Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Canceling Flight with Points / Refund Usage

lonzii92
Explorer C

Hello,

 

Unfortunately I have to cancel an upcoming trip in November, but I paid the fare with RR points. I'm trying to understand the policy. We got the Wanna Get Away fare, will our points be refunded? If so, is there a time frame we have to use them by? We are planning to go to Vegas in December 2019 and would use the points then but not sure. I heard taxes and fees would be SW credit and have a year of original booking date to use but I'm more concerned about the points.

 

TIA!

7 REPLIES 7

Re: Canceling Flight with Points / Refund Usage

basslaw2010
Frequent Flyer B
Solution

The best part about booking using points is that even if you purchase the Wanna Get Away fare, points bookings are refundable. When you cancel your reservation, the points will be returned to the account they came from. With regard to the taxes and fees you paid, those are refundable as well. If for whatever reason they don't get refunded to you when you cancel the reservation, call or email Customer Relations and they will take care of you. Lastly, with regard to the time frame to use your points, points don't expire as long as you have earning activity in your account at least once every 24 months.

Re: Canceling Flight with Points / Refund Usage

dfwskier
Aviator A
Solution

Hello when you cancel a trip paid for by points, then those points just go back to your Rapid Rewards account. They can stay there forever - as long as your account has point earning activity at least once every two years.

 

If memory serves me, you have a choice on what you want to happen with the 9/11 fees you paid. You can have them refunded or saved as travel funds (which must be used within 1 year of the date you bought the priginal ticket).

Re: Canceling Flight with Points / Refund Usage

elijahbrantley
Aviator A
Solution

Point cancellations follow different rules than those paid by cash. When you cancel flights booked with RR points, the points are refunded to the account from which they originated. The don’t expire as long as you follow the following guidelines from SW’s site:

 

“Points will remain active as long as you have at least one qualifying earning activity every 24 months. Qualifying earning activity includes 1) completed revenue travel on flights flown through Southwest Airlines® and posted to the Member’s account prior to the expiration date; 2) points earned by transacting with any current Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® partner (including transfers from applicable Rapid Rewards partners and completed Southwest Vacations® hotel stays) and posted to the Member’s account prior to the expiration date; 3) points earned using Rapid Rewards® Credit Cards and through points transferred from Diners Club® and posted to the Member’s account prior to the expiration date and 4) points purchased for personal account use through Southwest.com and posted to the Member’s account prior to the expiration date. Points gifted or transferred to another Member will only keep the recipient's point balance active after the points have been claimed by the recipient. Examples of activities that do not count as qualifying activities include but are not limited to: cancelled trips; nonrevenue travel such as reward or Companion Pass travel; for the donating Member, points donated to a charity; and other travel such as charter flights, service-charged, reduce-rate, trade out, and extra seat.”

 

The $5.60 in fees will be held for the traveler on the original conf # and must be used for that traveler only within one year from the date of purchase. 

-A List, Companion Pass holder

Re: Canceling Flight with Points / Refund Usage

mb2much
Explorer C

The new rule on cancelling a flight purchased with points has changed if you purchase a Wanna Get Away fare. The points no longer go back into your account if you cancel the flight. The points are held for one year to be used by the original passenger ONLY. It is the same as buying a flight with cash. I don't know when the rule changed, but I have seen it in print more than once. Look under fare rules on Southwest.com.

This is a big downgrade to the program! It was great to be able to book a flight and cancel if your plans changed. You got your points back in your account. The new rule makes the program less desirable, especially if you are booking flights for more than one person.

Re: Canceling Flight with Points / Refund Usage

dfwskier
Aviator A
Solution

@mb2much wrote:

The new rule on cancelling a flight purchased with points has changed if you purchase a Wanna Get Away fare. The points no longer go back into your account if you cancel the flight. The points are held for one year to be used by the original passenger ONLY. It is the same as buying a flight with cash. I don't know when the rule changed, but I have seen it in print more than once. Look under fare rules on Southwest.com.

This is a big downgrade to the program! It was great to be able to book a flight and cancel if your plans changed. You got your points back in your account. The new rule makes the program less desirable, especially if you are booking flights for more than one person.


Hello.

 

I suspect you are misinformed.

 

I've recently cancelled flights that were paid with points, and after cancellation, the points went right back into my account.

 

Please look again.

 

edit add: here's the information I just copied from the Southwest website

 

"What happens to my points if I don't complete the flight I originally booked for reward travel?

 

When traveling on points the ticket will be redeemed based on the one-way segment that was flown (origin-destination), and any remaining unused points for additional one-way segments will be returned to your account. Please allow up to four days for any unused points to post back to the original account.

 

Re: Canceling Flight with Points / Refund Usage

ap1618
Explorer C

how long after were the points available in the account for reuse?

Re: Canceling Flight with Points / Refund Usage

DancingDavidE
Aviator A
Solution

@ap1618 wrote:

how long after were the points available in the account for reuse?


General advice - please start a new thread instead of replying to one from that long ago.

 

The points should be back the same day if not immediately.

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.