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Random expiration dates on travel funds

Trvlfunz-random
Explorer C

Two tickets purchased.  On May 10 & May 19.  Numerous changes.  Somehow May 19 

travel funds expiry date changed to May 11.  Somehow May 10 travel funds expiry dates

changed to May 9 and May 8.  Called 800 and 855 customer lines.  Told conflicting stories.

any logical Advice will be most welcome.  I can’t believe I am only one with this problem.

dl, somewhere near JWA

6 REPLIES 6

Re: Random expiration dates on travel funds

DancingDavidE
Aviator A
Solution

@Trvlfunz-random wrote:

Two tickets purchased.  On May 10 & May 19.  Numerous changes.  Somehow May 19 

travel funds expiry date changed to May 11.  Somehow May 10 travel funds expiry dates

changed to May 9 and May 8.  Called 800 and 855 customer lines.  Told conflicting stories.

any logical Advice will be most welcome.  I can’t believe I am only one with this problem.

dl, somewhere near JWA


Numerous changes would be the likely cause, when travel funds get combined they take the expiration of the oldest travel fund.

 

So...if I'm correct, it's a feature not a bug. I'm sorry if you are bumping up against the deadline this week to use the funds where May 19th would have worked but May 11th doesn't.

 

One suggestion is that if you are in danger of letting the funds expire this week, try to get them combined into one larger fund so that if you choose to apply for a voucher to replace expired travel funds ($100 fee the last I heard), you'll only have to pay the conversion fee one time instead of for each travel fund. In that case I understand the voucher to be valid for six months.

 

 

 

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

Re: Random expiration dates on travel funds

bec102896
Aviator A

Each ticket will keep the expiration date given from original ticket purchase meaning the ticket you bought on May 10th would expire 1 year later which I’m guessing would be the 9th as that would be a full year the 10th would be a year and a day (I wonder if leap year has something to do with the date being the 9th not 10th) 

 

Keep in mind when you book a new reservation with those travel funds the expiration date will be the date of the travel funds not 1 year from the new date you buy the ticket. 

 

Also no no matter how many times you change your ticket the expiration date will remain the same and travel must be completed by that date.

 

hope this helps

Blake 

Re: Random expiration dates on travel funds

dfwskier
Aviator A

Providing an example to  further explain what David said

 

If you combine different travel funds to buy a ticket and then cancel or change that ticket the earliest date applies as the date the funds expire

 

So if you use a fund with a 5/1/20 expiration  and a second fund with an 11/1/19 expiration, then the expiration for the new ticket would be 11/1/19.

Re: Random expiration dates on travel funds

Trvlfunz-random
Explorer C

I really do understand combining results in a singular, earlier expiration date.  I don’t like it.

what I like even less is attitude of numerous, allegedly, “executive supervisors” who 

add and/or compound mystery.  The money will be gone in a few days.  Bad enough.

What is far worse is the absolute ignorance and/or apathy.

one expiration date has now morphed inexplicably into 4.

According to them, time has been added and/or taken away.

at a minimum this sounds like breach of contract

meanwhile I did get extremely abbreviated trip done without any airline.

 

 

 

Re: Random expiration dates on travel funds

SWDigits
Aviator A

@Trvlfunz-random wrote:

I really do understand combining results in a singular, earlier expiration date.  I don’t like it.


This is a total "thinking out loud" comment, but I'm wondering if technical accounting rules aren't in part driving the Southwest policy.

 

Basically when you buy your ticket Southwest has cash in hand and records an offsetting short-term liability (they owe you travel).  Less than a year = short-term, more than a year = long-term.  Short-term and long-term liabilities typically have different accounting requirements (think in terms of reviews, financial audit, etc.) so this policy makes sure that everything stays short-term, which probably makes things a little easier for the accounting folks.


Customer | Home airport DCA

Re: Random expiration dates on travel funds

NicoleAshley
Employee
Employee
Solution

We're sorry for the frustration concerning your travel funds. As a peer to peer support forum, we are not equipped to look into your situation and provide specific insight, but we encourage you to reach out to us via the options in the link below. 

 

Submitting a Suggestion and/or Complaint

Nicole
Community Manager