Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Full Refund

walbriee195
Explorer C

Just want to give a huge shout out to Southwest! 

 

I appreciate the fact that my whole trip was refunded and better yet, I can reschedule the trip when things start to get better. It's very sad not to be able to go away for Spring Break, but the safety of everyone is most important. 

 

A special thank you to Amanda in customer service who was so helpful and responsive. 

 

 

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Full Refund

jksobonya
Aviator A

Great to hear that you were able to get your trip sorted out! Were you given a credit card refund, or are your funds available to use as travel funds? (That's typically what happens when you cancel a Wanna Get Away flight).

 

Thanks!

 

--Jessica

Re: Full Refund

chrishamilton23
Explorer C

I just called to cancel an upcoming flight for my wife and kids and were not giving a refund.  I was told that I could only get a credit for future flights.  My family and I are stressed out enough over this pandemic and do not need almost $1,000 in our money tied up in a travel credit.  Other airlines, including American, are refunding all flights (including non-refundable) purchases during this trying time.  I would have expected Southwest to be the leader in this area but was disappointed with their lack of leadership or compassion.  

Re: Full Refund

dfwskier
Aviator A

@chrishamilton23 wrote:

  Other airlines, including American, are refunding all flights (including non-refundable) purchases during this trying time.   

 

No they are not.

 

This is a case of one person on the web saying it, and then another repeats it, and another, and another, and another. Suddenly, everyone believes it to be fact . It is not. I've looked long and hard for days 

at this situation, and I can find NO evidence that ANY airline is providing blanket refunds of non refundable tickets.

 

Airlines are refunding non refundable tickets on cancelled flights. They always have done so.

 

I'll be willing to admit that I'm wrong, if you can provide a link to any news or airline site/article that says that blanket refunds are happening.

 

Further, I find no mention of it on American's website. It should be there, shouldn't it?

 

http://news.aa.com/coronavirus/

 

 

Re: Full Refund

celangan
Explorer C

First, I will say that we use SW to travel 3 – 4 times a year. Have always been aware of their change and refund policy. I called in due to having to cancel my flights out of the country. I had SW credit that needed to be used by 4/26/2020 so we decided to book a vacation on 2/25/2020. The credit did not cover the entire flight cost, so we paid an additional $370 dollars to complete our reservation. Today I called in after I cancelled our flights and noticed that all credit expired on 4/26/2020, even the additional $400 I paid on 2/25/2020. I was told that there was nothing that could be done as that amount inherited the original credit criteria that was applied to the purchase. However, I can call back on 4/27/2020 after all have expired, and ask to have the credit extended with a fee of $200. $100 *2 for myself and my husband. It will be extended for 6 months only. If I don’t remember to call in after credit has expired, then I lose it all. Even our non-refundable booking at the resort was completely refunded except for a $50 service charge. Extremely disappointed in SouthWest!!! I would have been happy with just having the credit extended automatically and not had to call in using valuable resource time of both the airlines customer service rep and myself. Now, I have the stress of remembering to call again and hope that they will extend after expiration and lose money needed in this stressful situation.

Re: Full Refund

gsking
Aviator C

You waited 10 months to use your funds, and then cancelled a flight (arguably) before the full impact of this virus had hit.  Seems like SW is being reasonable with their rules. You want them to retroactively change them?  

 

Although, I do commiserate with the new money you added being "tainted" by the expiration of the travel funds.  That is an unfortunate side effect of their otherwise quite generous policy, to which there doesn't seem to be a simple solution that is more equitable that would also not be abused.

 

All things considered, I'd wait until they expire, call up and see what you can get.  Maybe it's $200, but maybe it'll be less.  I figure more likely they'll extend the expiration time to 12 months.   We can hope.

Good luck.  In the big scheme of things, it could be a lot worse than $200.