I paid for tickets, now friend can’t go; residual travel funds nightmare

[Hharpole]

I booked tickets for myself and a friend to go on a trip, my friend can no longer go, so she is not reimbursing me for her ticket. I booked a “Wanna Get Away” Fare; so of course the funds are credited as residual travel funds; which is fine- EXCEPT that (as I was told by customer service) there is no way for the funds to be transferred into my name- despite the face that I am the one who booked the reservation AND paid for it (using my Southwest Card). My friend is not going on this trip, and also does not typically fly southwest so now I am out $230 which I would gladly use on another flight but cannot due to this policy. I understand it’s my own fault for booking the cheapest fare- however I feel this policy should be amended so that the person who actually PAID for the flight receives the residual funds, not the person who cancelled their ticket. 

[TheMiddleSeat]

I certainly understand your frustration, this is a policy that gets brought up pretty frequently and an area where I wish Southwest would offer the ability to pay a fee to transfer travel funds from one passenger to another. As it is, the only way for you to utilize those funds is to let them expire (one year from original purchase) and then call and request they be extended as a travel voucher. Even that's risky, there's no formal policy saying this is allowed, and will most likely cost $100 to do.

--TheMiddleSeat

[DancingDavidE]

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@Hharpole wrote:

I booked tickets for myself and a friend to go on a trip, my friend can no longer go, so she is not reimbursing me for her ticket. I booked a “Wanna Get Away” Fare; so of course the funds are credited as residual travel funds; which is fine- EXCEPT that (as I was told by customer service) there is no way for the funds to be transferred into my name- despite the face that I am the one who booked the reservation AND paid for it (using my Southwest Card). My friend is not going on this trip, and also does not typically fly southwest so now I am out $230 which I would gladly use on another flight but cannot due to this policy. I understand it’s my own fault for booking the cheapest fare- however I feel this policy should be amended so that the person who actually PAID for the flight receives the residual funds, not the person who cancelled their ticket. 

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If your friend was going to pay you back and said to book on their behalf, but then cancelled that's their agreement with you, not Southwest's which is clear as to the terms for Wanna Get Away fares.

Also if your friend were to use the funds before they expire, they obviously should pay you back for them. (They should pay you back for them anyway if they said they would originally, but I guess that has already been discussed.)

Your other option is to wait out the fund expiration, and call to have it reinstated as a voucher for a fee which is currently $100, but would be worth it to get $130 value back - the voucher can be used by anyone, if you fly Southwest more frequently then it could be used.

[chgoflyer]

Unfortunately, Southwest stopped allowing travel funds to be used by anyone in 2011. 😞

[Hharpole]

I wish they would reinstate that lol! Oh well, you live and learn I guess.