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Travel Funds expiring, need confirmation of my options please.

ml76
Explorer C

Hi all,

I am new to this community but have been reading up here on my expiring travel fund options and just need confirmation on a few things.  As the same as many here, I made a mental note to remember to use them and then promptly forgot.  lol

Here's the situation.

 

I have $239.98 in travel funds in my account that expire on April 9, 2022.

 

My husband has $239.98 in travel funds that expire April 9, 2022

He also has $88.59 in travel funds that expire on June 16, 2022

 

A few months ago, I booked us (each individually) one-way flights from Cleveland (CLE) to Panama City Beach (ECP) using 7075 points to cover the full cost of the flight(s) minus the $5.60 fee which we paid by CC.  Excited that I had enough points to use, I totally forgot about using the travel funds!  The departure is April 20th.  (I booked the flight home using my American Airlines credits.)  

 

We also have trip to Chicago (MDW) planned for August that I plan to book on Southwest, both to and from.  Each flight is $109 or 7288 points.  All trips are Wanna Get Away fares.

 

I am mulling over my options and the most cost-effective way to do all of this. 

I realize I will probably have to wait until the travel funds expire and then pay the $100 fee to get the LUV Vouchers to use, as none of my flights or planned fights depart before the Travel Funds expire. 

And I have been reading about how to book a flight and cancel (in the case of my husband's points) in order for him to pay only one $100 fee.  

So I would love any input as to how to do all this spending the least amount of money possible!  Thank You in advance!!

 

2 REPLIES 2

Re: Travel Funds expiring, need confirmation of my options please.

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A
Solution

Since the existing trips occur after the travel funds expire they have no impact on any of this discussion.  Yes, you should combine the two travel funds before they expire.  Look for a flight that costs near the combined value of the 2 travel funds, book it, then cancel it.  The new travel fund will be for the value of the cancelled trip and will expire April 9.  Then, after the travel funds expire use the contact us link at the bottom of the page, send a message to Southwest and request the expired travel funds be reinstated as LUV Vouchers.  Provide the confirmation numbers, passenger names, and your acknowledgement that each fund's value will be reduced by $100.  The resulting vouchers will be good for 6 months and you have 6 months after travel funds expire to request this.  Since you already have another trip you want to book you should make this request as soon as possible.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Travel Funds expiring, need confirmation of my options please.

dfwskier
Aviator A
Solution

Using a few different words than the middle seat:

 

1) The fee to convert expired travel funds to vouchers is $100 per travel fund.

 

2) So if some one person has multiple travel funds that would expire before the expected date of the next trip, it makes sense to use multiple TFs to book a trip, and then cancel that trip. Thus converting multiple $100 fees into one of them,

 

Also, remember that you have 6 months from TF expiration  to convert to a voucher. So you don't need to do so right away. Waiting gives you up to a year to use your funds

a) the six months you wait +

b)the six months the voucher is valid.