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Trying to not lose $ due to multiple Covid travel changes

Sly9377
Explorer C

Question for the group, we had to rebook flights purchased May 2020 due to our Oct 2020 cruise being cancelled. We rebooked flights in August for March 2021 (wishful thinking). Now that March is cancelled we are praying for May (again, I know wishful thinking), but are being told our credit is only good until the day before we would come home. Would our rebooking in August qualify us for an extension? We currently have $432 in issued tickets and $200 in credit due to the rate being lower. Our major concern is if we don't go in May and need to put off till October will we lose the $632 they currently hold from us. If the travel industry is still in the handbasket in October, what can we do so we do not forfeit this money?

 

Thank you for any assistance/advise you can give me on this!

7 REPLIES 7

Re: Trying to not lose $ due to multiple Covid travel changes

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

From you message it appears your current travel fund expiration date is May 2021.  Unfortunately, at this point there's no way to extend that date out further.  Southwest did offer an extension in 2020, but since you had travel booked at that point you were not able to extend your fund expiration date out.  I'm in the same boat with some funds related to a Christmas trip I cancelled at the last minute, my funds expire in February.

 

You mentioned the funds expire right before you are set to return so you could at least use some of the funds to book the outbound flight (book as a one-way ticket).  Any funds that you can't use by the expiration can be extended for 6 months after they expire.  You will need to contact Southwest Customer Relations to request the reinstatement of expired travel funds as a LUV voucher.  The value of each travel fund will be reduced by $100 each so combine any funds that are for the same passenger before they expire.  You will then have 6 months from conversion date to use the vouchers.  Since you have to wait until after expiration to do this it does not help you book the flight that's right after the expiration unless you are willing to book at the last minute, while you are on vacation (probably not the best idea).

 

Contact Customer Relations 

 

Sorry I don't have better news for you,

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Trying to not lose $ due to multiple Covid travel changes

dfwskier
Aviator A

In addition to what the middleseat said, DO NOT CANCEL YOUR FLIGHT if you haven't already done so. Al airlines are still changing / cancelling lots of flights. If that happens to you, then you would potentially be eligible for a refund. You can cancel as late as 10 minutes before flight time (I wouldn't   wait that long though) and still retain the full value of the tickets as travel funds.

 

Also, you said your tickets are worth $632 but they expire the day before the outbound return portion  of a May trip.

You might be better off cashing them in after expiration for $432 (after the $100 fees) than using your TF on the outbound leg and then losing half of $632due to TF expiration date. and having to buy your return flight, too. 

Re: Trying to not lose $ due to multiple Covid travel changes

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@Sly9377 wrote:

Question for the group, we had to rebook flights purchased May 2020 due to our Oct 2020 cruise being cancelled. We rebooked flights in August for March 2021 (wishful thinking). Now that March is cancelled we are praying for May (again, I know wishful thinking), but are being told our credit is only good until the day before we would come home. Would our rebooking in August qualify us for an extension? We currently have $432 in issued tickets and $200 in credit due to the rate being lower. Our major concern is if we don't go in May and need to put off till October will we lose the $632 they currently hold from us. If the travel industry is still in the handbasket in October, what can we do so we do not forfeit this money?

 

Thank you for any assistance/advise you can give me on this!


 

When did you most recently cancel? If it was after September 7, 2020, you unfortunately wouldn't qualify for any extensions. If so, the advice noted above is your best bet.

Re: Trying to not lose $ due to multiple Covid travel changes

Sly9377
Explorer C

I haven't cancelled. I had to rebook my flights to March 2021 in August 2020 which gave us a current credit of $221 and $411 in issued tickets; all stating a 05/28/2021 expiration date.

 

I am trying to figure out the best option when I am not even sure our May trip will be a go, then our next option is October. If we decide to just let the full $632 expire and reinstate the $432, if we do not use all the $ by the end of the 6 month, we just lose it right? 

 

Just so frustrating with everything being so up in the air 😞

 

Thank you everyone for your help.

Re: Trying to not lose $ due to multiple Covid travel changes

dfwskier
Aviator A

@Sly9377 wrote:

I haven't cancelled. I had to rebook my flights to March 2021 in August 2020 which gave us a current credit of $221 and $411 in issued tickets; all stating a 05/28/2021 expiration date.

 

I am trying to figure out the best option when I am not even sure our May trip will be a go, then our next option is October. If we decide to just let the full $632 expire and reinstate the $432, if we do not use all the $ by the end of the 6 month, we just lose it right? 

 

 Yes, you are correct. You would lose the value of the voucher that replacesr the travel fund if the voucher is not used within 6 months of the voucher issue date,

 

As I mentioned earlier, you r best option is probably to not cancel and see if the airline changes or cancels your flight which would potentially entitle you to a refund.


 

Re: Trying to not lose $ due to multiple Covid travel changes

Sly9377
Explorer C

That is what I am leaning toward, when they switched our arrival flight last month I should have just cancelled. Thanks again!

Re: Trying to not lose $ due to multiple Covid travel changes

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@dfwskier wrote:

@Sly9377 wrote:

I haven't cancelled. I had to rebook my flights to March 2021 in August 2020 which gave us a current credit of $221 and $411 in issued tickets; all stating a 05/28/2021 expiration date.

 

I am trying to figure out the best option when I am not even sure our May trip will be a go, then our next option is October. If we decide to just let the full $632 expire and reinstate the $432, if we do not use all the $ by the end of the 6 month, we just lose it right? 

 

 Yes, you are correct. You would lose the value of the voucher that replacesr the travel fund if the voucher is not used within 6 months of the voucher issue date,

 

As I mentioned earlier, you r best option is probably to not cancel and see if the airline changes or cancels your flight which would potentially entitle you to a refund.


 


I'm not sure that would be helpful though. If Southwest cancels a flight that was booked using a Voucher or Travel Funds, the "refund" is made in the form of Travel Funds. Given all the policy changes of the last several months, I have no idea what the expiration of those Travel Funds would be, but it's most likely it would be no different than if the passenger cancelled the flight themselves.