Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Southwest not respecting original expiration date

SandraJacobson
Explorer C

I am a dedicated customer, typically fly many times per year. I had to change a flight multiple times due to covid-19. I had to cancel it as we MUST go to NY to help my mother-in-law; as my father-in-law passed away of Covid-19. The original changes allowed for Sep 7, 2022 use. I was NOT informed that this date changed when I cancelled the flight, it was changed to Oct 22, 2020, and we CANNOT travel by then.

I am REQUESTING that SouthWest ADHERE to the earlier expiration date of Sep 7, 2022, allow me to book a flight LESS THAN 1 MONTH past the new Expiration date; or allow me to convert to points as is the NEW POLICY.

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Southwest not respecting original expiration date

bec102896
Aviator A

If you cancelled your flight after September 7th you wouldn't qualify for the extension. If you just kept making changes to your flight prior to September 7th you wont qualify for the extension as you would have needed to cancel on or before September 7th to qualify for the September 7th 2022 expiration date. 

 

If you cancelled between March and September 7th your funds should be valid until September 7th 2022 however once you apply those funds to a new reservation you would have a year from the new ticket purchase to use the funds. 

 

If you cancelled between March and September 7th and your funds weren't extended you could Contact Customer Relations so they can look in to your case to see if something was messed up. 

 

-Blake 

Re: Southwest not respecting original expiration date

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@SandraJacobson wrote:

I am a dedicated customer, typically fly many times per year. I had to change a flight multiple times due to covid-19. I had to cancel it as we MUST go to NY to help my mother-in-law; as my father-in-law passed away of Covid-19. The original changes allowed for Sep 7, 2022 use. I was NOT informed that this date changed when I cancelled the flight, it was changed to Oct 22, 2020, and we CANNOT travel by then.

I am REQUESTING that SouthWest ADHERE to the earlier expiration date of Sep 7, 2022, allow me to book a flight LESS THAN 1 MONTH past the new Expiration date; or allow me to convert to points as is the NEW POLICY.


 

[Edited to add]: Possibly irrelevant. Skip to the post below this one. 😉

 

Unfortunately, that's how it works.

 

When you use any funds that have the extended expiration date of September 7, 2022, those funds then take on a new expiration date of one year from when you make the booking. Southwest spelled this out in emails and also on their website:

 

When reusing your travel funds with an extended expiration date of September 7, 2022

It’s important to note, while these unused travel funds will be available until September 7, 2022, once the funds are used to make a purchase, the expiration date of the travel funds will then follow our normal ticketing rules and will expire 12 months from the original purchase date.

For example:

  • Your original unused travel funds with confirmation number OLD111 expired on March 19, 2020.
  • These unused travel funds were extended to an expiration date of September 7, 2022.
  • You use some of those funds on August 1, 2020 to book new travel in September under confirmation number NEW111.
  • If for some reason you need to cancel this new flight, your unused travel funds associated with confirmation number NEW111 will be valid for 12 months from the booking date which means they will expire August 1, 2021.
  • Any remaining unused travel funds tied to OLD111 will be available through September 7, 2022.

 

Unfortunately, only funds with a September 7, 2022 expiration date are qualified for conversion into points.

Re: Southwest not respecting original expiration date

chgoflyer
Aviator A

Reading your message again, I notice now that you say the expiration date of the funds is October 22, 2020.

 

If your funds were extended to September 7, 2022, then used towards new travel, the expiration should be sometime in late 2021, as they are supposed to take on a new expiration date of one year from when you booked the latest travel (presumably sometime between September 7, 2020 and now).

 

For funds to actually be extended to September 7, 2022, you would have had to cancel between March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020, but also have not used the funds immediately, as it took at least overnight for the extension to be applied.

 

If you did use the funds immediately, then they were never actually extended, and so the expiration date is now reverting back to the original one.

 

The good news is that Southwest is aware of this situation. You'll need to reach out to Customer Relations (not the reservation number) and explain the situation carefully. I recommend contacting them via direct message on Twitter or Facebook.

 

 

 

 

Re: Southwest not respecting original expiration date

COTraveler
Explorer C

@chgoflyer

I have exchanged information with you in a different post about my substantial amount in funds which are due to expire on 10/17/20. I kept re-booking for 3 passengers and did not cancel before 9/7.

You have mentioned the voucher in a different post. I have not gotten anywhere with CR so far so the voucher may be my last option.

Is my understanding correct that the voucher can be requested up to 6 months after the exp date, so in my case that'll be 4/17/21.

Since the voucher is issued for only 6 months validity, would be best for me to ask for it in April 2021? assuming that COVID-related travel challenges will remain into the first half of next year.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Southwest not respecting original expiration date

chgoflyer
Aviator A
@COTraveler wrote:

@chgoflyer

I have exchanged information with you in a different post about my substantial amount in funds which are due to expire on 10/17/20. I kept re-booking for 3 passengers and did not cancel before 9/7.

You have mentioned the voucher in a different post. I have not gotten anywhere with CR so far so the voucher may be my last option.

Is my understanding correct that the voucher can be requested up to 6 months after the exp date, so in my case that'll be 4/17/21.

Since the voucher is issued for only 6 months validity, would be best for me to ask for it in April 2021? assuming that COVID-related travel challenges will remain into the first half of next year.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.


 

 

 

Yes, that's the current "policy." This is all unwritten -- technically, it's a special accommodation Customer Relations provides on a "case-by-case" basis, and it can change at any time. But I've never heard of them denying the voucher request. The fee has changed over the years, from $50 to $75 to (currently) $100 per passenger, so I suppose it's possible that it may go up again... but I'd be surprised if it did. And yes, it's 6 months for the request and the voucher will be good for 6 months from issue, so you should time it to work to your advantage (although I wouldn't wait until the last day or anything like that).

 

Keep check back here, because if anything changes about the policy I'm sure we'll be discussing it.

 

There's a small chance that Southwest will open up another period for funds extension... but I think that seems less likely with each passing day. They're really trying to get back to (or more accurately pretending that) things are "normal."

 

Hope this helps. Good luck!