Southwest Airlines Community

@sampler wrote: Have proof on cell phone was not a misdial. Others can think what they wish, but I have said enough on the topic.   Oh, thank you for providing that information. I had asked that a couple of messages ago but your replies ignored it.   That makes your situation much more curiouser. Hopefully you provided the day and date and number dialed when you sent that information to Southwest? ... View more

@MurphreeJA wrote: I am in the same situation. I have a "credit" for nearly $300 due to a cancelation before the Covid thing but now I can't feel safe using it. I've contacted SouthWest several times. I don't expect a refund, I just would like an extension on the expire date of the credit until such time as it's actually safe to fly again. I've been told in other words to buzz off three times now.  The latest one said something to the effect of (paraphrased) "since we offer such great deals with our wanna get away prices we don't feel we need to offer you any customer service no matter what is going on, you shouldn't have been cheap because now we have no intention of doing anything for you. Oh but we value your business. " I have flown SW exclusively for over 20 years, but that will be coming to an end, I'd rather pay more just on principle. It's incredible how stupid the company is acting towards it's customers in a time like this. Does it really cost them anything to extend the expire dates of unused credits? If they think giving me more time to use my $300 credit is too costly, I wonder how much it's going to cost when I and my family and everyone else I warn away from Southwest never fly them again. This is just bad decision making on the part of the company and it will cost them more than they realize. I'm going to file a complaint with my state comptroller this week and any other governing body I can find that will listen. I will warn everyone I meet to avoid Southwest from now on.    Unfortunately, I don't think you'll find the grass greener on any other carrier. They are all doing pretty much the same thing now, which is no longer making accommodations for customers due to new covid-related cancellations. 😞   Sounds like you missed the period when funds were being extended through 2022. That's unfortunate, but you're not the only customer in this position. I'm truthfully surprised (and disappointed) that Southwest isn't making any more accommodations for customers such as yourself, since it's clear that the pandemic is far from over.   You can file any complaints you wish, including with the US DOT, but it's unlikely to make any difference, since Southwest is acting well within their Contract of Carriage (the contract you agree to when buying a non-refundable ticket). If Southwest canceled the flight you are due a full refund, but if you did you are due only travel funds, with limitations and a expiration date.   Your one possible option with Southwest is to reach out to Customer Relations (not the reservation line) after the funds have expired, and request they be reissued as a voucher. You have 6 months from the date of expiration in which to make the request, and if granted the voucher will be good for 6 months, and is usable by anyone (not just the named passenger, as with travel funds). There is a $100 fee for this, which will be deducted from the funds.   Contact Customer Relations      ... View more

It was most likely a misdial.     ... View more

It's probably a good idea for somebody with a respiratory condition such as COPD to avoid unnecessary exposure risks right now. Such as being inside an enclosed container with other people and not wearing a mask.    Personally, I'm taking as few exposure risks as I possibly can these days. ... View more

Reading your message again, I notice now that you say the expiration date of the funds is October 22, 2020.   If your funds were extended to September 7, 2022, then used towards new travel, the expiration should be sometime in late 2021, as they are supposed to take on a new expiration date of one year from when you booked the latest travel (presumably sometime between September 7, 2020 and now).   For funds to actually be extended to September 7, 2022, you would have had to cancel between March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020, but also have not used the funds immediately, as it took at least overnight for the extension to be applied.   If you did use the funds immediately, then they were never actually extended, and so the expiration date is now reverting back to the original one.   The good news is that Southwest is aware of this situation. You'll need to reach out to Customer Relations (not the reservation number) and explain the situation carefully. I recommend contacting them via direct message on Twitter or Facebook.         ... View more

@JoeMinor55 wrote: So more ways than one to skin a cat, as they say?  Next the geniuses at SWA will ban eating or drinking inflight too.  I take an exceptionally long time to eat.  One peanut at a time.  Spaced out just right it can to take, oh, say 2, 3, sometimes 4 hours?  And drinking my big gulp, yes.  That too is quite time consuming. And yes, I will be "actively" eating or drinking.  And guess what?  No mask while eating or drinking.  They can't do a **bleep** thing about it.  Kick and stomp your little liberal feet all you want.  Will always find a way to deal with your ridiculousness.     Ha! Clearly you haven't been paying attention to the news. Southwest (along with other carriers) has literally turned flights around and had passengers removed (and banned) for not keeping their mask in place.   Regardless of the mask "debate," <rolls eyes> I guess I just don't understand why some people feel they don't have to obey the rules that everyone else does.   You're not special. If you can't abide by the published rules, don't fly.         ... View more

@Eagles78 wrote: I purchased two $1,000 gift cards directly from Southwest on the Southwest website using my Chase SW Rapid Rewards Visa.  The registration was on the SW web site. If you look at your RR account today you will see the 5X promotion starting October 1. I am 100% certain I registered for one that was effective in September on the SW website.   It's a good idea to always keep a copy of any promotion you participate in -- save the email, take a screenshot, etc. You might want to check your deleted email folder if you didn't save a copy.   The easiest way to see if you're registered is to click on the "Register Now" link in the email you received. You'll be taken to a page to register, if you click on the Register Now link there and you're already registered, you'll see the following message:   Oops! You are already registered for this promotion. (SW giberish code)   From the email I received on August 3, 2020, here are the terms & conditions of the offer:   Terms and Conditions: To be eligible for this offer, you must register between 8/1/2020 and 9/30/2020 11:59 p.m. ET (the "Promotion Period"). During the Promotion Period, you will earn a total of 5 points for each $1 spent minus returns or refunds, on up to $2,000 in total net purchases each month, directly with Southwest Airlines®, including flight, inflight, Southwest® gift card, Rapid Rewards Points Center, and on Southwest Vacations® packages ("Qualifying Purchases"). That's 3 bonus points on top of the 2 points already earned on Qualifying Purchases made with the Rapid Rewards Priority, Premier, Plus or Employee Credit Cards and 2 bonus points on top of the 3 points already earned on Qualifying Purchases made with a Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card. Qualifying Purchases made on a qualifying Rapid Rewards Credit Card during the Promotion Period are eligible for this offer. You'll earn points on Qualifying Purchases, minus returns or refunds, made with your Rapid Rewards® Credit Card by you or an authorized user of the account. Delays by the merchant, such as shipping, could extend the transaction date beyond the offer period. The bonus points will count towards Companion Pass but will not count towards A-List or A-List Preferred qualification. Please allow up to 8 weeks after the end of the Promotion Period for bonus points to post to your Rapid Rewards account. To qualify for this bonus offer, account must be open and not in default at the time of fulfillment. This bonus offer is non-transferable and applies only to the account of the primary Cardmember referenced in this offer. Chase is not responsible for the provision of, or failure to provide, the stated benefits and services. Bonus points will post directly to your Southwest Rapid Rewards® account and will not appear on your credit card statement. Eligible credit cards: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Employee Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Business Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card.   The Contactless Symbol and Contactless Indicator are trademarks owned by and used with the permission of EMVCo, LLC.   TERMS AND CONDITIONS SOUTHWEST® RAPID REWARDS® PROGRAM INFORMATION The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card is brought to you by Southwest Airlines® and Chase. Southwest Airlines is responsible for the redemption of Rapid Rewards points toward benefits and services. The number of points needed for a particular Southwest® flight is set by Southwest and will vary depending on destination, time, day of travel, demand, fare type, point redemption rate, and other factors, and are subject to change at any time until the booking is confirmed. Rapid Rewards points can only be transferred to the primary Cardmember's Rapid Rewards account. All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply, please visit Southwest.com/rrterms. Southwest reserves the right to amend, suspend, or change the program and/or program rules at any time without notice. Rapid Rewards Members do not acquire property rights in accrued points. The account information in this email is only an estimate for a specific point in time. Please reference your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com® for the most up-to-date information on available points, tier status, including tier qualifying points or flights, and Companion Pass qualifying points or flights.   All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply.   Since the offer says to allow up to 8 weeks from the end of the promotion period (9/30/2020), you'll need to wait until December 1, 2020 before contacting Chase regarding any missing points.       ... View more

@SandraJacobson wrote: I am a dedicated customer, typically fly many times per year. I had to change a flight multiple times due to covid-19. I had to cancel it as we MUST go to NY to help my mother-in-law; as my father-in-law passed away of Covid-19. The original changes allowed for Sep 7, 2022 use. I was NOT informed that this date changed when I cancelled the flight, it was changed to Oct 22, 2020, and we CANNOT travel by then. I am REQUESTING that SouthWest ADHERE to the earlier expiration date of Sep 7, 2022, allow me to book a flight LESS THAN 1 MONTH past the new Expiration date; or allow me to convert to points as is the NEW POLICY.   [Edited to add]: Possibly irrelevant. Skip to the post below this one. 😉   Unfortunately, that's how it works.   When you use any funds that have the extended expiration date of September 7, 2022, those funds then take on a new expiration date of one year from when you make the booking. Southwest spelled this out in emails and also on their website:   When reusing your travel funds with an extended expiration date of September 7, 2022 It’s important to note, while these unused travel funds will be available until September 7, 2022, once the funds are used to make a purchase, the expiration date of the travel funds will then follow our normal ticketing rules and will expire 12 months from the original purchase date. For example: Your original unused travel funds with confirmation number OLD111 expired on March 19, 2020. These unused travel funds were extended to an expiration date of September 7, 2022. You use some of those funds on August 1, 2020 to book new travel in September under confirmation number NEW111. If for some reason you need to cancel this new flight, your unused travel funds associated with confirmation number NEW111 will be valid for 12 months from the booking date which means they will expire August 1, 2021. Any remaining unused travel funds tied to OLD111 will be available through September 7, 2022.   Unfortunately, only funds with a September 7, 2022 expiration date are qualified for conversion into points. ... View more

@frithcer79 wrote: I booked a flight for my step son, but it didn't have me fill out the young traveler form like it did with his first flight. I've had this issue before with his sister, and was able to get it fixed through customer service. However, I've been unable to reach customer service. Is there another way to get the form added to his second flight? Also, is there a cutoff time that a young traveler can fly alone? And is it possible for dad and step-mom to pick them up? This is the first time doing the young traveler, and haven't been able to find these answer OR reach customer service.   You should be able to find all the answers you need here:   Young Travelers   Telephone customer service is still experiencing long hold times, so your best bet to double check that the Young Traveler notation has been made on their itinerary is to reach out via direct message on Twitter or Facebook.  ... View more

@SammieJ17 wrote: @chgoflyer @gdlahood  I got a response!!!    They are issuing us the travel vouchers for the full amount that will expire 4/21! I'm so happy this is finally resolved and relieved we aren't losing all that money.    Thank you all for your help 😁   Ok, excellent! I'm so glad that they were able to do something for you. That's really great news!   Glad I could help! ... View more

I do think those with flights (or expiring travel funds) later in the year haven't really been officially addressed. Many may have initially thought travel would be more feasible now than it actually is, and they demonstrated good faith by holding on to their bookings/funds with the honest hope of actually using them before expiration. Unfortunately, now the ongoing pandemic, and local quarantines, combined with drastic schedule cuts that limit flight choices (especially non-stop) make travel challenging at best. Others, who read between the lines and used the unofficial book/cancel work-around have funds valid until September 7, 2022. The pandemic is far from over, and if Southwest really want's to get things back to normal I suggest they consider addressing their additionally affected customers. Customer goodwill is at a all-time low right now, but that doesn't have to be the case. ... View more

@S3VENo7 wrote: So let me get this strait, I payed for the tickets, it was under my RR account and even though I had canceled before SIP took affect nation wide but would have fell in the first couple weeks of shelter in place.  I find out that the women In flying out here is a hooker and married and I cancel flight.  Never seeing that only the person on original ticket can get a new ticket. I dont want a refund.  I just want to be able to take a trip with my $342.  You all need to please figure something better out.  Maybe only the ticket buyer can get a new ticket.  Someone help please if they know any way to get me my credit thats owed     Airline tickets are non-transferable. Meaning the person named on the ticket is the only person that can fly on it, including any resultant travel funds. That's just how airline travel works.   If the person named on the ticket has a Rapid Rewards account, and their travel funds have a September 7, 2022 expiration date (meaning the flight was canceled during the March 1, 2020 - September 7, 2020 accommodation period) they are eligible to convert the travel funds to Rapid Rewards points, which then could be used to purchase flights for anyone.    Your only other option would be to reach out to Southwest after the funds expire and request reissue as a voucher. If approved, the fee is $100 which will be deducted from the travel funds balance. ... View more

@wjcomment wrote: Replying to TheMiddleSeat   That is misinformation. I have travel funds that are expiring in December 2020 for flights that were cancelled in February due to the surging pandemic. I have checked the status multiple times throughout the year and the Southwest website has perpetually had those travel funds marked explicitly as ineligible for an expiration date extension. I also have friends who have made multiple attempts to extend expiring unusable travel credits during the time that you are advising people that it could have been done, and all such attempts were refused by Southwest.   Unfortunately, you're correct, in that Southwest would not extend the travel funds of customers with situations like yourself.   However, many customers were able to deduce from the published information that there was a work-around. Using funds to book and then cancel a flight during the extension period of March 1, 2020 - September 7, 2020, would generate travel funds with a September 7, 2022 expiration. This was discussed in many threads here, but I'm sorry you were not aware of that.   To be clear, I do think it's wrong that Southwest isn't addressing customers such as yourself. The pandemic is far from over. ... View more

@sampler wrote: Purpose of call was to give the baby's relevant information as a lap infant and NOT to buy a seat for her. The coversation so irregular and confusing was difficult to follow. Spoken to Southwest many times in my life but never in this kind of scenario. Gentleman very convincing but could not really understand, but in hind-sight should have just cut him off. No excuse on my part except trying to hurry to get to chemotherapy appt.  Know can be resolved, but is really messy situation having to go thru these steps.  Just wondered if anyone else has encountered similar situation.   As I posted in your other thread -- double check that the number you called was actually the Southwest number you meant to call, and not a misdial. (Look in your cell phone's call history if possible.)   If it wasn't Southwest, cancelling your card and disputing the charge is absolutely correct.   If it was Southwest, it's possible that the agent was trying to help, but that the poor connection complicated things. Contact Southwest again to make sure your primary reservation(s) are correct, and have them add the lap infant. Due to the recent schedule changes phone agents are overwhelmed right now, so I'd recommend reaching out via the chat function in the app, or direct message via twitter or Facebook. ... View more

Seems like there's some missing details here, but I will point out that some scammers often buy phone numbers that are one digit off of legitimate ones, so that they can capture callers (in much the same way that scammers will register websites that are common misspellings of legitimate ones).   If you called from a cell phone, check that the number you dialed is the correct one.     ... View more

@gdlahood wrote: @SammieJ17 I told you I'd post an update.  I received a response to my email to Customer Relations.  They are issuing me a travel voucher in the amount of my ticket good through April 2021- one year from the "purchase" date of my rebooked ticket.  Much better than an October 2020 expiration of my current credit.  This is exactly the resolution I was hoping for based on how their policy was written and am thrilled that Southwest did not disappoint.  I especially wanted to share this news to give others in the same situation hope - it's definitely worth contacting Customer Relations.  So folks don't have to scroll back to read - my situation was: Purchased a ticket in October 2019 for March 2020 travel.  Canceled that travel due to COVID.  Rebooked a new ticket in April 2020 for this month.  Ended up canceling that trip for un-Covid related reasons but based on their policy hoped that the expiration of my ticket would be based on my "purchase" date of April 2020 but in my account it shows as October 2020.  After contacting Customer Relations, they did honor this time frame and are sending me a travel voucher with an April 2021 expiration.   This is why I appreciate Southwest and will fly with them whenever I have the opportunity!     That's great news! Hopefully the others here will receive similar accommodations.   Just one thing to keep in mind, regarding the differences between travel funds and vouchers: Your voucher can be used to buy travel for anyone (vs only the named passengers on travel funds) but vouchers are only applicable to the air travel portion, not any taxes or fees* (unlike travel funds, which cover everything).   *There is a work-around, of course. You can use the travel funds generated from a cancelled flight that was purchased using a voucher to cover the airfare and taxes. 😉 ... View more

@TheMiddleSeat wrote: Use the chat function in the app... super quick and easy!   --TheMiddleSeat   I'm not sure if maybe Southwest has cut back on the chat function availability, but every time I've checked over the past few days I've received a message that no reps are available.         Another option would be direct message via Twitter or Facebook. ... View more

@millliegirl229 wrote: Received email changing 12/24/2020 flight from non-stop getting in early afternoon to a flight with a stop in Chicago getting in at 9pm, this change is unacceptable for a Christmas Eve day flight. Went to website on computer and phone to change and get error so tried calling and on hold with wait time estimated "over 120 minutes" with recording telling me to go to the website for easy change. Ugh, this is so frustrating!    I always recommend using the chat function in the app (when available), or contacting a rep via Twitter or Facebook direct message if you're unable to make the needed changes online yourself.     ... View more

@Annekg wrote: In the last three days I have had numerous changes to a several flights that I have booked in the near future. Times have changed, nonstop flights are now flights with connections, etc. I’ve been on hold for over an hour and a half to fix one of the flights debating if I should just cancel the other. Does anyone know what’s going on with all these reservation changes? Literally every reservation I have has been modified.    Due to drastically decreased travel demand as a result of the pandemic, Southwest has cut about 40% of their flight schedule. Southwest is losing an average of $17 million every day just keeping it's operations running. And recent staff cuts combined with an overextended rebooking system have created lengthy telephone hold times.   The best way to handle adjustments when flight changes are unacceptable is to make them yourself online. The email notification you received should have contained instructions and a direct link, but if not you can log into your account and select the flights needing attention. You should see a banner that advises, "You may change your trip date/time at no additional cost if you stay inside the restrictions below." As long as you select the same departure and arrival airports, you can choose the best flights for your needs for no increase in fare.   Only if unable to make the needed changes online would you need to call and speak to a representative. I always recommend using the chat function (when available), or contacting a rep via Twitter or Facebook direct message.   Hope this helps.     ... View more

@SWFlyer007 wrote: They sent out blasts over and over again.  Did you procrastinate?     Like many hoping to still travel soon, they rebooked their flights, repeatedly, but never actually cancelled. Meaning that their funds were never extended. ... View more

@SWFlyer007 wrote: Today the funding to keep workers on from the government will end.  As much as I see complaints right now from people on call waiting issues, flight change issues, and so on, I can only imagine what it would be like if we didn't have the full staff that is on duty now.  I want to thank you for holding us together as well as you have in these crazy circumstances that are no fault our yours or SWA.  I just want to say, please, hang in there.  I think the general public is about to find out how important having every SWA team member really is.     Southwest management was able to reduce it's staff by about 28% (nearly 17,000 employees) through voluntary exit or extended unpaid time off packages, so there won't be any furloughs in the immediate future.   No furloughs for Southwest in 2020, thanks to nearly 17K voluntary departures     ... View more

@MDEGHETTO wrote: I fly well over 100,000 miles a year across several airlines.  I understand COVID is challenging for all .... but ... in a short period of time SWA has gone from being the best airline to the worst.  I book my travel well in advance ... I have now had five consecutive flights changed .. The algorithm to rebook is seriously flawed .. there is no consisderation given for when the booking was made or the duration of the flight ... I had one flight changed to where the connection was prior to my scheduled landing .... I have had another flight changed to take off the wrong day and then lay over a night ... this was for what is normally a four hour flight.  Customer service cannot help and frankly I have been hung up on several times when they cannot help  ... What a joke ... When will you stop cancelling flights ????  Once in a while is understandable ... but not when it becomes a norm in how to do business ..  We cannot depend on you any more ... SAD    Unfortunately, the pandemic is far from over, and as Southwest continues to lose on average $17 million every day just keeping their operations running, flight cuts will likely continue until travel demand picks up significantly again. And that's not likely until a vaccine is available and widely adopted by the public. Southwest seems to offer an optimistic schedule months out, that then requires major cuts as it gets closer, when it's clear that load levels don't support it.   I absolutely agree that the automated flight change system is a mess. And the oddly formatted notification emails often add further customer confusion. I think the system is just overloaded, and functioning beyond the scope of it's capabilities. I doubt it was coded with the expectation of such massive schedule cuts -- the most recent was something like 40% of the schedule. Not offering this as an excuse, just an explanation.   I'm sure you already know this, but your best recourse is to make the needed changes yourself online, whenever you can. If not, try the chat function through the app, or reaching out via direct message on Twitter or Facebook. If no flights work for you, remember you can always request a full refund (back to original purchase method).     ... View more

From what I'm seeing on social media and elsewhere online, there are a lot of people who "fell through the cracks."   Some people seemingly thought that the flight changes they made during the extension period would extend their funds to 2022. Unfortunately, that only happened if you cancelled your flight completely, and if you didn't use those funds again until they were actually extended by the system (usually overnight, occasionally 1-2 business days). For example, cancelling and then rebooking the same day is causing the funds to default to the previous pre-extension expiration. (I've been advised that those specific customers can reach out to Customer Relations for assistance, but reports are negative so far.)   I also think a lot of people thought Southwest's covid-19 accommodations would continue past September 7, 2020. We are no where near the end of the pandemic, so it's unfortunate that Southwest has stopped making any accommodations. I personally think it's a bad business move, to not at least address those who rebooked their flights in good faith, some multiple times, and now find they're facing expiration soon.   But that does appear to be the reality. ... View more