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Travel Funds Expiration - extended?

achimgab
Explorer C

Hi,

I received an email from the southwest today, that our flight was postponed - we normally had a direct flight from Tampa to Las Vegas in July 2020, but now they offer us flights with two stops. We booked this flight in January 2020.

Now we are canceling it and have received travel Funfs for those flights with an expiry date of January 2021.

1. Question - Do we have to book and fly a new flight by January 2021 or is it possible to book a flight in January for for new in July 2021?

2. Question - We read in the Corona News from the southwest that all expiry dates for travel funds in our case will be extended until September 2022.
Do we understand this correct - if yes, what can we do to change the expirations dates in our travel funds dashboard?

 

As following the orignal message from the current Southwest Homepage:

However, in recognition of the current travel environment, we are extending the expiration date of some travel funds:

  • Customers’ funds that have expired or will expire between March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020, will now expire September 7, 2022.
  • Any travel funds created because you cancel a flight between March 1 – September 7, 2020, will expire September 7, 2022

Hope to get your help in the forum.

Yours

Achim

10 REPLIES 10

Re: Travel Funds Expiration - extended?

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Southwest canceled your original flight making you eligible for a cash refund. Instead of worrying about travel fund expiration dates you can request a cash refund. If for some reason you prefer the travel funds, you should get an expiration date of September 2022.

 

You'll need to either call Southwest or send a private message to Southwest via Twitter (@Southwestair) or Facebook to request the refund. 

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Travel Funds Expiration - extended?

dfwskier
Aviator A

To be clear,  the change to a 2022 expiration date is automatic. It may not show up that way .right.  

 

I cancelled  flight last week. Initially my travel fund   showed a 2021 expiration date. The next day that was changed to 2022.

Re: Travel Funds Expiration - extended?

KymC
Explorer C

My daughter has travel funds expiring Sept. 19, 2020. She is pregnant and can not travel now obviously because of CV or anytime soon after the baby born which will be in September. Can her travel funds be extended like so many others to 2022? That would only be "fare".

 

I have been a companion pass holder for 10+ years and my family of 5 have been loyal customers of SW since 2006. This is a very weird and crazy time in the world. Hoping SW will make this right and not just take her $ which is $500.+???

Re: Travel Funds Expiration - extended?

dfwskier
Aviator A
Solution

Don't know for sure, but there is one way to insure the expiration date will be 9/7/22.

 

Use the travel fund to buy any ticket.   Then cancel it.   That creates a new travel fund.

 

All travel funds created after 3/1/20 and before 6/30/20 wlll have the 2022 expiration date.

Re: Travel Funds Expiration - extended?

hershill
Explorer C

That is incorrect. All travel on the new trip confirmation# must be completed by the original expiration of the travel funds used.

Re: Travel Funds Expiration - extended?

dfwskier
Aviator A

@hershill wrote:

That is incorrect. All travel on the new trip confirmation# must be completed by the original expiration of the travel funds used.


Nope.

 

Al travel funds created after 2/28/20 thru (I think) 9/7/20 will carry a 9/7/22 expiration date.

 

I suggest that you read the first post in this thread..

Re: Travel Funds Expiration - extended?

hershill
Explorer C

Yep in my case. I booked a flight for March 2020 in Sept 2019. We cancelled Feb 2020. Funds still expire Sept 2020. Booked a new trip and funds would still expire Sept 2020 if we cancel. It says this on my new confirmation.

Re: Travel Funds Expiration - extended?

dfwskier
Aviator A

@hershill wrote:

Yep in my case. I booked a flight for March 2020 in Sept 2019. We cancelled Feb 2020. Funds still expire Sept 2020. Booked a new trip and funds would still expire Sept 2020 if we cancel. It says this on my new confirmation.


The way it works is that when you cancel, the original expiration date shows up

 

SW batch processes all travel funds created in a day overnight. The next morning they show 9/7/22. It's easier to do that than reprogram the system to reflect the new rule, and then reprogram again on 9/820 when the old rule is again applicable.

 

Again the "official" rules from the airline are listed in the first post in this  thread

 

Also, see my 4/26/20 post above to confirm what I said in my second sentence of this post,

Re: Travel Funds Expiration - extended?

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@hershill wrote:

Yep in my case. I booked a flight for March 2020 in Sept 2019. We cancelled Feb 2020. Funds still expire Sept 2020. Booked a new trip and funds would still expire Sept 2020 if we cancel. It says this on my new confirmation.


 

When you cancelled in February, Southwest hadn't yet established the COVID-19 funds extension policy.

 

If you book and cancel now (anytime prior to September 7, 2020), using those travel funds, their expiration date will be extended to September 7, 2022.

 

As @dfwskier explained, your funds will not immediately reflect the update, but will update in 1-2 days.