Best deal on changeable airline tickets

[DawnM]

My parents want me to come out to the West Coast to visit them this summer with 2 of my kids.

I have been very hesitant to book the airline tickets because of their health issues. Twice in the last year my father has ended up having emergency surgery with complications. My mother's health is even worse. She has several issues that can keep her in bed for days.

They are late 70s/early 80s in age.

Given all of that, I am wondering if there is a way to get changeable airline tickets without spending double the price to purchase them.

Thanks,

Dawn

 

[Granny square]

Buy insurance. Lol pushed enter too soon! I always buy insurance due to the chaos of life in general.

 

[lcbiffle]

We have had to postpone a trip and had no problem rescheduling out flight with southwest.

 

[DawnM]

How does that work if THEY get sick though? I thought insurance was if the traveler can't make it for some reason, not the people being visited.

Buy insurance. Lol pushed enter too soon! I always buy insurance due to the chaos of life in general.

 

[DawnM]

Even with non-changeable flights?

Southwest.com lists non-changeable for $260 r/t and flexible/changeable as almost $900 each.

Why do they sell flexible tickets if the non-changeable ones are flexible?

I guess I am just afraid I will buy them and they wont' be as accommodating when I need it.

We have had to postpone a trip and had no problem rescheduling out flight with southwest.

 

[lurkernj]

I'm not too familiar with the insurance thing, but I'd recommend Southwest.

If you need to change your flights, there are no change fees with them(although you might pay more for the difference in ticket price if the new ticket is more expensive). If you need to cancel, they will give you a credit to use on a future flight (I believe it is within one year of purchase date).

 

[3angelsmom]

SW allows you to reschedule w/o penalty within a certain time frame. I believe you must fly within 3-4 months of your original flight, though. Maybe someone else can chime in with the exact time period. Early bird check in is not refundable, though.

 

[712Alliance]

How does that work if THEY get sick though? I thought insurance was if the traveler can't make it for some reason, not the people being visited.

A good policy will cover cancellation due to anyone in your immediate family getting sick and preventing you from traveling. Travel Guard has excellent coverage.

 

[tjmw2727]

Southwest has no change or cancellation fees vs most other airlines who charge between 75 and 150 per ticket.

So if you simply move your tip by a week all you pay is any difference in fares regardless of what fare class you book.

They have three different fare classes with different benefits in each fare but both Business class and Anytime fares are fully refundable in cash while the Wanna Get Away is fully refundable but you get a credit for travel to use within one year.

I have never had good experience with trip insurance, my MIL broke a leg very close to travel and we had a really hard time getting the insurance company to pay the claim.

Even with non-changeable flights?

Southwest.com lists non-changeable for $260 r/t and flexible/changeable as almost $900 each.

Why do they sell flexible tickets if the non-changeable ones are flexible?

I guess I am just afraid I will buy them and they wont' be as accommodating when I need it.

 

[DawnM]

Thank you. Looks like SW would be my best bet then.

I will look into Travel Guard for insurance as well.

Dawn

 

[Granny square]

A good policy will cover cancellation due to anyone in your immediate family getting sick and preventing you from traveling. Travel Guard has excellent coverage.

Yes.

I have found southwest to be high when flying out west. It might be more cost effective to buy insurance.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thank you. Looks like SW would be my best bet then.

I will look into Travel Guard for insurance as well.

Dawn

You will want to talk to the insurance people to make sure you are getting what you need. Pre existing conditions are generally excluded unless you get special insurance.

If you use southwest you are pretty much covered as long as you can use the credit inside a year from original booking. I've never even thought of the insurance for SW since they are so easy.

and to elaborate on their fare levels... The highest level of ticket is refundable (as in the money goes back to your credit card) while the "getaway" is not, but all are changeable.

 

[ibob52]

SWA does have senior airfare (65+)

I do not know all of the conditions ... IIRC ... fully refundable is applicable.

I suggest you call SWA for info on senior airfare.

 

[Judyat]

Southwest is the best way to go. If you have to cancel a flight you have a credit and a year to use it. And it can all be done online. I don't know of any other airline that doesn't that without charging a big fee. And insurance is costly and a pain.

 

[Judyat]

And just to add I have never found senior fares on Southwest to be any cheaper than "want to get away" fares. In fact they are usually more and don't provide anything special. Not sure why they even offer them. Check out www.southwest.com for current fares. And if they go down you can always rebook and the lower price and have a credit for the rest.

 

[DawnM]

My parents are not the ones traveling, I am with my sons.

SWA does have senior airfare (65+)

I do not know all of the conditions ... IIRC ... fully refundable is applicable.

I suggest you call SWA for info on senior airfare.

 

[platamama]

Almost all the airlines charge $100-$150/ticket change fee in addition to difference in cost of the fare for you to change your mind. SW is the only one I know that doesn't (well, you do have to pay a difference in fare if it's higher), and remains my 1st choice airline because of this. You have 12 months from purchase of the tickets to use the funds you paid for those Wanna-get-away fares (the Anytime and Business Select are fully refundable to you). In addition, I check the website often to see if the flight prices have changed and if they drop, then change my reservation (I book one-way fares instead of round trip to facilitate this) and get back the difference as a credit to use with them within the 12 mo. period starting from when I originally bought the tickets. Helpful if you might travel elsewhere on SW within that 12 mo. timeframe. (Although the onus is on you to keep track of your credits because there won't be any way to look that up. And those funds are assigned to the specific person whose name is on the original tickets, i.e. no swapping.)

I think travel insurance covers only the travelling parties.

 

[eliza61]

We have had to postpone a trip and had no problem rescheduling out flight with southwest.

See I was charged a fee for changing a ticket from South west. My son came home from college and we wanted to change his flight by 2 days so he could go to a interview for a coop over the summer.

Maybe because it wasn't due to weather or illness but they definitely dinged me for 100 buck.

 

[Granny square]

See I was charged a fee for changing a ticket from South west. My son came home from college and we wanted to change his flight by 2 days so he could go to a interview for a coop over the summer.

Maybe because it wasn't due to weather or illness but they definitely dinged me for 100 buck.

Really? Was it under the two week mark?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

See I was charged a fee for changing a ticket from South west. My son came home from college and we wanted to change his flight by 2 days so he could go to a interview for a coop over the summer.

Maybe because it wasn't due to weather or illness but they definitely dinged me for 100 buck.

I think you are confused. You weren't charged a change ticket fee for a WN flight; it is likely you were paying more for the ticket itself. While you aren't changed a fee for ticket changes, you are charged for the price difference in flights.