Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Southwest Vacations Refund Siege

ranibarks
Explorer C

Needless to say I'm an A-lister and I will NEVER again book a vacation with Southwest Vacations.  How is someone supposed to know they are a 3rd party and not really affiliated with the airline?  

 

Had a birthday weekend trip to Seattle booked in Oct. 2021, Fri-Sun.  Arrived airport on-time, then it started.  Flight after flight, cancelled.  So we were told and given Eticket vouchers and said to call SWA vacations for the credit to the hotel.  Well, what a sham.  They told me because I didn't call the "right" phone number, that they considered me a no-show to the hotel (even though I called the hotel directly and told them to note on my reservation that we were unable to get there due to SWA's flight cancellations).  Now I have Eticket vouchers that are garbage and I can't use to just fly on a SWA  flight- I have to book a "Vacation" package to use them.  I don't ever want to book with SWA vacations again.

 

I've emailed, called, to get disconnected over and over, and sent more emails upon emails, instant message chats to hear the same thing; they can't do anything.  

 

I think I'm going to have to go the social media route or small claims court, because this is ridiculous the amount of time I have spent trying to recoup my canceled vacation.

 

Any other suggestions, would be appreciated.  

4 REPLIES 4

Re: Southwest Vacations Refund Siege

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

As you discovered, Southwest Vacations is a separate company unrelated to Southwest Airlines.  There have been numerous posts in this Community about their lack of customer service and I personally would not advise doing business with them.  I would like to understand what happened to you regarding the flights and credits related to flights better though since anything related to flights typically follows Southwest Airlines' policies.

 

Were you given a LUV Voucher by Southwest Airlines as a good will gesture when your flight was cancelled?  If so, that would be independent from Southwest Vacations and could be used to purchase a flight on southwest.com.  OR, did you call Southwest Vacations and obtain a credit voucher directly from them

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Southwest Vacations Refund Siege

ranibarks
Explorer C

Hi, yes, my husband and I did received $100 LUV vouchers for our delay and time at the airport, which we were happy to receive and have successfully used them already.  As you know, they are a direct coupon from SWA, not SWA vacations. 

 

"ETicket Refund Receipts" were handed to us at the airport from the SWA team member, when the flight was cancelled.  I don't think he noticed that it wasn't a straight up credit for future travel and just told us we would could use this for future travel.  That's when I called the allegedly "wrong phone number" in this case and no one answered.  Keep in mind it was already around 9:30pm, so I figured the office was closed and I would deal with it early in the morning for the hotel credit.  Little did I realize the Etickets were only good with "vacations" and not with SWA when I tried to use them for personal travel I was attempting to book. Then they said I was considered a no-show to the hotel, since I had to cancel 24 hours prior.  Well I didn't know my flights were going to be cancelled, so how was I going to notify the hotel.  It's all just so petty.     

 

If there is any advice to another route we can try to get our hotel and flight portions actually refunded, is appreciated.  The advice has been heeded to not book again with "vacations"... I have submitted one more failed attempt to see if they reply.   

Re: Southwest Vacations Refund Siege

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Ok, sounds like you were handed something that said the flight was cancelled and you get credit.  Any credit from Southwest Airlines should not be limited to bookings just with Southwest Vacations.  Here's the first thing I would try, use your confirmation number from the cancelled Southwest Airlines flight and see if you can access the travel fund associated with the flight: https://www.southwest.com/travel-funds/

If that works, then you have proven you can use the travel fund and book directly with Southwest Airlines.  If there is no travel fund associated with that confirmation number then a cash refund was issued, but in your case this went back to Southwest Vacations and you should be able to acquire it from them.  However, I am doubtful this happened since the default refund used by Southwest Airlines is a travel fund and you have to specifically request a cash refund.  I'm guessing that's where your credit is.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Southwest Vacations Refund Siege

ranibarks
Explorer C

TheMiddleSeat, thanks for all of your feedback.

 

I am sure as heck hope that I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch, but I finally got an email from Southwest Vacations.  I emailed and said that I may as well go to small claims court to get my money back, since I'm not getting a response.  They have confirmed they will refund the full amount to my credit card!!  Mind Blown!  They said the Etickets that were provided are void, since they are giving me the full refund.  If this pans out on my CC, I'm happy.  But sheesh!  What a siege, as the subject is called.  This was after more than a dozen emails with multiple reps and phone calls, I would've given up if it was $10, but for this, I was going to keep up digging and it looks like it worked.  

 

Keep up the good fight, if you find yourself in the same situation.  I couldn't let big corporate keep controlling how my hard earned dollar gets refunded to me, when it was out of my control.