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Re: Can't use Travel funds by Expiration due to Covid

sharonrose
Explorer B

Exactly - why is Southwest allowing those to game the system instead of doing the decent thing and honoring the tickets.  Southwest receiving MILLIONS IN TAXPAYER BAILOUTS AND THEY ARE SCREWING US TWICE.   I have been a loyal fan of Southwest for decades and now that I'm a widow on limited income they decided they need my money more than I do.  This is nothing more than corporate GREED!

Re: Can't use Travel funds by Expiration due to Covid

LorrenT
Frequent Flyer A

Hi @sharonrose 

 

I understand that you are frustrated, but the Community is a peer-to-peer support forum. We welcome all Community Members to engage with the content we find here, as long as it is respectful and on-topic. You can view the Community User Guidelines here.   

 

Thank you, 

 

@LorrenT 

Community Manager 

Re: Can't use Travel funds by Expiration due to Covid

wthswa
Explorer C

The work around didn't work, I tried it 3x and now they [customer service] are contesting that that was actually a thing. 

Re: Can't use Travel funds by Expiration due to Covid

dfwskier
Aviator A

@wthswa wrote:

The work around didn't work, I tried it 3x and now they [customer service] are contesting that that was actually a thing. 


If by work around you mean the process of extending travel fund expiration dates til 9/7/22, that work around expired on 9/7/20.

 

The  process of buying new  tickets and then cancelling those tickets to get the deal was never an official Southwest "work around."  That's why Southwest never did "officially" offer it. It was something that travellers figured out and shared with other travellers. It was discussed here extensively for over three months

Re: Can't use Travel funds by Expiration due to Covid

missgina
Explorer C

I am in the same boat!  My flight had to be cancelled in October after my plans were cancelled AND numerous changes with the itinerary by SW.  Then I get notification that these funds can NOT be converted and I have one month before they expire to use them!?

 

I reached out to customer service at no avail.  30 days to book AND travel does not seem fair.  I am very dissatisfied, and now I am out $300 at no fault of my own!

 

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated!

 

Thanks!

Re: Can't use Travel funds by Expiration due to Covid

bamacass
Explorer B

I am in the same position as the original poster of this thread, my travel funds will expire on November 7, 2020.  The response, "You had until September 7 to extend travel fund expiration out to September 2022" is inaccurate. I attempted to extend my travel funds during the 6-month window and received a system reply that my funds were ineligible.  I called Southwest and the agent confirmed that the consideration only applied to travel that was booked between March 1 and September 7, 2020.  Those dates seem inconsistent with the fact that Southwest's open middle seat policy does not expire until November  30.  At a minimum, the two Southwest covid policies should carry the same date.  I have always been an advocate for Southwest because I felt that they provided excellent service.  However, this experience leaves me feeling that they arbitrarily assigned dates that purposely disadvantage their customers in order to avoid giving refunds.

 

I had plans to use my travel funds for a trip that was scheduled for October 24 through October 31. To use the remaining funds in my account, I also had planned to add a stop with a return date of November 6.  Upon the advice of my doctor, I had to cancel those plans.  Covid19 is not resolved! This week we have seen some of the highest numbers since the pandemic hit US soil.  I am a long time Rapids Rewards member and do not understand why we are not being allowed to at least transfer our credits to points for any travel disrupted due to covid19. 

Re: Can't use Travel funds by Expiration due to Covid

bamacass
Explorer B

*Update* 

Southwest has extended the date to December 15, 2020, to convert your qualified travel funds to points. To qualify, your travel fund must expire on September 7, 2022. My travel funds do not meet those criteria so are still not eligible and will expire on November 7.  

 

I also saw on Facebook that people are getting refunds for travel planned after December 1 if they are not comfortable with the elimination of the 'open middle seat' policy. 

 

Southwest's refusal to either refund, extend the expiration date, or convert the travel funds to points for travel other than their arbitrarily defined dates makes no sense!  

 

 

Re: Can't use Travel funds by Expiration due to Covid

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@bamacass wrote:

*Update* 

Southwest has extended the date to December 15, 2020, to convert your qualified travel funds to points. To qualify, your travel fund must expire on September 7, 2022. My travel funds do not meet those criteria so are still not eligible and will expire on November 7.  

 

I also saw on Facebook that people are getting refunds for travel planned after December 1 if they are not comfortable with the elimination of the 'open middle seat' policy. 

 

Southwest's refusal to either refund, extend the expiration date, or convert the travel funds to points for travel other than their arbitrarily defined dates makes no sense!  

 

 


 

 

FYI, that's not an update or a change, December 15th was always the expiration date for funds conversion.

Re: Can't use Travel funds by Expiration due to Covid

bamacass
Explorer B

@chgoflyer 

Yes, I now see that in some of the communications, but the December 15 date was not mentioned in an August 11 email that I received from Southwest regarding a change to my flight schedule.  I thought maybe I had missed something when I read, "You had until September 7", but see that was regarding requesting the expiration date extension.  In any event, my funds did not qualify for either option. I checked back in August and have continued to check every month since.

Re: Can't use Travel funds by Expiration due to Covid

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@bamacass wrote:

@chgoflyer 

Yes, I now see that in some of the communications, but the December 15 date was not mentioned in an August 11 email that I received from Southwest regarding a change to my flight schedule.  I thought maybe I had missed something when I read, "You had until September 7", but see that was regarding requesting the expiration date extension.  In any event, my funds did not qualify for either option. I checked back in August and have continued to check every month since.


 

Just to be clear: Funds extension was only ever offered to those who had travel funds set to expire March 1 thru September 7, 2020 (or flights canceled during those dates.) Those funds were extended to September 7, 2022.

 

When this was announced, many customers noticed that since the accommodation included flights canceled during that period, they could use any funds that didn't meet the criteria to purchase, and then cancel, a new flight, which would then extend their funds.

 

Unfortunately, since this was essentially a work-around, customer service wasn't able to officially do this or in any way extend any non-qualified funds, so calling was no help. Customers who hadn't figured out the work-around from the email and website information posted by Southwest may have learned of it here or in other forums online.

 

Right now, Southwest hasn't indicated that they will offer another accommodation period, but it's worth checking back here in case they do.