Covid-19 extension cancelled before March 1, 2020

[jasminejaucian]

Related to the Covid 19 extension September 7, 2022, for those cancelled by March 1. 

I booked a travel date of March 14, 2020 to Washington DC but due to covid 19, I had to cancel my flight. I cancelled it soon as I know I'm unable to travel because of coronavirus, the height of the chaos of the pandemic. I called to cancel on February 28. Now I am not eligible on the September 7, 2022 extension. 

I couldn't risk traveling because I have my children with me and me and my husband were even on the high risk category. Anyway, is there a way for me to plead my case to be included in the September 7, 2022 extension? Or who can we contact regarding this? We cancelled with the intention covid 19 and not because of anything else. I mean the news of the pandemic was all over since January, more so during the time I cancelled on Feb 28. 

[TheMiddleSeat · Accepted solution]

You can certainly talk to Customer Relations although any sort of extension is unlikely.

After your travel funds expire you can have them reinstated as LUV Vouchers that will be valid for 6 months. You have 6 months after the travel funds expire to do this and the value of each travel fund is reduced by $100. Customer Relations also handles that process.

Contact Customer Relations

--TheMiddleSeat

[dfwskier]

the 9/7/22 TF expiration date was given to those who cancelled between 3/1/20 an 9/7/20.   I am unaware of any variance of this. If you had waited one more day to cancel ...

As themiddleseat said, you can contact customer relations and ask. The worst that can happen is that you are told "no." If you don't ask, you won't know for sure

[jasminejaucian]

Are they that stringent on this policy? I just think it makes sense for me to cancel at this time at the height of the pandemic. I still can't even travel because I have an unvaccinated kid. I travel responsibly, I mean I won't mind traveling if my minor is vaccinated but until now there's no definite time on when my kid can get the vaccine. I think my cancelation was in a reasonable time frame, seeing that my travel period was March 14. 

[TheMiddleSeat]

I'm not trying to say this rudely and it really falls under shoulda, coulda, woulda so maybe it's just a lesson for the future. There is rarely any benefit or reason to cancel a flight any earlier than the day of or before the flight. Think of it as a game of chicken, if Southwest blinks first maybe they offer extensions for people who cancel, or better yet, they cancel your flight and you get a cash refund. If you blink first then there's no upside.

As mentioned before, you can certainly ask Customer Relations for some exception to the policy, there's no harm in doing that. Good luck, I hope they find a way to help you out.

--TheMiddleSeat

[jasminejaucian]

I suppose these types of stringent policies is the way they operate, compared to other airlines, even at the height of these unusual times. I still think my case makes sense but there's no point in going around and around. If they're stringent then that's that. Thanks for replying! I already reached out to customer service. 

[jksobonya]

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@jasminejaucian wrote:

I still can't even travel because I have an unvaccinated kid. 

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What do you mean? Children don't have to be vaccinated to travel or fly on a plane. Heck, adults don't have to be vaccinated, either. Getting vaccinated is not a requirement to fly within the United States. 

--Jessica