Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

business select not refundable?

happyda
Explorer C

I'm wondering if anyone has had a problem with a business select fare not being refundable? I used travel vouchers (received from being bumped on a prior flight) to pay for a small portion of the fare.  Does that make the total fare non refundable?  I was told by a southwest rep that the fare is non refundable.  Still not sure why.  Seems like at the very least, the portion paid that was not a voucher should be refunded.  Please help

7 REPLIES 7

Re: business select not refundable?

elijahbrantley
Aviator A

Huuummmm...

 

I have not experienced this before, but Business Select fares are fully refundable. That is part of the benefit of choose that more expensive fare.  That said, I am not sure how SW would handle the refund of the portion paid with the LUV Voucher. 

 

I looked up the details for LUV Vouchers (below), but refunds are not addressed. The expiration date of the LUV Voucher could present challenges is it is coming up very soon as travel has to be completed by that date.

 

Given this situation, I would reach out to SW again (perhaps via Twitter or FB Messenger or via the SW App chat). Hopefully, a SW employee might be able to offer more insight.

___________________

 

Southwest® LUV Vouchers:

Southwest Airlines accepts Southwest LUV Vouchers for Passenger travel on Southwest Airlines purchased through Southwest Airlines, excluding the Southwest Airlines Group Desk and Southwest Airlines Vacations. Southwest LUV Vouchers may be redeemed at Southwest.com, on the Southwest Airlines Mobile Apps and Mobile Website (only for initial flight booking), through Southwest Airlines Reservations, and at Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter locations. To redeem a Southwest LUV Voucher, purchaser must have a Southwest LUV Voucher number and associated security code.


Southwest LUV Vouchers Terms and Conditions:

Southwest LUV Vouchers and air fare paid with Southwest LUV Vouchers are subject to the applicable incorporated terms, Contract of Carriage, and rules and regulations of Southwest Airlines.

  1. Southwest LUV Vouchers are valid as a form of payment toward future air fare only on Southwest Airlines through Southwest.com, on the Southwest Airlines Mobile Apps and Mobile Website (only for initial flight booking), toll-free Reservations 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792), or at any Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter.
  2. Southwest LUV Vouchers must be redeemed and all travel completed by the expiration date indicated. If applied in conjunction with any other accepted form(s) of payment, the earliest expiration date of all payments applies. Once the voucher is applied to a reservation, it can only be used by the ticketed Passenger. Validity of Southwest LUV Vouchers will not be extended and any unused value will be forfeited upon expiration.
  3. Southwest LUV Vouchers are not redeemable as payment toward Government-imposed segment fees, excise taxes, Passenger Facility Charges, or September 11th Security Fees or as payment toward miscellaneous charges, Southwest Airlines Group tickets, Southwest Airlines Vacations packages, or travel either wholly or in part on other air carriers.
  4. Southwest LUV Vouchers and travel issued in exchange for Southwest LUV Vouchers have no cash value and cannot be exchanged for cash or other monetary consideration. Southwest LUV Vouchers will not be replaced if lost, stolen, or destroyed.
  5. To redeem a Southwest LUV Voucher, purchaser must have a Southwest LUV Voucher number and associated security code. If a balance remains after redemption, please retain this Southwest LUV Voucher number and security code for future use.
  6. Southwest LUV Vouchers are VOID if sold, altered, purchased, brokered, and/or bartered.

 

-A List, Companion Pass holder

Re: business select not refundable?

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@happyda wrote:

I'm wondering if anyone has had a problem with a business select fare not being refundable? I used travel vouchers (received from being bumped on a prior flight) to pay for a small portion of the fare.  Does that make the total fare non refundable?  I was told by a southwest rep that the fare is non refundable.  Still not sure why.  Seems like at the very least, the portion paid that was not a voucher should be refunded.  Please help


 

Unless something has changed recently, how it's supposed to work is that the credit card portion of your Business Select fare is refundable to your credit card, and the Voucher (or Travel Funds) portion becomes Travel Funds, with the associated limitations and expiration.

 

When you cancelled the flight the entire fare was likely converted to Travel Funds. You'll need to speak with someone in Customer Relations (not the regular phone line) to see if they can help. If not, you can write the Refund Department and make the request there.

 

Contact Customer Relations 

 

 

If your reservation is no longer active or you canceled a refundable fare that was converted into Travel Funds and you would like a refund instead:

 

 

  • Write our Refunds Department:
    Southwest Airlines
    Refunds Department
    P.O. Box 36649
    Dallas, Texas 75235-1649

 

 

 

 

In general, because of these system complexities that create refund issues, it's generally not a good idea to used Vouchers or Travel Funds to purchase Business Select or Anytime fares.

 

 

 

 

 

Re: business select not refundable?

happyda
Explorer C

Thank you for the responses.  It seems I used travel funds to pay for the Business select fare, so they just revert back to travel funds.  Unfortunately, I also learned that the expiration of those funds is no longer September 2022, rather May of 2021, as the expiration reverts back to what the old expiration would've been.  We won't be traveling again before May 2021, so looks like I'm out $1200.  Just because its policy doesn't make it fair and ethical.  A hard lesson in reading the fine print.

Re: business select not refundable?

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@happyda wrote:

Thank you for the responses.  It seems I used travel funds to pay for the Business select fare, so they just revert back to travel funds.  Unfortunately, I also learned that the expiration of those funds is no longer September 2022, rather May of 2021, as the expiration reverts back to what the old expiration would've been.  We won't be traveling again before May 2021, so looks like I'm out $1200.  Just because its policy doesn't make it fair and ethical.  A hard lesson in reading the fine print.


 

It is correct that, when applied to any fare -- including refundable ones -- Travel Funds remain Travel Funds when cancelled. (Applying them to a refundable fare won't make them refundable.)

 

If your Travel Funds had been extended to expire September 7, 2022, and you used them to purchase a new flight, when cancelled they should now expire one year from the date you made that new purchase. They should not "revert back to what the old expiration would've been."

 

Did you purchase (using Travel Funds) the Business Select flight in May of last year?

Re: business select not refundable?

happyda
Explorer C

Yes.  I bought in May, rescheduling a cancelled April trip to Disney for June.  Like most, it was my first global pandemic.  I don't know Southwest's financial statements, but I hope they are taking this approach to survive and come out the other side.  Though I think they are missing a golden opportunity to endear themselves more to their customers, instead of alienate.  

Re: business select not refundable?

chgoflyer
Aviator A

As you said, a hard lesson in reading the fine print.

Re: business select not refundable?

gsking
Aviator C

Did you try it on the app?  There might be an option to refund the portion of the fare paid with cash.