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Booking Anytime Flight while waiting for LUV voucher?

hforte515
Explorer C

I am waiting to receive an LUV voucher for unused travel credits for a Covid-era flight cancellation. I have been told it can take up to 45 days to receive said voucher. My original flight credit expired on June 10, 2022. We are looking to book a flight on SouthWest and want to use the voucher as we don't fly SouthWest very often.

 

I am now seeing "2 flights left" on the flight we need to take which has made me nervous. I'm hoping to get the LUV voucher any day now, but I've been told there is nothing they can do to expedite me getting it. 

 

Should I book the flights with the anytime fare rate and then once I receive the voucher, cancel and rebook? Would I even be able to rebook the flight if I booked them under the anytime fare and then use the voucher for the wanna get away fare? 

 

Ultimately, the LUV voucher is only going to be good for 6 months and I'm afraid we won't use it if we don't use it on this flight and it will be a waste. 

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Booking Anytime Flight while waiting for LUV voucher?

dfwskier
Aviator A

You said "WE are looking to book a flight" are you dealing with one voucher or more than one?

 

You need to remember that whenever you book a fare, you will pay the prevailing price on the day you do so. So cancelling an existing ticket so you can use a voucher carries the risk of a higher ticket price or even no availability..

 

If I were you, I'd book a wanna get away fare.,wait til the voucher arrives, and then evaluate the risks mentioned above. If there are no issues, then cancel and rebook.

 

Remember that cancelling a wanna get away gives you a travel fund that must be used within a year. Also Anytime fares are A LOT more expensive that wanna get aways.

 

If you end up not using the voucher, since anyone can use it, you can give it to someone else.

Re: Booking Anytime Flight while waiting for LUV voucher?

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Don't necessarily believe the number left in the sense that you are thinking it is.  Unless it says # left under the Business Select fare there are more than the number shown when it comes to available seats.  What you are seeing is the number of seats available at that price.  A number shown on Business Select would indicate the number of actual seats left.  You can double check this by changing the quantity of seats needed to 8 and I bet you'll still see seats available, but at a higher price since you are now pulling from the seats allocated at the higher priced fare.  If 8 doesn't work, increment down until you are able to book, that is the true number of seats available. 

 

In theory your idea would "hold" a seat for you.  People do this same theory to save a seat for a companion.  They book with points or purchase a refundable fare, then cancel when ready to book the companion seat.  I say in theory it works because there are times when canceling a reservation does not automatically make the seat available for purchase.  It's worth a try if you don't trust me on the # of seats available.  Note that when you cancel and want to rebook the fare could be higher and you would be responsible for paying the higher fare, but you could use the voucher.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Booking Anytime Flight while waiting for LUV voucher?

hforte515
Explorer C

This was so helpful. I ended up caving and booking because the anytime fare was only $60 more than the wanna get away fare and lo and behold, just like you said, the price simply went up, but the seats still remain. I only did it for our outgoing flights for now and I will see how it goes with getting the voucher. 

 

My husband is of the opinion that even if the price goes up when we are ready to rebook, it is still less because we will be using the voucher to pay for the lionshare. 

Re: Booking Anytime Flight while waiting for LUV voucher?

hforte515
Explorer C

Got the voucher today... impatience strikes again! 

Re: Booking Anytime Flight while waiting for LUV voucher?

bec102896
Aviator A

One thing to keep in mind let’s say You get the voucher in a week and that flight is sold out you would need to cancel your flight booked as anytime fare and there is no guarantee the tickets go back in to inventory right away or at all. The ticket could also be taken in the time you rebook. Not trying to be the negative one just want to make sure you understand there is risk involved. 

this happened to me once and turns out the flight was oversold so I helped them be less oversold and I didn’t get the flight I wanted.