Ok, so how does this whole changing ressie on SW work if you see a better deal?

[vossjemi]

I live about 3 hours from STL, MCI, and TUL, so it really doesn't matter which airport I fly from, but I would prefer MCI because I have an aunt who lives there I can stay with the night before and keep my car at her house while I'm gone. Well today, as many of you know, SW opened up their schedule and I needed tickets from 9/17-9/24. SW was running a deal out of STL for $99 one way....$216.90RTpp when all taxes, etc.. are added.

Now, although I am happy with that price and I would fly out of STL, if in the next few months I come across a cheaper price or the same/cheaper price out of MCI, exactly how do I change this ressie over to MCI? I do see the cancel ressie button and the change itinerary buttons under Travel Tools. Is that where I do it? And, which way do I do it? Cancel and rebook? Or change?

Also, I was very happy with the flight times I have. In looking at Ding deals and other deals over the past few months, I've seen that many times, the preferred flight times are unavailable. If the price goes cheaper in STL, will I get the cheaper price at the same flight time? If so, how do I do that? Or if my flight time shows as unavailable, does that mean I can't get the cheaper price?

 

[kandmwedding]

I just did this about a month ago, so unless things have changed since then here is what you do:

If you will still be taking the same flight on the same day from the same airport (ie. nothing has changed except the fare) and the new fare is an internet special, you will have to cancel the current reservation and rebook the new reservation. When rebooking you'll see a spot where you can input the confirmation number for any credit you have. This number will be the confirmation number from your first reservation. The leftover amount on the credit is then good for future travel for 12 months since the date of original purchase. Note though, that the travel has to occur in the next 12 months, not simply be booked in the next 12 months.

If you will be changing any of the flight info (day, airport or time) and the new fare is an internet special, you can simply use the change feature to make the changes to you information. You will then have a credit for the difference that like the other example can be used for future travel for 12 months since the original purchase.

If you are changing flight info and the new fare is NOT an internet special, you can make the change online or by calling SW directly. Hope that helps!

 

[vossjemi]

That does! Thank you very much! I was also reading somewhere else about change penalties. Are there any? Or can I just do this and get the credit and have no penalties?

Also, we signed up for RR #s some time ago, which I plugged in to our reservation. However, when I look at my RR account, the ressie is not noted there. Did I do something wrong?

 

[kandmwedding]

That does! Thank you very much! I was also reading somewhere else about change penalties. Are there any? Or can I just do this and get the credit and have no penalties?

Also, we signed up for RR #s some time ago, which I plugged in to our reservation. However, when I look at my RR account, the ressie is not noted there. Did I do something wrong?

I've never been charged a penalty and have done it twice before, so I'm assuming there is no charge to make a change.

As far as RR go... I have them myself, but never get enough points to earn anything so I don't usually pay attention to the account. Maybe they don't credit it to your account until the travel takes place in case you cancel it??

 

[pirateparrot]

Also, we signed up for RR #s some time ago, which I plugged in to our reservation. However, when I look at my RR account, the ressie is not noted there. Did I do something wrong?

That is an issue with SW RR program. If you do not login into your RR account before clicking on reservations, it will not show up under future trips. This also happens with Ding fares because there is no way to login to your account before making the reservation.

As long as you have you RR number on the confirmation there won't be any issue with getting credit but it would be nice to login abd see all of your upcoming flights.

 

[crazywig]

If you will still be taking the same flight on the same day from the same airport (ie. nothing has changed except the fare) and the new fare is an internet special, you will have to cancel the current reservation and rebook the new reservation.

not true! i have changed to a lower fare on the same flights without cancelling. you just go into the change feature and pick the same flights, you will see the lower fare. and you are credited the difference.

 

[vossjemi]

So, are you saying I can keep same flights or change them or even switch airports altogether by the change itinerary feature? And, the credit will stay under the old res #?

 

[kandmwedding]

not true! i have changed to a lower fare on the same flights without cancelling. you just go into the change feature and pick the same flights, you will see the lower fare. and you are credited the difference.

You left out the other half of the sentence... the part about the new fare being an internet special. I've changed the fare before as well, but tried to do it last month (or maybe two months ago) and it wouldn't let me. I called SW 3 days in a row and got the same response - that they no longer allow you to make changes to fares only online, that the ressie needs to be cancelled and rebooked, and that they couldn't help me since it was an internet fare. Maybe something changed since the last time you and I did it?!

 

[kandmwedding]

So, are you saying I can keep same flights or change them or even switch airports altogether by the change itinerary feature? And, the credit will stay under the old res #?

You can definitely change the flights online. My last experience did not allow me to change fares without changing flights online though - I believe you have to cancel and rebook that. I also have a feeling that you can't change airports, but you never know. In any case, you can definitely cancel and rebook and the credit will be under your old ressie number.

 

[lawgs]

we tried to change fare on the same flight we had last month ( to a lower fare ), it would not let us.....but when we changed to a later flight which also was non stop and also at the lower fare it allowed us to do that ONLINE without having to cancel and rebook....exactly as kandmwedding suggests

it looks like you need to change the itinerary somewhat before you can do a fare drop online

 

[vossjemi]

Ok, this is getting more and more confusing. Sounds like if I find a better fare or better airport etc..., I should try to change itinerary, but if it won't let me, I have to cancel and rebook. And as far as anyone knows, there are no fees for doing this?

 

[kandmwedding]

Ok, this is getting more and more confusing. Sounds like if I find a better fare or better airport etc..., I should try to change itinerary, but if it won't let me, I have to cancel and rebook. And as far as anyone knows, there are no fees for doing this?

Yup, you've got it. Try changing it online and if that doesn't work cancel and rebook. I was worried about cancelling and rebooking and it selling out in the minutes between (yeah right, but I'm a worrier) so I called SW. They cancelled over the phone for me and I confirmed my rebooking online at virtually the same time. Then I have the lady I was on the phone with check my new ressie, just to be sure. Everything was just fine!! And, of course, no fees.

 

[crazywig]

I called SW 3 days in a row and got the same response - that they no longer allow you to make changes to fares only online, that the ressie needs to be cancelled and rebooked, and that they couldn't help me since it was an internet fare. Maybe something changed since the last time you and I did it?!

well that STINKS! often one of my flights was unavailable at the lower rate, so i'd just change one flight to the lower price. i hope they can do that for me over the phone as well.

 

[vossjemi]

Woohoo!!! Got a Ding Deal today & saved $165!!!

Sometimes it pays to wait. Guess I should have waited...I booked SW last thurs when their schedule opened up at $216.90pp. Well, today their Ding program had a deal until 7pmCST tonight for my same flight that ended up being $189.40pp. I went ahead and cancelled and rebooked at the cheaper fare. Basically, I went as far as I could in the Ding booking with the exact flights picked, the people and RR#'s listed...all that needed to be done was to list the conf # from the ticketless travel. So, I minimized the window and then went into southwest's website with another window, and cancelled....immediately opened up the Ding window and plugged in the conf # to apply the funds, and voilah! New reservation!!! Since you can't book ding other than through Ding, I had no choice but to cancel and rebook. Thank goodness it worked!

SW automatically refunded $75 in security fees and the remaining $90 sits in an account I have to use within 1 year. I've heard others have called and got refunded the difference, so I might try that tomorrow. But, I am hoping for a short trip next april with my DH for our 15th anniversary so I could use the ticketless travel funds anyway. I'm just glad to get this good of a deal considering how airfare prices have been lately!

 

[laurabelle]

vossjemi - That's a great deal! I wonder if rebooking works the same way if you're originally booked with a Ding fare? So far I haven't seen any fares lower than the Ding I bought, but I'm always looking, and hope I can change it easily if it happens.

 

[vossjemi]

Ok, I did call Southwest today. I called the long distance # as people have suggested (on my cell phone since its free there). They give you 3 options...the refund dept, another one, and customer service. First, I tried the refund dept, and I got a voicemail that said they were all in a meeting and would be gone for several hours and to call customer service. So, I called back and the lady in customer service said this time she'd make a huge exception for me and would credit back my $90 to my CC, but only after the trip is complete. She said she flagged it in her system to notify her when my trip is complete. I thanked her and said I really appreciated it.

Now, I have several questions. Has anyone ever gotten a refund this way? Did they in fact refund you after the trip? Or, did you have to call back and remind someone? Also, I'm curious what happens if I see an even cheaper fare and have to cancel my 2nd res to rebook at the cheaper rate. Will I have to call back to ensure the original $90 still gets credited back? Because if I cancel the 2nd res, I'm not sure her system will in fact notify her that I've taken the trip as it will appear cancelled to her, right? I'm guessing I'm going to have to call back to get it all tied in together if I get a better fare. Anyone have any suggestions here? I mean I don't know that I'll get anything better than what I've got now, but if a $49 deal shows up, you can bet I'll want to jump at it. Thanks.