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Travel Funds

Nan938
Explorer C

I currently have a travel fund amount of $99.28 in my account which expire on 4/1/22. Due to COVID I am delaying travel until later this year. I called to request that the funds be extended due to travel restrictions and the recent COVID surge. I was told that all travel funds of $100. or more are being extended 6 months. Seriously for $.72 I will loose my travel fund. All credits due to passengers should be be granted the same benefit of extension. I feel as if I am a less valued customer.

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Travel Funds

tappingmom1
Frequent Flyer B

I'm sorry that the customer service agent didn't give you a more thorough explanation.

 

Once your travel funds expire, there is a $100 charge to extend those expiring travel funds for 6 months.  If you had $200 in travel funds, you would have paid $100 to have $100 left...which would then need to be used in the next 6 months.  You didn't have enough travel funds to be charged the $100 fee, hence, your funds could not be extended.

Re: Travel Funds

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

You could increase the value of your travel fund.  Book a flight that is more than $100, I found a random flight from DEN to DAL for $104 by using the low fare calendar.  Use the travel fund you have and pay the remaining balance with a credit card.  Then immediately cancel the reservation and you will have a new travel fund for the higher price that still expires on 4/1/22.

 

While you may have heard about an extension from an agent I have not yet seen any official statement about an extension.  Be aware that you may still not receive an extension since nothing official has yet been announced.  Let us all know if you do this and do get an extension.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

 

 

Re: Travel Funds

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@TheMiddleSeat wrote:

You could increase the value of your travel fund.  Book a flight that is more than $100, I found a random flight from DEN to DAL for $104 by using the low fare calendar.  Use the travel fund you have and pay the remaining balance with a credit card.  Then immediately cancel the reservation and you will have a new travel fund for the higher price that still expires on 4/1/22.

 


 

Perhaps I'm being obtuse, but why in the world would anyone do that? To be reissued as a voucher once expired, the fee of $100 would still be deducted.

Re: Travel Funds

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

The OP mentioned an extension of the travel fund, not the usual process of reinstating an expired travel fund. To quote the OP, "I was told that all travel funds of $100. or more are being extended 6 months" 

 

While no extension has been announced, that's what the OP appears to be referencing. I have my doubts about such an extension, but I wasn't on the phone call. 

 

--TheMiddleSeat

 

 

Re: Travel Funds

chgoflyer
Aviator A

I strongly suspect that there was a miscommunication between the agent and the OP, and the usual process of reissuing expired funds as a voucher is what was actually referenced.

 

There's often confusion regarding travel fund "extensions" vs "reissue as a voucher." I try to always make that distinction for clarity's sake.

 

There's no "reinstating expired funds," and at this time Southwest hasn't announced any additional covid-accommodation extensions (and, IMHO isn't likely to, especially specifically "all travel funds of $100").