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Companion Pass: Over $1400 SW Travel Credit Expired because I was someone's companion

emilewis
Explorer C

In 2018 I earned a companion pass. In 2019 I became the receipt of my husband's companion pass.

 

I had to cancel some expensive flights in 2018, so accrued over $1400 in SW Travel Funds. Because I was someone's companion in 2019 I didn't need to use the credit and therefore let it expire.

 

Has anyone been successful in getting SW to extend/renew the full amount of expried funds? I feel like being a loyal customer cost me dearly....$1400 to be exact.

9 REPLIES 9

Re: Companion Pass: Over $1400 SW Travel Credit Expired because I was someone's companion

chgoflyer
Aviator A
Solution

@emilewis wrote:

In 2018 I earned a companion pass. In 2019 I became the receipt of my husband's companion pass.

 

I had to cancel some expensive flights in 2018, so accrued over $1400 in SW Travel Funds. Because I was someone's companion in 2019 I didn't need to use the credit and therefore let it expire.

 

Has anyone been successful in getting SW to extend/renew the full amount of expried funds? I feel like being a loyal customer cost me dearly....$1400 to be exact.



Southwest never extends travel funds, their system doesn't even have that capability. 

 

Once travel funds are expired, you have six months in which you can request they be reissued as a voucher usable by anyone, for a fee of $100 per fund. It's likely too late for you now, but you could have combined multiple travel funds into a single fund by booking "dummy" flights and then cancelling. If any of your funds are significantly over $100 you may still want to reach out to customer service to make the voucher request.

 

Another way you could have utilized those funds was for your husband to name someone else as companion. You are allowed to change the companion up to three times each year. Then that other person could have flown with him, while you use your travel funds. Even without another companion, you would have earned Rapid Rewards points on your flight purchase (which you do not when flying as a companion.)

 

Hope this helps!

Re: Companion Pass: Over $1400 SW Travel Credit Expired because I was someone's companion

maricris823
Explorer C

Piggybacking on this, I just called to ask about my funds expiration (675) in two weeks, thinking I had many more months to use them, this voucher thing wasn't mentioned. Who do I ask this from? The agent was basically "sorry, you're out of lick. bye.". 

Re: Companion Pass: Over $1400 SW Travel Credit Expired because I was someone's companion

bec102896
Aviator A

@maricris823 wrote:

Piggybacking on this, I just called to ask about my funds expiration (675) in two weeks, thinking I had many more months to use them, this voucher thing wasn't mentioned. Who do I ask this from? The agent was basically "sorry, you're out of lick. bye.". 


I would reach out to customer relations at 855-234-4654 I believe this only works after the funds are expired and is on a case by case basis. 

 

You could also try reaching out to southwest on Twitter or Facebook and they could possibly help as well.

 

-Blake

Re: Companion Pass: Over $1400 SW Travel Credit Expired because I was someone's companion

maricris823
Explorer C

Piggybacking on this, I just called to ask about my funds expiration (675) in two weeks, thinking I had many more months to use them, this voucher thing wasn't mentioned. Who do I ask this from? The agent was basically "sorry, you're out of luck. bye."

Re: Companion Pass: Over $1400 SW Travel Credit Expired because I was someone's companion

dfwskier
Aviator A

@maricris823 wrote:

 


 

You said fund (s). Do you have more than one?

 

If so combine them to buy any flight that let's worth 675 or more. Then cancel that flight and let the travel fund expire. You are limitedr o using a max of 3 travel funds to pay for a ticket, so if you haveseveral, you may have to do the above more than once.

 

After the travel fund has expired, contact the airline and request  it be reissued as a voucher.

You will be charged $100 per voucher.

 

Re: Companion Pass: Over $1400 SW Travel Credit Expired because I was someone's companion

maricris823
Explorer C

Yes, now I know there is a work around to the initial trick of not applying correct expiration dates to funds. There shouldn't have to be a trick. It should made really obvious, it's just good business. Amd the agent could have mentioned this, she basically said tough. All shadey like they want to screw you when there is a work around. 

Re: Companion Pass: Over $1400 SW Travel Credit Expired because I was someone's companion

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@maricris823 wrote:

Yes, now I know there is a work around to the initial trick of not applying correct expiration dates to funds. There shouldn't have to be a trick. It should made really obvious, it's just good business. Amd the agent could have mentioned this, she basically said tough. All shadey like they want to screw you when there is a work around. 


 

I'm not sure exactly what you mean. To be clear, expiration dates for all funds are always shown on every confirmation email you receive. Whenever you apply funds to a new booking, that booking takes on the earliest expiration of any funds applied. All funds must be used, and all travel completed by the expiration date. 

 

Once funds are expired, Southwest may consider reissuing them as a voucher, at a cost of $100, in an act of goodwill. Some may refer to this as a "workaround," however these requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and should not be taken for granted. 

 

Keep in mind that Southwest is one of the only airlines that allows you to reuse funds without heavy rebooking penalty. 

Re: Companion Pass: Over $1400 SW Travel Credit Expired because I was someone's companion

dfwskier
Aviator A

@maricris823 wrote:

Yes, now I know there is a work around to the initial trick of not applying correct expiration dates to funds.  

 

There is no "trick". There are clearly stated and PUBLISHED rules. You can chose to follow them or not.

There are consequences to not paying attention to the rules- as you found out.

 

Re: Companion Pass: Over $1400 SW Travel Credit Expired because I was someone's companion

careeradv
Explorer C

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