Questions about using and cancelling flights booked with travel funds

[drclaw411]

Hi, I booked a flight to Seattle (Wanna Get Away) with a payment combination of using a card, and using two separate travel funds. Immediately after I booked, the cost of the return flight went down $100+. So here's my question: generally, Wanna Get Away reservations get refunded in the form of travel funds when cancelling a flight. But since I booked with combination travel funds and cash, will I lose either if I cancel? Will I lose the travel funds? The cash? Will I keep them all, but have them refunded as three separate travel funds or will they all refund together in one lump travel fund?

Also: if I cancel this flight, will it go back to being the higher cost or will it remain at this new cost? Finally, if it *does* remain at the lower cost, and if everything is refunded together as one travel fund, that will be more than the new cost of the flight. If I use that, will I lose all the travel funds or only what's necessary to pay for the flight?

Thanks, I know this is a unique question. 

[dfwskier]

You NEVER lose funds when you cancel a flight. If you have one of the WGA fares, you get a travel fund.  . It makes no difference what forms of payment were used to procure the ticket. They are refunded as one single travel fund.

"Also: if I cancel this flight, will it go back to being the higher cost or will it remain at this new cost?"

I don't understand the question. If you cancel, you'll get a travel fund in the amount of the ticket value at the time of cancelation. 

If you use a travel fund to buy a ticket that costs less than the travel fund, the remaining funds remain available to you in that travel fund.

[floridaguy]

If you book and then cancel, the funds go right back into your account.

[SoCalFlyer97]

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@drclaw411 wrote:

Hi, I booked a flight to Seattle (Wanna Get Away) with a payment combination of using a card, and using two separate travel funds. Immediately after I booked, the cost of the return flight went down $100+. So here's my question: generally, Wanna Get Away reservations get refunded in the form of travel funds when cancelling a flight. But since I booked with combination travel funds and cash, will I lose either if I cancel? Will I lose the travel funds? The cash? Will I keep them all, but have them refunded as three separate travel funds or will they all refund together in one lump travel fund?

Also: if I cancel this flight, will it go back to being the higher cost or will it remain at this new cost? Finally, if it *does* remain at the lower cost, and if everything is refunded together as one travel fund, that will be more than the new cost of the flight. If I use that, will I lose all the travel funds or only what's necessary to pay for the flight?

Thanks, I know this is a unique question. 

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Hello-

By stating "immediately after I booked," How long ago did you book the original flight? If less than 24 hours and your departure date is 7 or more days away, you should be entitled to a refund under federal law. You should be able to void the original transaction and rebook. Not sure how the refund process would work via the website/phone app since there was a combined purchase of Flight Credits and a Credit Card and it appears you desire to "change" your flight to the better fare deal and not cancel. Likely a phone call to a Southwest CSA may be needed just to be safe.

If it's been more than 24 hour since you originally booked your WGA flight, you won't be able to get any refunds but should be able to get an approximate $100 Flight Credit. If that's the case, I would login to Southwest on their website or phone app, pull up your originally booked flight, and select "Change Flight". Because your return flight dropped $100 in fare, you should see a "-$100" square under the WGA fares (or very similar value if there's any government tax differences).

Selecting that square and proceeding through the transaction should credit the $100 back to your Rapid Rewards account in the form of a Flight Credit that can be used toward a future flight. If you bought EarlyBird Check-In, it should also automatically transfer to the new booking if the new flight departs more than 25 hours from the time of the change and the city pairs are the same.

[drclaw411]

Thanks for the answer! To clarify, I booked the flight and when I booked, it said "1 left" which of course that means one left at that price. After booking, I was curious, I checked the same flight and the price had decreased. I actually did try to go the route of "rebooking" to the same flight and seeing if it would refund the extra cost, but it actually wanted to charge me an extra $20. I assumed this was due to the use of travel funds as partial payment?

I've been trying on the phone but not getting anywhere, I'll keep at it.

[dfwskier]

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@drclaw411 wrote:

Thanks for the answer! To clarify, I booked the flight and when I booked, it said "1 left" which of course that means one left at that price. After booking, I was curious, I checked the same flight and the price had decreased. I actually did try to go the route of "rebooking" to the same flight and seeing if it would refund the extra cost, but it actually wanted to charge me an extra $20. I assumed this was due to the use of travel funds as partial payment?

Method of payment does not affect that at all

[drclaw411]

hmm. Interesting. Now sure what's going on then. 

[dfwskier]

Fares change all the time. It's here right now - gone in 5 minutes, and something else is there 10 minutes after that. I'd bet that is what's going on.

[drclaw411]

Maybe, it's been showing the same price for me though since after I booked.

[floridaguy]

Seems to me that we get the same question three times per month.

When you cancel your flight, yes you get credit for what you paid.  When you book your new flight you pay the PREVAILING RATE at the time of your booking.

These prices are not frozen in time.  If you book today, check the pricing as you go and if the price drops, you can rebook at the new rate and obtain a flight credit.  If it goes up, you sit quietly.

Please - someone - help me understand why this is so difficult to comprehend?