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Travel funds

heathawho
Explorer C

I recently booked a flight using travel funds set to expire and by paying an additional amount. I tried to change the return flight and found I could not because some of the funds used for the return would be expired. Since I went over the 24 hour change policy, the first leg, increase in fare price. The agent said I would have to cancel the flight and then pay the cost of the return ticket forfeiting the balance on the original ticket. I asked the agent why I could not apply some of the monies that I paid yesterday on the return. She said that once my travel funds and cash are comingled, all of the travel funds for the cancelled ticket go to the travel expiration date. Does this make sense? Shouldn't the money I just paid be available for a year?

4 REPLIES 4

Re: Travel funds

CupCrusher40
Frequent Flyer B

Yes, every  booking has credit for 1 year

Re: Travel funds

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

The agent was correct, any additional amount paid for a reservation in which you also used travel funds for a portion of the payment inherit the expiration date of the travel fund that was used.  Here is the wording from Southwest, specifically look at the last line:

https://www.southwest.com/faq/travel-funds

 

  • Booked with a credit card or gift card:
    The travel fund will expire 12 months from the date you booked the ticket.
  • Booked with travel funds:
    The travel fund will keep the expiration date of the original travel fund used to book the ticket. For example, on March 1, you use a travel fund that expires May 20 to book a ticket. Later, you cancel that ticket. The expiration date for these funds is still May 20.

If you book with a combination of these payments, the travel fund adopts the expiration date of the fund that expires soonest.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Travel funds

heathawho
Explorer C
Solution

Thank you middle seat. This was verified.

Re: Travel funds

gsking
Aviator C

A good reminder not to commingle new funds with existing travel funds, especially off they are close to expiry.

 

Best to split round trips into single legs, too.... Each one can use three forms of payment (6 total for a round trip, instead of 3).  More ability to keep funds isolated and improves flexibility in cancellation etc.