Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Travel Funds Expiring (relocated internationally)

Coenen9a
Explorer C

Hello all. I have a dilemma with the current unused travel funds in my possession. Last summer, I banked up a decent amount of travel funds while traveling, changing flights, revising itineraries, etc. During this same time period, my wife received a job offer all the over in Finland. We ended up moving at the end of the summer for the new opportunity. Unforunately, all of my travel funds are set to expire April 27th, 2019, and I will not be back in the U.S. in time to use them for any domestic travel.

 

Does anyone know if Southwest will make an exception for a case like this? Possibly an extension on the travel funds? We may end up back in the U.S. at the end of 2019.

4 REPLIES 4

Re: Travel Funds Expiring (relocated internationally)

dfwskier
Aviator A

I'm not aware of Southwest making exceptions to the rule.  Sorry.

 

However, AFTER the expiration date, the airline does customarily allow the conversion of expired funds into a travel voucher that can be used by any person. The fee is $100 per individual travel fund.

 

So, if you are dealing with multiple funds, a suggestion would be to use several (all?) of them to "purchase" a more expensive ticket which you would then cancel. The net effect woud be paying a single $100 fee instead of several of them.

 

I think you can combine up to three travel funds to purchase a new ticket.

Re: Travel Funds Expiring (relocated internationally)

Coenen9a
Explorer C

Man, that stinks. Not a great policy for a situation like this.

 

I'm assuming this needs to be done before the expiration date?

 

Also, does that converted travel fund have an expiration date?

Re: Travel Funds Expiring (relocated internationally)

dfwskier
Aviator A

@Coenen9a wrote:

Man, that stinks. Not a great policy for a situation like this.

 

I believe that every airline has one year (or less) expiration dates on travel funds. Most of them charge you $200 or so to use the funds at any time. 

 

I'm assuming this needs to be done before the expiration date?

 

If you are referring to combining several funds to buy a ticket and then cancelling that ticket -- yes.

 

Also, does that converted travel fund have an expiration date?


I'm sure it does, but I'm not sure of the time period. I'll let someone else jump in with an answer.

Note that travel would need to be completed by the expiration date.

Re: Travel Funds Expiring (relocated internationally)

chgoflyer
Aviator A
Solution

Yes, you'd need to combine your funds prior to expiration. The expiration date of the new fund would be the earliest expiration date of any of the funds you used.