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Southwest Airlines Community

Refund instead of Credit

Shawnjae
Explorer C

Sometimes things happen beyond your control. Due to the pandemic (Covid-19) people have lost jobs and family members.

 

Traveling may not possible, even if you have one year to use the credit.

 

I would prefer my money back, especially when it is over $1000.

12 REPLIES 12

Re: Refund instead of Credit

Shawnjae
Explorer C

I think it would be excellent customer service, due to the pandemic, to refund people their money. Right now, no one wants credit. With deaths, hospitalization, and lost of jobs on the rise. 

It's not like you would not fly with them again. 

Re: Refund instead of Credit

jksobonya
Aviator A

@Shawnjae wrote:

I think it would be excellent customer service, due to the pandemic, to refund people their money. Right now, no one wants credit.


Disagree. If Southwest refunded absolutely everyone, they would go out of business. Plain and simple. I have used nearly all my credit on flights and have flown once in the summer and once in the fall, and plan to fly again in a few more months. 

 

--Jessica

Re: Refund instead of Credit

dfwskier
Aviator A

Everything about Covid19 was unexpected.The airlines did not expect it. The airports did not expect it. Airline employees did not expect it, hotels did not expect it, restaurants did not expect it, barbers did not expect it. and air travellers did not expect it.

 

Every airline is handling the situation in the same way: in situations where the airline cancelled or changed flights,s non refundable tickets can be refunded. In situations where   passengers cancelled a non refundable tickets,   no refund is possible. Travel funds take their place.

 

In case you haven't noticed, just about every airline is teetering on the fine edge between bankruptcy and not. Wholesale refunds of nonrefundable fares would push many over the edge - costing airline employees tens or hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Re: Refund instead of Credit

jksobonya
Aviator A

Southwest has been more than generous with their policies in response to the pandemic; for a number of months since the pandemic began they extended travel funds all the way to September 7, 2022 when flights were cancelled by either the airline or the customer. Besides that, cancelling a flight ordinarily still allows you to use your travel funds for a full year from the date of purchase, which is still incredibly generous. 

 

If Southwest cancels your flight, you may be able to ask for a refund by contacting them directly.   

 

--Jessica

Re: Refund instead of Credit

bwallet
Frequent Flyer A
Solution

Also, consider the fairness issue. If they give people refunds to people who bought Wanna Get Away fares, that makes chumps of people who bought other refundable fares. If you enter into a contract, it is unreasonable to expect special treatment different than the terms of that contract.

Refund instead of Credit

SWFlyer007
Aviator C

I try and wear both hats when thinking about some of my answers in the forum.  Sometimes you as a business have to make the hard decision.  What I might offer to SWA is that yes, these are uncertain times and sometimes things are Yellow and Red.  With that said, yes, it's a contract and you as the purchaser are bound to the contract.  However, I've just decided that I'm not flying to Hawaii in February.  When I purchased the tickets back in June, I thought by Feb there we would be flying the skies like normal with no issues insight.  I was wrong.   So I understand the contract and SWA need to keep losing millions to a minimum, then sweeten my pot that won't hurt you in the long run.  Maybe give an option, the money back, (if it was a refundable ticket), or sweeten my pot.  SWAFlyer, your ticket has a value of 10,000 points, we will allow you to defer your flight to a later date with no refund, and up your point value to 15,000 RR points.  Hummmm, ok, I like that, lets do it, Maybe things will open up by May 2021 and I 5,000 more points to put towards somebody else to fly with me.

Re: Refund instead of Credit

gsking
Aviator C

@SWFlyer007 wrote:

  SWAFlyer, your ticket has a value of 10,000 points, we will allow you to defer your flight to a later date with no refund, and up your point value to 15,000 RR points.  Hummmm, ok, I like that, lets do it, Maybe things will open up by May 2021 and I 5,000 more points to put towards somebody else to fly with me.


Sorry, I'm really not tracking with your concept here.

 

SWA wants you to spend your credits sooner rather than later.   Outstanding liabilities in the form of flight credits is not good for them.   Even more so, given the current low load factors, filling seats NOW is more valuable to them.

 

So, why would they give you a 50% bonus to delay your flight?  Then, EVERYONE would cancel their tickets, just to get the free bonus.  It would KILL their business.

 

Not to mention, in June everyone would be competing for the seats, so your points wouldn't be as valuable.  Prepare to pay more than the 50% more you thought you were rewarded.

 

I see what you're thinking...have SWA pay me interest for the privilege of holding my money.  But they've already done that a lot...by extending deadlines, and allowing us to convert them to points at a fair rate.   I'm also not sure why they aren't just avoiding the headache by extending that same benefit out longer...Covid will be here at least a few more months, and they should have known that in September.  And it's probably a small chunk of their revenue stream...the one-off passengers who can't fly and cancelled ONE trip.  Many of us are either still flying or have found ways to use or extend the funds.  


Only they know. 

Re: Refund instead of Credit

SWFlyer007
Aviator C

@gsking Yep, you totally missed what I was trying to get across.  Maybe next time. 

Re: Refund instead of Credit

gsking
Aviator C

Well, I'm sure if it's a great idea, SWA will implement it. 

 

I'm pretty sure they won't.   That'll be a good indication of whether they agree with me or you.