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Travel Funds Revert to Early Date

Dhenry
Explorer C

I used travel funds with 2 different expiration dates. I had to change/cancel my reservation and all of the travel funds reverted back to the earlier date that will expire soon. This doesn't seem to be a fair practice for Southwest. They are taking unexpired funds. Something needs to be done to this glitch in the system.

14 REPLIES 14

Re: Travel Funds Revert to Early Date

dfwskier
Aviator A
Solution

Sorry, but It's not a glitch. It is stated policy.

 

When you combine more than one travel fund  to buy a ticket and then cancel the trip made with those funds, the resultant travel fund comes with an expiration date that reflects the earliest expiration date of the funds that were combined.

Re: Travel Funds Revert to Early Date

jksobonya
Aviator A

It's not a glitch. Travel funds with the earliest expiration date is what is used when you redeem one or more travel funds on a new reservation. If you then proceed to cancel the flight, that earliest expiration date is used for the entire reservation. If the process were to use an expiration date of a year from purchase date, then the older travel funds previously applied to the flight could then be used for more than a year, which is not allowed. Travel funds get one year of use before they expire. So, that is the risk you take when using travel funds. 

 

--Jessica

Re: Travel Funds Revert to Early Date

Dhenry
Explorer C

This is not a customer service friendly policy. It's like taking funds from the customers. Southwest should give you the credit if the original travel fund hasn't expired. It makes no sense to me. 

 

Sure hope they rethink this policy.

Re: Travel Funds Revert to Early Date

dfwskier
Aviator A

@Dhenry wrote:

This is not a customer service friendly policy. It's like taking funds from the customers. Southwest should give you the credit if the original travel fund hasn't expired. It makes no sense to me. 

 

Sure hope they rethink this policy.


It's like so many other things in life:

 

1) Understand the rules

2) Play by them

 

 

Re: Travel Funds Revert to Early Date

Dhenry
Explorer C

I agree it is nice they let you save the credit but if your credit hasn't expired they shouldn't move up the expiration date should they? Southwest took my credit and reestablished it's expiration date to an earlier date. Doesn't make sense to me.

Re: Travel Funds Revert to Early Date

Dhenry
Explorer C

Do you know where the rules are written?

 

 

 

Re: Travel Funds Revert to Early Date

dfwskier
Aviator A

@Dhenry wrote:

Do you know where the rules are written?

 

 

 


Page 13 of the contract of carriage:

 

"(3) Nonrefundable Tickets.
(i) General. The fare paid for unused travel by Passengers who purchase restricted,
nonrefundable Tickets are not eligible for refunds, except as provided in this
Section and Section 9b. Taxes, security fees, and Passenger Facility Charges
associated with a nonrefundable fare are also not eligible for refund except as
required by applicable regulations.
(ii) Travel Credit. Unless otherwise stated by Carrier, the fare paid for unused
nonrefundable Tickets, including taxes, security fees, and Passenger Facility
Charges, may be applied toward the purchase of future travel on Carrier for the
originally ticketed Passenger only. The new Ticket may be more or less expensive
or subject to different terms, conditions, or restrictions from the original Ticket. If
the fare is lower, travel credit will be issued for the difference. No cash refund or
credit card adjustments will be made for nonrefundable Tickets.
(iii) Travel Credit Eligibility. The expiration date of any travel credit will apply to any
Tickets purchased with these funds. If a Ticket is purchased with multiple travel
credits, the earliest expiration date will apply to the entire Ticket.
(iv) Travel Credit Forfeiture. Should a Passenger fail to apply the nonrefundable Ticket
or travel credit toward the purchase of future travel within the eligibility period, the
entire amount of the fare, including all taxes, security fees, and Passenger Facility
Charges, will be forfeited."

 

https://www.southwest.com/assets/pdfs/corporate-commitments/contract-of-carriage.pdf

Re: Travel Funds Revert to Early Date

chgoflyer
Aviator A

Whenever you apply a voucher or travel funds to a new booking, all funds associated with that new booking take on the earliest expiration date of any funds applied. This is shown when you apply the voucher or travel funds online, but many people overlook it. (I've highlighted the important part in yellow below.)

 

applied funds.jpg

 

Re: Travel Funds Revert to Early Date

gsking
Aviator C

In comparison to EVERY other airline....where you get exactly 0 credit for your cancelled ticket?  I'd say it's pretty customer friendly.

 

Can you imagine the negative ramifications of letting people book and cancel flights ad nauseum, while accumulating the credits and rolling them over in perpetuity?   Think about it for a while.