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Using Travel Funds /Expiration date

jgr789
Explorer B

I currently have over $500 in Travel Funds as the result of changing flight prices which expire in November 2020.  I'd like to use them while the flights are so inexpensive but I'm afraid travel may still be restricted for the next couple of months.  If I make a new reservation and need to cancel it because the travel situation hasn't improved, will the expiration date for the Travel Credits for the cancelled reservation revert back to November 2020 or would they expire a year from the new reservation date?

 

I hope my question is clear since this is my first Post on the Forum.  Thanks in advance for your reply to my question.

6 REPLIES 6

Re: Using Travel Funds /Expiration date

elijahbrantley
Aviator A

You question is clear.  Currently, there is no exception for travel funds expiring this November. If you use the funds and then cancel, they will still expire in November UNLESS SW extends the exceptions to the rules to cover funds expiring in that time frame. 

 

I would expect that with the ever-changing environment, this would be a wait and see thing.

 

Hope you can make your trips!

 

-A List, Companion Pass holder

Re: Using Travel Funds /Expiration date

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

There was another post here that suggested if you book a flight with the travel funds you have, then cancel it the next day, the new travel funds will have an expiration date of June 31, 2021 as all travel funds generated now are automatically being extended. It's worth trying, let us make if it works.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Using Travel Funds /Expiration date

gsking
Aviator C

The expiration dates haven't been extended.  They said they would soon, as soon as the software is updated.

Re: Using Travel Funds /Expiration date

jgr789
Explorer B

So is this statement true?

 

If you want ANY Southwest travel funds you have right now to have a later expiration date (as late as June 2021), book a flight now for travel by June 30 and then cancel it. The resulting travel funds should have a new expiration date of June 30, 2021 as soon as Southwest updates the expiration dates on all of them, which they say could take a few weeks.

Re: Using Travel Funds /Expiration date

dfwskier
Aviator A

Yes that statement is mostly true.

 

Under the current rules though, you would have to cancel by no later than the end of May

Re: Using Travel Funds /Expiration date

chgoflyer
Aviator A

And keep in mind that the expiration date(s) shown online aren't updated yet -- Southwest says it's technology team is still implementing the changes necessary to reflect the new, coronavirus exception expiration dates in each member's account.