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Expiring travel funds from rebooking credit for canceled flight

AlsoNamedBort
Explorer C

Hi! I need some help with a dilemma. Here's what happened:

  • Booked a flight for March 2020 (price: ~$275)
  • Rebooked flight for cheaper fare (price: ~$239, awarded $36 in travel funds)
  • Canceled flight due to pandemic (awarded $239 in travel funds)

So here's the deal: the $239 in travel funds don't expire until September 2022, but the $36 voucher expires at the end of this month. I called a Southwest rep but they said they can't change it.

 

What are my options? I'm pretty doubtful about flying anytime soon. If I were to book a new flight using the $36 in funds but then canceled it, would I get the funds back with a new expiration date?

 

 

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Expiring travel funds from rebooking credit for canceled flight

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

Short answer first, I don't think there's anything you can do to extend the $36 dollar funds.

If you book a flight with the $36 fund and then cancel it the expiration date will not change.  Even worse, I believe if you were to book a flight using both the $36 fund and the $239 fund then cancel, the resulting combined travel fund would take on the earlier expiration date currently held by the $36 fund.  So don't do that!.

Since the standard option to extend expired travel funds reduces the value of the fund by $100 there's no point in looking at that option.  So, like I said at the beginning, I think you're stuck with a $36 fund that expires soon and have the $239 fund with the September 2022 expiration.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Expiring travel funds from rebooking credit for canceled flight

dfwskier
Aviator A

@AlsoNamedBort wrote: 

 

What are my options? I'm pretty doubtful about flying anytime soon. If I were to book a new flight using the $36 in funds but then canceled it, would I get the funds back with a new expiration date?

 

DO NOT DO THAT!

 

If you combine $200 in cash with your $36 travel fund to buy a new $236 ticket and then cancel that ticket, then all $236 will assume the same expiration date as the original $36.

 

You can appeal to customer relations (not to raise expectations, but I don't think it will do any good, but you can try), but I'm afraid your $36 will simply expire.


 

Re: Expiring travel funds from rebooking credit for canceled flight

McGuire184
Explorer C
Due to unforseen family circumstances we had to cancel our trip. I know the funds Credit Southwest never extends the expiration date of travel funds.