Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

LUV VOUCHER EXIRATION AND EXTENSION

ksoyini
Explorer A

I have 2 luv vouchers which expires 12/21 and one which expires 12/22 (first time having a bad experience with southwest). Initially I thought I would have had plenty of opportunities to use them. Then corona hit.

 

Back in August I called southwest to see if I could let someone else use them as I was not in a position to travel (pandemic and all). The representative told me NO! I am so upset after now reading on this forum and elsewhere that I was misinformed by the representative.

After a bit of back and forth trying to figure out my options, the rep told me that I could request a one time extension on the voucher for 6 months and that it would be 6 months from when I requested it. He also said I had until 6 months after they expire to request the 6 month extension. 

I started wondering if I should request the extension now as I was nervous about waiting until after they had expired, but I don't think I'll be in a position to travel in the next 6 months.

 

Now I'm wondering if what the rep told me was true, and that I can let these vouchers expire and then request an extension within 6 months effectively giving me almost a years extension. 

Or whether I would be better off combining them and buying a ticket for tomorrow (12/20) and then cancelling on the 21st (after 24 hours). If I cancelled would I get Travel Funds expiring 1 year from now, or would it be Travel Funds with the same expiration date of this year?

33 REPLIES 33

Re: LUV VOUCHER EXIRATION AND EXTENSION

chgoflyer
Aviator A
Solution

@ksoyini wrote:

I have 2 luv vouchers which expires 12/21 and one which expires 12/22 (first time having a bad experience with southwest). Initially I thought I would have had plenty of opportunities to use them. Then corona hit.

 

Back in August I called southwest to see if I could let someone else use them as I was not in a position to travel (pandemic and all). The representative told me NO! I am so upset after now reading on this forum and elsewhere that I was misinformed by the representative.

After a bit of back and forth trying to figure out my options, the rep told me that I could request a one time extension on the voucher for 6 months and that it would be 6 months from when I requested it. He also said I had until 6 months after they expire to request the 6 month extension. 

I started wondering if I should request the extension now as I was nervous about waiting until after they had expired, but I don't think I'll be in a position to travel in the next 6 months.

 

Now I'm wondering if what the rep told me was true, and that I can let these vouchers expire and then request an extension within 6 months effectively giving me almost a years extension. 

Or whether I would be better off combining them and buying a ticket for tomorrow (12/20) and then cancelling on the 21st (after 24 hours). If I cancelled would I get Travel Funds expiring 1 year from now, or would it be Travel Funds with the same expiration date of this year?


 

First, you'll need to clarify if what you actually have are Vouchers, or Travel Funds.

 

Vouchers are granted by Southwest and are usable by anyone. They'll have a 16 digit number plus a security code.

 

Travel Funds result from a cancelled or changed flight. They are limited in use to only the originally named passenger(s). They are held under the original 6-digit alphanumeric confirmation code.

 

Vouchers generally aren't extendable. Travel Funds may be reissued, as a voucher, once expired for a fee of $100 per Travel Fund/passenger. You have 6 months after expiration in which to make the request, and the voucher will be valid for 6 months from the date of issue.

 

When you apply a voucher (or travel funds) to a flight, that flight takes on the earliest expiration date of any vouchers or travel funds applied.

 

If you do indeed have vouchers, your best bet is to apply them to a new flight and then cancel that flight immediately, giving you a single travel fund. Then, once expired, contact Customer Relations (not the regular phone line) and request that the travel fund be reissued as a voucher.

 

Be aware that these requests are granted as a customer good will exception, on a case-by-case basis.

 

Contact Customer Relations 

 

Hope this helps!

Re: LUV VOUCHER EXIRATION AND EXTENSION

ksoyini
Explorer A

It is in fact a luv voucher and I even gave the rep my voucher number, but it seems he may have given me information for travel funds.

 

I thought I had to wait 24 hours to cancel though for it to be credited as travel funds. If I cancel within 24 hours wouldn't it be refunded to me. Though I'm not sure what I refund looks like in this case.

Re: LUV VOUCHER EXIRATION AND EXTENSION

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@ksoyini wrote:

It is in fact a luv voucher and I even gave the rep my voucher number, but it seems he may have given me information for travel funds.

 

I thought I had to wait 24 hours to cancel though for it to be credited as travel funds. If I cancel within 24 hours wouldn't it be refunded to me. Though I'm not sure what I refund looks like in this case.


 

Flights booked using a credit card receive a full refund, back to the credit card, if cancelled within 24 hours from booking, but if you've used vouchers or travel funds the "refund" is made in the form of travel funds, no matter when you cancel.

 

 

Re: LUV VOUCHER EXIRATION AND EXTENSION

ksoyini
Explorer A
Solution

I called southwest customer relations, and asked about extending the luv voucher and the rep actually said the same thing as what I was initially told: I have 6 months after expiration to request an extension and that I can do a one time extension which is up to 6 months from the request date (travel must be completed., not just booked before the end of the 6 months). The additional information I got was that if I request the extension before it expires then I will get an email within 72 hours granting the extension. But if I request after it has expired, It will take up to 30 days to get the email granting the extension. So I'd have to know/plan ahead, I couldn't request an extension and then it be able to book a flight right away. @chgoflyer I do appreciate the creative solution you suggested.

Re: LUV VOUCHER EXIRATION AND EXTENSION

ksoyini
Explorer A

I should also add, that I called 3 separate times to see if each rep would say the same thing, and that was the case. Some just provided more info than others.

Re: LUV VOUCHER EXIRATION AND EXTENSION

chgoflyer
Aviator A

Thanks for the info! This is a bit different from what we've long known the (unpublished) policies to be -- but I suspect (hope) this may reflect changes (temporary or otherwise) due to the pandemic. I might feel better if you had any of this info in writing rather than via a phone rep... as unfortunately reps have been known to give out incorrect (or incomplete) information on occasion. I would hate for you to be told later that a voucher cannot be reissued after it's expired. But it seems like you're confident in what you've been told, so I'll assume that it's more recent updates to the policy than we're aware of. Glad you were able to get the info you needed!

Re: LUV VOUCHER EXIRATION AND EXTENSION

ksoyini
Explorer A

You're right, there is some risk about not having it in writing. I asked a rep about documentation of the policy and was told it's an internal policy. They didn't say whether it was due to the pandemic or not, and I didn't think to ask. I do hope however, with Southwest being the paragon of traveler friendliness, that they will in fact honor this policy.

Re: LUV VOUCHER EXIRATION AND EXTENSION

NicoleAshley
Employee
Employee

@ksoyini wrote:

You're right, there is some risk about not having it in writing. I asked a rep about documentation of the policy and was told it's an internal policy. They didn't say whether it was due to the pandemic or not, and I didn't think to ask. I do hope however, with Southwest being the paragon of traveler friendliness, that they will in fact honor this policy.


Hi @ksoyini, I am happy to know Customer Relations was able to assist you. You can always ask the Representative to document your conversation and provide you with a Service Request number. That way if you need to call back, any Representative can reference the notes from your past conversation.

 

Nicole
Community Manager

Re: LUV VOUCHER EXIRATION AND EXTENSION

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@NicoleAshley 

 

Nicole, Are you able to verify that the info they were given is correct?

 

-- Vouchers can be reissued in the same way that Travel Funds can ($100 fee, 6 months)

-- You can make the request prior to expiration, and if so it's faster that waiting until after