Travel vouchers

[fredpamm]

We have 5 travel vouchers from Southwest airline flights that were cancelled during the pandemic totaling $1352.22.  They were extended once to expire on August 24th.  I called in today to ask that these vouchers be extended until next year as we cannot fly that many times in the next three months.  We were told no, so on August 24th they will no longer be valid and we will lose $1352

We have not been able to fly since march 2020 due to the pandemic and due to preexisting conditions for both my wife and I.  . We are now vaccinated and able to fly but there is not enough time left to use up these vouchers.

I have been a Southwest airlines rapid rewards member SINCE 2000 and a rapid reward credit card holder as well.  I have been a loyal SWA customer for all that time and am bitterly disappointed that Southwest airlines would keep 1352 dollars from me and not extend the vouchers. 

This is a problem that many people have and needs to be dealt with for the consumer.  The airline industry got the bailouts and the consumers are getting the shaft

[jksobonya]

I think there's time to use the money. Go to Hawaii 😉 Go to Vegas! Travel once in June, once in July, once in August if you have to. I just flew two weekends in a row. You can do it. 

--Jessica

[fredpamm]

sorry but no we can't

[jksobonya]

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@fredpamm wrote:

sorry but no we can't

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Yes you can - you are just choosing not to, and for no good reason. I don't understand this mentality, especially coming from someone who has supposedly flew on Southwest for over 2 decades. Take. The. Trip. And. Use. Your. Funds. 

--Jessica 

[bwallet]

@fredpamm Sorry, but you were able to use the credit, but you chose not to do so. The planes were flying, and many of us were flying on them. You entered into a contract with Southwest that included terms of what happens if you chose to cancel. There were options that made the fares fully refundable, but you decided to buy nonrefundable tickets because they were cheaper. The refund-ability is what you get for the higher cost. Despite the terms of the contract, Southwest extended the usable period of your credit as a sign of good faith given the unusual nature of last year. You really don't have cause for grievance if these generous steps on their part isn't enough. Sorry.

You still have 2.5 months left. As @jksobonya said, take a trip. Go to Hawaii or Seattle or Florida or Mexico. Enjoy the money that you've already spent.

[gsking]

You could fly to Bozeman in 2 days and see Yellowstone.    From my airport it's  $68.... for a last minute flight. 

If you can't find someplace to fly by August,  you're not trying.    I have 8 flights by then. 

[TheMiddleSeat]

You're welcome to send the vouchers to me if you don't want to fly before August.  That's plenty of time to arrange a trip.

--TheMiddleSeat

[dfwskier]

Just to clarify, are you talking about travel funds or vouchers?

Travel funds are your own money and come about a s  result of you doing flight cancellations or changes.

Vouchers are things the airline gives you as a good will gesture.

And all those billions that went to the airline industry were spent on workers salaries. Absent those billions, Southwest would have had to lay off tens of f thousands of employees - and likely over 100 000 in the industry. Southwest did not keep ONE PENNY of that money.

[dfwskier]

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@dfwskier wrote:

Just to clarify, are you talking about travel funds or vouchers?

Travel funds are your own money and come about a s  result of you doing flight cancellations or changes.

Vouchers are things the airline gives you as a good will gesture.

@fredpamm 

 There was a reason I asked the   question. You can convert travel funds to vouchers. 

1) The fee is $100 per travel fund

2) It must be done no sooner than the travel fund expiration date and no later than 6         months from that date.

3) The voucher is good for 6 months

If you have more than one travel fund, you can use up to three of them  to buy a ticket, and then cancel that ticket - turning three $100 fees into one $100 fee.

So you could travel as you are able before the travel funds expire, and then turn the balance into a voucher.

Hope that helps a bit.

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[ghsiehswa]

Can you use travel funds to buy points?  

Also, you're saying we need to convert travel funds to a travel voucher before the funds expire to get the extra 6 months added?