Southwest Airline Vacations - Insurance

[tenbitsranch]

The cancellation insurance with Southwest Airline Vacations does not cover anything.  I booked a vacation package through them.  Within two days of booking the vacation package, the flights times were changed dramatically with no options for us to change the times so we cold make the flights work with our schedule. I called to cancel thinking I would get a refund for all but the cancellation insurance.  The person told me the insurance was only good for the land portion of the trip. Why would I purchase insurance for the hotel only, when the hotel cancellation policy is full refund if you cancel 24 hours in advance.  Southwest Airlines changed the flight with an 8 hour difference from what we booked and our schedule would not allow us to leave that early. The Southwest Airline Vacations customer service representative call southwest airlines then he came back on the phone and told us that southwest airlines will refund the airline portion of the trip and it would take 5 to 7 business days for the refund to my card. Month late, I only received the hotel portion of the trip to my credit card. Another phone call to Southwest Vacations. Got the run around to different departments. Finally, got an agent who told me that I need to call southwest airlines myself. (After being on the phone for 1hour.) Told him he needs to call them because I book thorough southwest airlines vacations. He called them on my behalf and told me the airline refund the money to a 3rd party. Agent came back on the line stating he is filling out the forms for my refund of $913.32. After another 10 minutes, he came on the line an stated he is escalating the form and I should receive a refund as soon as possible. I would never buy trip cancellation insurance with southwest airline vacations.  If I get the refund, then I might consider using southwest airlines again. Most likely will never book southwest airlines vacations.  Beware what is being cover but trip cancellation insurance. Read the fine print. 

[dfwskier]

Sorry to hear of your trouble.

Southwest vacations is good - even great - when things go as planned.

Southwest vacations (aka Apple Vacation Group) - has an awful reputation when things do not go as planned. There are lots of stories here from people that lamented their decisions to use Southwest Vacations.

I personally would not use them.

[DancingDavidE]

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@tenbitsranch wrote:

The cancellation insurance with Southwest Airline Vacations does not cover anything.  ... Beware what is being cover but trip cancellation insurance. Read the fine print. 

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Agreed - Southwest flights are already extremely flexible so that you can cancel and keep travel credit, or refund in the case of the eight hour changed times.

Book hotels with flexibility to prevent that issue. Same with rental cars if applicable.

The only time I recommend the trip insurance would be a cruise.

I don't know what else you had paid but if you got all of your money back through refunds then the system worked, if slow and aggravatingly. Insurance wouldn't have applied here - it would only be for something last minute that impacts the trip.

You would always pursue a refund first, and insurance second if there wasn't a refund.