Credit for Price Drop

[CT Disney]

Hi Transport-Experts!

Usually when I book a trip on Southwest, I book two one-way fares. This time (for a January 2020 trip) I booked a round-trip because I had $400 in LUV Vouchers and I was looking to keep the transaction simpler. The total cost of the trip was $550, so I paid $400 on the vouchers and I put the remaining $150 on my credit card. My vouchers expire in March 2020.

Since I'm not as familiar with the process when a round-trip fare is involved, I have these questions:

1. If one leg of the trip has a price drop...can I still get Southwest credit for the fare difference (even if the other leg sees a price increase)?

2. If I can take advantage of a price decrease, will they first refund the money to the voucher? (Meaning I'd have to use credited funds to travel by the original voucher expiration date of March 2020)? I am hoping that the first $150 of potential credit will go to a credit with at least a year expiration date since I put an additional $150 on my credit card over and above the LUV voucher amounts.

Hope those questions make sense Thanks!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Yes you can get a refund if only one leg goes down. WHen you do the change option online you will select which leg you want to change. Then proceed to rebook the same flight for the cheaper fare. Now for the bad news. When you combine cash payment with a LUV voucher the money you just applied now takes on the expiration date of the original voucher. So in your case the money ($150) has to be used by March 2020.

If it were me I would have booked the outbound flight as one ticket for 2 people and used the vouchure. Then booked your return flight as two seperate ticket and used the left over vouchure money to buy one ticket , Then used your CC to pay for the 2 one way ticket.
For example. Outbound flight is $125 a person So 2 tickets X $125 = $250 (use $250 dollars of the voucher to pay for this transaction) Return flight prices might have been $150 a person so book them seperately and then used the rest of the vouchure which should have a remaining balance of $150. to pay for one ticket. Then purchase the 2nd return flight with your credit card. That way you avoid the $150 cc payment taking on the expiration date of the Luv vouchure. It remains seperate and does not have the Mar 2020 expiration date. The $150 will have a Sept 2020 expiration date.

 

[CT Disney]

Yes you can get a refund if only one leg goes down. WHen you do the change option online you will select which leg you want to change. Then proceed to rebook the same flight for the cheaper fare. Now for the bad news. When you combine cash payment with a LUV voucher the money you just applied now takes on the expiration date of the original voucher. So in your case the money ($150) has to be used by March 2020.

If it were me I would have booked the outbound flight as one ticket for 2 people and used the vouchure. Then booked your return flight as two seperate ticket and used the left over vouchure money to buy one ticket , Then used your CC to pay for the 2 one way ticket.
For example. Outbound flight is $125 a person So 2 tickets X $125 = $250 (use $250 dollars of the voucher to pay for this transaction) Return flight prices might have been $150 a person so book them seperately and then used the rest of the vouchure which should have a remaining balance of $150. to pay for one ticket. Then purchase the 2nd return flight with your credit card. That way you avoid the $150 cc payment taking on the expiration date of the Luv vouchure. It remains seperate and does not have the Mar 2020 expiration date. The $150 will have a Sept 2020 expiration date.

Thank you so much for the detailed response! Much appreciated!!