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Travel fund help

Nlt3079
Explorer C

Hi All

 

I purchased 5 tickets 12/2019 for travel end of March 2020. We had to cancel our vacation due to covid. We cancelled 3/12/20. These travel funds are only available until 12/20/20. I keep reading how funds cancelled after 3/1/20 have an extension until 2022. I reached out to Southwest and they are telling me there is nothing then can do for me, they will expire 12/20. I'm confused..can someone please help me?

 

Thanks!

1 REPLY 1

Re: Travel fund help

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@Nlt3079 wrote:

Hi All

 

I purchased 5 tickets 12/2019 for travel end of March 2020. We had to cancel our vacation due to covid. We cancelled 3/12/20. These travel funds are only available until 12/20/20. I keep reading how funds cancelled after 3/1/20 have an extension until 2022. I reached out to Southwest and they are telling me there is nothing then can do for me, they will expire 12/20. I'm confused..can someone please help me?

 

Thanks!


 

 

I'd suggest you reach out to Customer Relations to see if they can help you (this is a special department above the "regular" phone line representatives).

 

You cancelled on March 12, 2020, but it wasn't until March 20, 2020 that Southwest first announced special accommodations for customers impacted by the pandemic.

 

That said, on March 20, 2020 Southwest stated the following in an email sent to customers:

 

 

Additional Flexibility if You Need to Adjust Your Travel Plans

With the unprecedented cancellations of events and foreign countries issuing travel restrictions, we understand your travel plans may change. So, we have made additional changes to our already very flexible policies.


If you decide not to travel, as long as you cancel your flight before its departure, the funds used to pay for a nonrefundable ticket are normally valid for one year from the date of purchase. 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-May 31, 2020, will now expire June 30, 2021.
  • Any travel funds created because of a flight cancellation between March 1-May 31, 2020, will have an expiration date of June 30, 2021.
  • It will take our Technology Teams a few weeks to make these changes, and once you're ready to use these funds, simply reference the PNR number on the reservation and use it as you would use "store credit" at most retail establishments.

 

(Bolding mine.)

 

Later, on April 16, 2020, Southwest further updated that accommodation to extend the expiration date of funds through September 7, 2022:

 

 

Travel Funds:

  • Previously, Customers' travel funds that have expired or would have expired between March 1 - June 30, 2020, or travel funds that were created because of a cancellation between March 1 - June 30, 2020, had an expiration date of June 30, 2021. We are now expanding the window of funds eligible for extended expiration dates and extending the expiration date of these funds. Funds that are set to expire or funds that are created between March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020, will have an expiration date of September 7, 2022. This gives Customers who had travel funds created in connection with this pandemic–or who won't be comfortable traveling this summer–additional time to retake that same trip or explore a different destination. It will take our Technology Team a few days to make these changes and more details on this extension can be found at Southwest.com/RRcoronavirusupdates.

 

 

Since you cancelled on March 12, 2020, you do in fact have "travel funds created because of a flight cancellation between March 1-May 31, 2020," and therefore your funds should have an expiration date of September 7, 2022.

 

Hopefully, if you explain this situation carefully to Customer Relations they should be able to help you. Please do come back here and let us know how it goes. Good luck!

 

Contact Customer Relations