Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Re: Cancellation- Coronavirus

dfwskier
Aviator A

@Fideauxdon wrote:

How about if I cancel my flights in December 2020, and then immediately use my funds to purchase tickets for May 2021 date?


DO NOT cancel December, 2020 reservations now. If you keep the reservation, and your flight gets cancelled, you will be eligible for a refund. You can always cancel any time up to 10 minutes pre departure time.

 

Avoid the insanity. Don't do anything now.

 

Travel funds are usable for one year after the date the ticket was bought, so if you bought the tickets in January, 2020 the funds are good thru that January date in 2021. There's l;opts of discussion on the topic, so the rules may change .or not . IMO. Nothing is guaranteed.

Re: Cancellation- Coronavirus

TravelNewbie
Explorer C

Completely agree.  They should really reconsider their refund policies. Holding on to my funds for future travel is ridiculous especially during these times is ridiculous!! Have they even considered how someone might actually need the funds instead because they are out of a job due to the pandemic.  companies are shutting down, restaurants, bars.. closed! people are out of jobs.  People are worried about paying their bills not about future travel plans.  I always thought of SWA as a respectable and reputable airline but they are handling this situation very poorly.  Its a shame!

Re: Cancellation- Coronavirus

jeremysmithhome
Explorer B

Agree 100% that SWA has handled this horribly.  I had the exact same situation with Delta and they did the right thing and refunded.  I've been a loyal SWA customer for ~20yrs and can tell you this isn't the same company that we've all loved over the years.  Cashing in my miles and taking my business elsewhere.

Re: Cancellation- Coronavirus - This is a special case

Fideauxdon
Explorer C

Southwest is my favorite airline, but despite all of the good things that they do, they're not in sync with the other travel companies in this Coronavirus world.

My Spouse and I booked a Trafalgar tour of the Southern USA last November. The tour is in May of this year. It begins in Charlotte and finishes in New Orleans. When the CoronaVirus threatened, Our ages (83 and 79) made the two airplane bookings and 17 days in a crowded motorcoach with 45 other passengers a health hazard.

I booked flights on Southwest for 5/14 (Orlando to Charlotte) and 5/30 (New Orleans to Orlando) in January. on Wanna Get Away fares, so I think that this makes our fares non-refundable. I had no trouble at all with changing my tour dates with Trafalgar and with Travel Insured International, my travel insurance company at no additional cost, despite the fact that I rebooked the same tour one year forward, to start on 05/14/2021, But Southwest states that the tickets have to be used by the end of 2020. That isn't realistic. I suppose that I would be turned down on any appeal with Southwest, but I have to assume that there are hundreds of customers who face the same predicament that we're facing. Any useful suggestions?

Cancelling flights booked with points

PaulGb
Explorer C

Is there a timeline by which a flight booked with points must to be cancelled (within 24 or 48 hours?), and will the points used for this booking revert back to the account?  

Re: Cancelling flights booked with points

dfwskier
Aviator A

SW's guide for paid flights is that they should be cancelled no later than 10 minutes pre departure time. If you wait til 5 minutes, you lose your funds.

 

Not sure about it, but if memory serves me, if you no show a points flight, the points go back to your RR account.

 

As soon as you are sure that you won't take the flight, cancel it.

 

 

Re: Cancelling flights booked with points

bec102896
Aviator A

@PaulGb wrote:

Is there a timeline by which a flight booked with points must to be cancelled (within 24 or 48 hours?), and will the points used for this booking revert back to the account?  


 

If you no show your reward travel reservation, the points will be redeposited to the purchaser’s Rapid Rewards account. Any taxes and fees associated with your reward travel reservation will be held for future use in the form of reusable travel funds under the name of the traveler(s). A no show occurs if you don't cancel the reservation at least 10min before your flights departure.  

 

-Blake

Re: Cancellation- Coronavirus

Sexyv1
Explorer C

Unfortunately, I just canceled our trip to New Orleans scheduled for this week.  I’m comfortable with receiving a credit vs a refund, but what’s unfortunate is I lose the money that we paid for “early bird” check in. We paid $100+ because my entire family was traveling.  I don’t understand why that amount wouldn’t be apart of the future credit.  Given this is a national crisis, this is the time companies should flex their normal policies.  It’s very disappointing! 

Re: Cancellation- Coronavirus

dfwskier
Aviator A

You are welcome.

 

You might want to contact the airline to see if it would be willing to refund the EBCI fee.

These are unusual times.

 

https://www.southwestaircommunity.com/t5/Knowledge-Base/Submitting-a-Suggestion-and-or-Complaint/ta-...

Re: Cancellation- Coronavirus

Susanadels
Explorer B

Sad this company is being so heartless in this time of crisis. Word needs to get out what management is doing. This is pure greed