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Covid-19 Refund Policy is lacking. Southwest needs to re-evaluate !

Hbishop3
Explorer C

Southwest needs to re-evaluate the current Covid policy regarding refunded ticket credit with Covid cases being at the highest ever & rising. This pandemic is not going away anytime soon and your patrons should not be penalized for choosing not to fly due to restrictions. Refund credit should have extended expiration, transferability or used to purchase southwest rapid reward points that do not expire. Disappointed with the current response of employees saying there is nothing they can offer at this point due to policy . Again Covid rates are at the highest ever and as a healthcare provider I feel that it is really unfortunate that Southwest is penalizing patrons for avoid health risks.

19 REPLIES 19

Re: Covid-19 Refund Policy is lacking. Southwest needs to re-evaluate !

jksobonya
Aviator A

Travel funds were extended 2 entire years if cancelled prior to September 7, 2020 - the funds expire September 7 2022. As it stands now if you cancel a flight your funds are good for one year from the date of booking - standard policy, and very generous compared to other airlines. 

 

--Jessica

Re: Covid-19 Refund Policy is lacking. Southwest needs to re-evaluate !

Hbishop3
Explorer C

Agree to disagree. Delta has allowed cancelation with full refund or to be held as a credit for future flight no expiration. I do agree that the policy prior to Sept 7th was great, however that is no longer offered. Point being Covid is at an all time high with in the population so that policy should cover through the beginning of next year. You validate my point in your response.  I booked in July and had to cancel at the end of Sept due to increased cases and work regulations. All things beyond my control my refund expires with in the next 5 months. 

Re: Covid-19 Refund Policy is lacking. Southwest needs to re-evaluate !

dfwskier
Aviator A

@Hbishop3 wrote:

Agree to disagree. Delta has allowed cancelation with full refund or to be held as a credit for future flight no expiration. I do agree that the policy prior to Sept 7th was great, however that is no longer offered. Point being Covid is at an all time high with in the population so that policy should cover through the beginning of next year. You validate my point in your response.  I booked in July and had to cancel at the end of Sept due to increased cases and work regulations. All things beyond my control my refund expires with in the next 5 months. 


 

I'm afraid you are mistaken. NO AIRLINE (including Delta) refunds non refundable tickets unless:

 

1) The airline cancels the flight

2) The airline puts you on a different flight that you don't want.

 

All give their versions of Southwest's Travel Funds instead

 

https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-update-center/change-or-cancel-your-trip/cancel-change-requiremen...

Re: Covid-19 Refund Policy is lacking. Southwest needs to re-evaluate !

Hbishop3
Explorer C

They absolutely did refund the non-refundable ticket to my account as an eticket credit which  I have until Dec 31 2022 to use. 

 

https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-update-center/change-or-cancel-your-trip/cancel-change-requiremen...

Re: Covid-19 Refund Policy is lacking. Southwest needs to re-evaluate !

dfwskier
Aviator A

@


@Hbishop3 wrote:

They absolutely did refund the non-refundable ticket to my account as an eticket credit which  I have until Dec 31 2022 to use. 

 

https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-update-center/change-or-cancel-your-trip/cancel-change-requiremen...


 

That's's the same link that I provided in the post immediately above yours.

 

They didn't give you your money back (refund).

 

They gave you a travel credit - good for future use at Delta -- just as Southwest did.

 

Re: Covid-19 Refund Policy is lacking. Southwest needs to re-evaluate !

Hbishop3
Explorer C

My point is why did Southwest change the Covid policy as of Sept 7th when we are at the peak of the pandemic?? They need to extend the policy through the duration of this pandemic. 

Re: Covid-19 Refund Policy is lacking. Southwest needs to re-evaluate !

elijahbrantley
Aviator A

See response on your similar post here.

 

-A List, Companion Pass holder

Re: Covid-19 Refund Policy is lacking. Southwest needs to re-evaluate !

patricia2020
Explorer C

I just got off the phone with customer service. I am trying to extend the expiration date on travel funds for $500 tickets I canceled last January due to Covid. They are set to expire this coming Jan. but with Covid blowing up again and travel discouraged I will be unable to use them over the holidays. Customer service said they can consider extending the expire date after the tickets actually expire but for a $100 fine. Great.  Although Covid was not accepted as a reality in the US it was very evident with news coming from overseas last January which is why I canceled the flights. These travel funds were not eligible to extend to the Sept 2022 expire date - not sure why. I have been a customer of Southwest for many years because they are generally a flexible airline but this policy seems really unfair considering the situation with the pandemic. It seems their message is "don't fly - we'll keep your travel funds - sorry." It's disappointing to say the least.

Re: Covid-19 Refund Policy is lacking. Southwest needs to re-evaluate !

dfwskier
Aviator A

@patricia2020 wrote:

I just got off the phone with customer service. I am trying to extend the expiration date on travel funds for $500 tickets I canceled last January due to Covid. They are set to expire this coming Jan. but with Covid blowing up again and travel discouraged I will be unable to use them over the holidays. Customer service said they can consider extending the expire date after the tickets actually expire but for a $100 fine. Great.  Although Covid was not accepted as a reality in the US it was very evident with news coming from overseas last January which is why I canceled the flights. These travel funds were not eligible to extend to the Sept 2022 expire date - not sure why. I have been a customer of Southwest for many years because they are generally a flexible airline but this policy seems really unfair considering the situation with the pandemic. It seems their message is "don't fly - we'll keep your travel funds - sorry." It's disappointing to say the least.


Actually, Covid "worries didn't even begin to kick in until late February, and not in earnest until almost mid-March.

 

People were out enjoying the MLK birthday day off in January -Same with President's day in February .

 

Politicians were encouraging citizens to get out to enjoy the Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras  - because there "was nothing to worry about.

 

Don't believe me? read:  https://www.amny.com/editorial/fear-of-coronavirus-not-at-lunar-new-year-parade-in-chinatown/    

 

and on March 3: https://dailycaller.com/2020/03/25/cuomo-coronavirus-china-new-york/

 

Southwest gave passengers who cancelled flights between 3/1/20 and 9/7/20 a new expiration date for travel funds: 9/7/22. Others figured out that if they had travel funds that did not qualify, that they could simply use those funds to buy new tickets and then cancel those tickets between 3/1/20 and 9/7/20 and they would receive new travel funds with that 9/7/22 expiration date. It was the best airline deal in North America, and it was discussed here ad nauseoum for months.