Direct Flight Change to Long Layover

[Chasney18]

We just received an email late last night that our amazing direct flight to Florida was changed to have a 4+ hour layover in Atlanta! I went to change our flight to discover that SW has basically removed all flights from BWI to PBI! There are only 3 per day every day that week when there used to be tons! The only direct flight BEFORE 8pm is completely unavailable!

I begrudgingly changed our flights to fly into FLL but now we have to get a car service or UBER which will cost more. The good news is that we now have 3 travel credits BUT they expire in Sept 2022 and we have no plans to travel again between now and then so that money is gone! I would have thought they would offer travel vouchers and/or extend when we can use the travel funds since it was THEIR mistake not mine. 

Does anyone have any advice? This is such an inconvenience and possibly costly change on their end!  

[TheMiddleSeat]

Since Southwest changed your flight you can always request a refund back to the original form of payment and then book another airline that might be more convenient for you.  If you call you may be able to get onto the unavailable flight, agents sometimes have the ability to get into a flight that may be blocked out for some reason.

--TheMiddleSeat

[Chasney18]

I did call and she said that I cant get on the unavailable flight and that the travel funds are the only way to do it and they expire Sept 2022. She told me to email customer service so I guess that is what I will do now. 

[TheMiddleSeat]

How did you pay for the flight?

As I stated, a change by Southwest allows you a refund back to the original form of payment.  If that was a travel fund, then you will get a travel fund.  If it was credit card, you can get credit back to that.

--TheMiddleSeat

[Chasney18]

It was paid by credit card but the representative was adamant that it had to be travel funds and those expire Sept 2022. Way too soon in my opinion!

[dfwskier · Accepted solution]

If you paid ENTIRELY by credit card, you are entitled to a refund to that credit card -- end of story.

If that's what you want, contact the airline by e-mail and demand  a refund. Click on contact us (below) to proceed.

It gets more complicated if you used a travel fund for part of the payment.