest just extended the expiration date for travel funds as follows:

 

Travel Funds Extension Policy*

With the unprecedented cancellations and airport closings happening around us every day, we understand travel plans are changing for many Customers. So, we are making a temporary exception to our already very flexible travel funds policy. As you know, our current policy outlines that nonrefundable tickets not flown on the travel date, but canceled in accordance with Southwest’s No Show Policy, can be applied to future travel up to one year from the original purchase date, but must be used by the individual named on the ticket.

 

In recognition of the current travel environment, we are extending the expiration date of some travel funds:

 

• Customers’ funds that have expired or will expire between March 1-May 31, 2020, will now expire June 30, 2021
   
• Any newly created travel fund because of a flight cancellation between March 1-May 31, 2020, will have an expiration date of June 30, 2021

It will take our Technology Teams a few weeks to make these changes to the expiration date of the funds, and we appreciate your patience while our Teams work quickly to make this happen. This gesture of goodwill gives Customers an additional year to use their funds and take the same trip next year as they were planning to take this year. 

[MURCOTT]

On ‎3‎/‎17‎/‎2020 at 4:34 PM, casavaha said:

Southwest will extend the travel credit for another 6 months but they will deduct $100.00.  It is worth it to

pay the $100 instead of losing much more.

 

Greg

Is this on the SW site? I could not find reference to that 6 month extension. Definitely worth the $100.

[IcanSeaclearlynow]

We received that email & 2 days ago I cancelled our April flight b/c trip is cancelled due to virus.  Received our fare in travel credit however it listed the expiration date as January 2021 (the original booking date) and not June 2021.   Has anyone run across this?  I emailed SW b/c I read their phone lines have been backed up but no reply yet. 

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, IcanSeaclearlynow said:

We received that email & 2 days ago I cancelled our April flight b/c trip is cancelled due to virus.  Received our fare in travel credit however it listed the expiration date as January 2021 (the original booking date) and not June 2021.   Has anyone run across this?  I emailed SW b/c I read their phone lines have been backed up but no reply yet. 

 

Let's go to the policy as stated on the WN website:  (important parts enlarged and colored)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

If you decide not to travel, as long as you cancel your flight at least 10 minutes before its scheduled departure, the funds used to pay for a nonrefundable ticket are normally valid for one year from the date of purchase. However, in recognition of the current travel environment, we are extending the expiration date of some travel funds:

• Customers' funds that have expired or will expire between March 1 – May 31, 2020, will now expire June 30, 2021.
• Any travel funds created because of a flight cancellation between March 1 – May 31, 2020, will have an expiration date of June 30, 2021.

Also, any travel planned through the end of April can be changed online for up to 60 days from the original date of travel without paying any difference in fare if you are traveling between the same origin and destination.

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

I think we now know the details on this, as I had posted earlier in another thread.  The policy has three prongs:

 

1)  If you have expiring funds (in the March through May of 2020 timeframe), those are being extended to June of 2021.

 

2)  If there is a flight cancellation in that same time period, the funds created will have that same June 2021 timing.

 

3)  If you had a flight in April, you can change it to another one with the same origin and destination for travel in a period up to 60 days later.

 

Now to your case.  You don't fit #1, as we are not talking about funds soon to expire.  You don't fit #3, as you didn't rebook to another date within 60 days.  Do you fit #2?

 

Apparently not.  You did not have a "flight cancellation" - you chose to cancel a flight.  And as such, you fall into the category of the standard WN change policy.  Now, you may not see the difference, but WN sure does.  And you get the normal "one year from purchase" credit.

 

I believe that "flight cancellation" means that your flight has been cancelled BY WN.  And that has not happened.

 

You may think this is not being fair.  In all honesty, you are getting a fair deal, and at least as good or better than what other carriers are offering.

 

Note....I am not an employee of WN, nor do I have special insight.  But from several cases I have seen, this is the way the policy is being implemented.

 

 

Additional thought....it is also possible that WN technology has not caught up to the situation, and you will later find a different expiration date.  But at this point, I would not be counting on that (though I hope to be proven wrong).

Edited March 27, 2020 by FlyerTalker

[IcanSeaclearlynow]

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

You may think this is not being fair.  In all honesty, you are getting a fair deal, and at least as good or better than what other carriers are offering.

 

Additional thought....it is also possible that WN technology has not caught up to the situation, and you will later find a different expiration date.  But at this point, I would not be counting on that (though I hope to be proven wrong).

Never said or thought it is unfair and I understood the email to a certain extent....wasn't 100% sure if it pertained to cancellations on the booking party's end due to cancellation of virus related travel.  Compared to most airlines I think SW has a very generous cancellation policy.   
 

Thanks for your explanation.  

[carlacruz]

Southwest has updated their travel funds policy as of 4/16/20.

 

Rapid Rewards Corona Virus Update

 

Select travel funds extended through September 7, 2022

Previously, Customers’ travel funds that have expired or would have expired between March 1 – June 30, 2020, or travel funds created because of a cancellation between March 1 – June 30, 2020, had an expiration date of June 30, 2021. Now we are expanding the window of funds eligible for extended expiration dates and extending the expiration date of these funds. Funds that are set to expire or funds that are created between March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020, will have an expiration date of September 7, 2022.

This gives Customers who had travel funds created in connection with this pandemic—or who won’t be comfortable traveling this summer—additional time to retake that same trip or explore a different destination. It also gives those Rapid Rewards Members who are working toward earning tier status or a Companion Pass more opportunities to fly by their respective qualifying deadlines.

It will take our Technology Team a few days to make these changes. It’s important to note, while these unused travel funds will be available until September 7, 2022, once the funds are used to make a purchase, the expiration date of the travel funds will then follow our normal ticketing rules and will expire 12 months from the date of purchase.

For example:

• Your original unused travel funds with confirmation number OLD111 expired on March 19, 2020.
• These unused travel funds were extended to an expiration date of September 7, 2022.
• You use some of those funds on August 1, 2020 to book new travel in September under confirmation number NEW111.
• If for some reason you need to cancel this new flight, your unused travel funds associated with confirmation number NEW111 will be valid for 12 months from the booking date which means they will expire August 1, 2021.
• Any remaining unused travel funds tied to OLD111 will be available through September 7, 2022.

Edited April 17, 2020 by carlacruz

[Roz]

Checked last night, and all the travel funds in my SW acct. have been extended to September 7, 2022.  I luv SW 😍.

[FlyerTalker]

6 hours ago, Roz said:

Checked last night, and all the travel funds in my SW acct. have been extended to September 7, 2022.  I luv SW 😍.

 

Air Namibia for the win!!