How dificult to change Southwest if fares have dropped?

[patsal]

Is this difficult to do, my fares have dropped by about 40%, and I have a large group--total there are 9 flights purchased, of course it is broken up on each family's own itinerary and cc #. Anyone know the procedure?

 

[JustineMarie]

You would have to cancel each fight and then rebook at the new rate. You can do it all online. Once you cancel they will give you ticketless travel funds that are under the same confirmation number as your original tickets were. You then rebook under the new rates and apply the ticketless travel funds to the new tickets. The funds that you don't use can be used towards another flight within one year from original purchase. I have heard of people being able to get the amount refunded to the credit cards but i have never done it myself. HTH

 

[helenk]

You should not have to cancel the flights, when I changed my flight for my cruise last year, I just changed my flights.
On the SW website go to the travel center at the top of the page and click on that, from there locate the Change Air Reservation, click on this it will ask for your confirmation # and the name on the credit card, from there you can change your flight times etc.
Once you make the change and if the flights are cheaper you will be issued a credit to be used on a future flight. The credit must be used within a year of the date that the original flight was booked.

 

[ladyariadne]

Call Southwest with your reservation number. I did that this morning. If the flight is not sold out of the cheaper tickets, they will change the fare for you. My flight was sold out so they couldn't do anything for me. Good luck.

Elizabeth

 

[lawgs]

pastal

there may not be 9 fares available at the "new" rate you are looking at

the advice to call would be best, rather than cancelling and then finding out the fare is available for only 2 or 3

 

[patsal]

I was kind of thinking it best to make the phone call. No one else but me knows that there has been a fare change--no one I'm going with would care about it anyway! I wouldn't mind saving the $$ if I could and thought it might be a treat for others as well--though the more I do the less I feel like they care! I guess my saving is why I get to go so often and they only get to go occasionally?

 

[vossjemi]

You could do it all online like a poster above said with the change your reservation function. Then you have the credit. Even if all 9 tickets can't get the cheap rate, I'd try it for as many as I could. Then, I'd call SWA's long distance # and see if they'll agree to refund your cc the difference. I did that twice and both times they reimbursed me.

 

[patsal]

Well thanks to all the help I got here I was able to easily rebook all nine flights for a total savings of $270.00 in SW credit--we are not frequent flyers so I wrote them a letter requesting that they credit the money to our credit cards--three different letters. Maybe I'll get it, maybe I won't but at least I tried! I can always use a good excuse to travel!
Sally

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Did you call SW or use the online function?

Also, if you want to switch to a Ding fare, I assume you have to book that online? I just feel like this all gets very tricky!

 

[vossjemi]

I'd call their long distance # on their website and pick the option for refunds and just ask! It couldn't hurt! I did it twice after getting cheaper fares for the exact same trip!

 

[patsal]

I just used the website and point and click--thanks to the advise I rec'd here! I sent the letters and fwiw--while I have all the information for each of the families that are travelling, I just couldn't bring myself to make three calls with three separate sets of credit information. If I had done it for myself I would have felt guilty--could hear my mother in my mind with well why didn't you do mine! Mailing out three letters seemed like I made the effort, but didnt' make me feel bad for 1. not calling in each extended family membr, 2. attempting to impersonate each of them with CC info on the phone. It is one thing to book stuff with their cc while I'm on the computer with them present, another to make changes/request w/o them present.