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Re: Travel Fund....Poor Customer Service

bec102896
Aviator A

@chgoflyer wrote:

@bec102896 wrote:

Did you try what I told you? It should help you get the expiration date pushed just a little later so you could take your trip to Tampa. The reason you could do this right now is Southwest has a waiver for all flights in mid March through the 9th of April and once you book the placeholder flight for March you can move your flight a month later and reports I’ve seen show those with expiring funds could still move the flight up to 30 days later. The waiver could go away at any time and your chance to get the trip to Tampa with the truthfully expired funds will go away and you would then have to try the contacting customer relations and hope they will give you a voucher for 6 months ($100 fee would apply) as dfwskier mentioned 

 

 


 

My complete guess is that the current waiver will disappear tonight. They seem to start near the end of the week and then are gone after 3-5 days (at most).

 

Being able to change any flight within in a specific time period to any other flight (same airport pairs), regardless of fare, up to 30 days either direction is 1) caused by covid schedule changes; 2) due to systems limitations that will eventually be fixed; and 3) an incredible tool that can be leveraged to their great advantage by informed travelers.


Yeah that waiver is gone now. 

Re: Travel Fund....Poor Customer Service

Bshatc01
Explorer B

I didn’t...I’m afraid it won’t work out as I intend then I’m further in the hole!

Re: Travel Fund....Poor Customer Service

Tonyaytaylor
Explorer C

The customer service rep said they are only honoring travel funds from the original date of purchased. So, travel funds expire 1 year from the original ticket funds.  Customer Service is very poor concerning this matter.

Re: Travel Fund....Poor Customer Service

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@Tonyaytaylor wrote:

The customer service rep said they are only honoring travel funds from the original date of purchased. So, travel funds expire 1 year from the original ticket funds.  Customer Service is very poor concerning this matter.


 

Unfortunately, unless your funds were extended during the March 1-September 7, 2020 covid accommodation period (via multiple methods), this is true. Southwest is offering no additional covid accommodations.

Re: Travel Fund....Poor Customer Service

jldunk
Explorer C

I tried this also- I got the same thing- it was original date.

Re: Travel Fund....Poor Customer Service

gsking
Aviator C

First of all,  there is nothing "clear" about postponing trips due to Covid.   There are plenty of reasons and options to fly over the past year. 

 

Second,  I'm very careful about tying new funds to old travel funds.   Better to pay cash and have a year to use them if you're not sure you're gonna fly. 

 

It gets complicated,  but it's WAY better than the alternative at another airline. 

Re: Travel Fund....Poor Customer Service

jldunk
Explorer C

OH my... my family had almost identical thing happen! We purchased for our family to go on quick family trip for March 2020. Of course we had to cancel that, so funds were then good until 9/2022. We then thought we could use some of the funds for an anniversary trip to Vegas in December (thinking things would start going back to normal). Of course, nothing in Vegas was even open, so we had to cancel. But now... those funds have to be used by this July! So, 6 months to use the funds!!  We have talked to different levels of customer service and the standard line is. too bad- you have to use by July or lose it! In the middle of a pandemic, travel is discouraged, yet SWA is FORCING you to take time off of work (who can do that?) or lose $800! Even Delta( who always charges a change fee) is allowing change at no cost! Guess SWA is trying to make up their profit loss on the backs of working people!

Re: Travel Fund....Poor Customer Service

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@jldunk wrote:

OH my... my family had almost identical thing happen! We purchased for our family to go on quick family trip for March 2020. Of course we had to cancel that, so funds were then good until 9/2022. We then thought we could use some of the funds for an anniversary trip to Vegas in December (thinking things would start going back to normal). Of course, nothing in Vegas was even open, so we had to cancel. But now... those funds have to be used by this July! So, 6 months to use the funds!!  We have talked to different levels of customer service and the standard line is. too bad- you have to use by July or lose it! In the middle of a pandemic, travel is discouraged, yet SWA is FORCING you to take time off of work (who can do that?) or lose $800! Even Delta( who always charges a change fee) is allowing change at no cost! Guess SWA is trying to make up their profit loss on the backs of working people!


 

While I don't recommend unnecessary leisure travel during the pandemic, there were tons of things open in Vegas in December. Generally, Vegas is much less "locked down" than other places. Casinos, hotels, restaurants, even some shows were all open.

 

Your funds were generously extended until 2022. Using them started a new, one-year clock, which was disclosed upon purchase. In all cases, you were given more time than you agreed to when you made the original purchase.

Re: Travel Fund....Poor Customer Service

jldunk
Explorer C

Actually, shows were not open, nor were most restaurants! We were only given 6 months to use them from the time we knew it was unsafe to fly! Still in pandemic and SWA is forcing people to travel when travel is NOT recommended by CDC!

Re: Travel Fund....Poor Customer Service

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@jldunk wrote:

Actually, shows were not open, nor were most restaurants! We were only given 6 months to use them from the time we knew it was unsafe to fly! Still in pandemic and SWA is forcing people to travel when travel is NOT recommended by CDC!


 

I live in Las Vegas. Yes, the larger shows like Cirque were/are closed, but many of the smaller shows were/are open. Absinthe, Thunder Down Under, The Rat Pack, Comedy Club, Burlesq, X Country, multiple small revues and magicians. 

 

Except for buffets, many restaurants are open. Every casino that's open right now has multiple dining options available.

 

Lots of reasons not to travel, but a lack of entertainment and dining options in Las Vegas is not really one of them.