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Expired travel funds

ichase97
Explorer C

Does anyone know what factors are considered in determining whether to issue a voucher for expired travel funds?  Our funds will not expire until March 2019 but it makes me nervous to wait for them to expire and then just hope that I can get a voucher to extend them.  I called in but the woman wouldn't give me any indication on what factors they would consider.  She said that she would have to transfer me to a different department who could tell me but that she would not transfer me until my funds were expired.  (At which point, it is too late if they decide to deny me the voucher).  My concern is that they look to see how much you fly on Southwest to determine whether to issue you a voucher.  We almost never fly on Southwest and only bought these tickets because of the seemingly favorable no change fee which now I am regretting.  I want the voucher because someone else can use it and the money will not go to waste.  Thanks for any advice!

4 REPLIES 4

Re: Expired travel funds

dfwskier
Aviator A

The rule for ALL airlines (not just Southwest) is that travel funds have to be used within one year BY THE PERSON whose name was on the original ticket. You had mentoned that you might want to let someone else use the funds. You're not going to be able to do that.

 

As far as extending past the expiration date, my understanding is that you simpy call Suthwest and ask to do that.  I don't think there is a qualfiction process. It'll cost you $100 off the value of the crediit. I've never done this so I'll defer to someone with more experience than I.

Re: Expired travel funds

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@dfwskier wrote:

The rule for ALL airlines (not just Southwest) is that travel funds have to be used within one year BY THE PERSON whose name was on the original ticket. You had mentoned that you might want to let someone else use the funds. You're not going to be able to do that.

 

As far as extending past the expiration date, my understanding is that you simpy call Suthwest and ask to do that.  I don't think there is a qualfiction process. It'll cost you $100 off the value of the crediit. I've never done this so I'll defer to someone with more experience than I.


To be clear, I believe the OP is talking about having Travel Funds (linked to a specific person) reissued as a voucher (usable by anyone) after they expire. Southwest doesn't ever extend funds past their expiration date -- this process is the only one available to recover a portion of your funds after expiration.

 

 

 

Re: Expired travel funds

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@ichase97 wrote:

Does anyone know what factors are considered in determining whether to issue a voucher for expired travel funds?  Our funds will not expire until March 2019 but it makes me nervous to wait for them to expire and then just hope that I can get a voucher to extend them.  I called in but the woman wouldn't give me any indication on what factors they would consider.  She said that she would have to transfer me to a different department who could tell me but that she would not transfer me until my funds were expired.  (At which point, it is too late if they decide to deny me the voucher).  My concern is that they look to see how much you fly on Southwest to determine whether to issue you a voucher.  We almost never fly on Southwest and only bought these tickets because of the seemingly favorable no change fee which now I am regretting.  I want the voucher because someone else can use it and the money will not go to waste.  Thanks for any advice!


As far as I've heard on this community, the main variable seems to be that you called and asked for a conversion to a voucher, I didn't hear of anyone denied that was willing to pay the current fee. If anyone is in that situation, please let us know on this thread.

 

If you don't fly Southwest, then I don't think it matters - you'll find out when the funds expire and make the call, there's not much use for Southwest to spend time on it when you may fly or may not fly, and the (unwritten) policy may change by next year, etc.

 

I've never heard on this community that the conversion to voucher (for a fee) was denied someone because they don't fly much on Southwest. From a statistical point of view, I find it likely that most of the travel fund exprirations are for people that fly less, people that fly more end up using their travel funds at a higher rate. 

 

Anyway to make a long story short, I think you should just call when the funds expire, if you end up not using them, Southwest customer service agents won't necessarily even know what they would do in March 2019 today since the policy is not documented and could change.

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: Expired travel funds

chgoflyer
Aviator A

The only denials I know of were because the travel funds had included previously reissued funds from a voucher.

 

I think the odds of you being specifically denied are fairly low, but do keep in mind that the fee can change at any time (it was previously $50, then $75 before becoming $100) and that the "policy" is un-published, so Southwest could decide to end it at any time.

 

In either case, there's nothing you can do except wait. Or -- my recommendation -- try to use the funds before the expire. 😉