Pays to "reprice" Southwest Tickets..Pays to Check!!

[SouthFayetteFan]

If you run into an issue with more than 4 credits you can buy a "fake flight" to combine credits. Flights like PIT-BWI or LAX-LAS can be as cheap as $30 or $40. Buy one of those flights with your smaller credits to combine them into one credit, then cancel the flight. Now you can buy the flight you wanted and use all your credits.

 

[Minniekins]

Ah, now that's a good idea!

 

[elaine amj]

One thing I have found out when dealing with price drops with reward flights. AVOID changing your flight. I did that a while back and when I tried to cancel the flight, it insisted on refunding my taxes&fees ($100+ since this was a flight to Jamaica) as a travel credit. I had to call and jump through a bunch of hoops to get it refunded to my credit card. Agent told me the system has a hard time processing refunds after the flight has been changed.

Best to stick to my normal system of booking my new flight, then cancelling my old one. This makes sure I have a seat (usually same flight, just lower points) and it ensures refunds of taxes process smoothly to my CC.

It's separate credits on the same confirmation number.

When you plug in that confirmation number when applying travel funds to a new purchase, you may not be able to apply all that's been accrued, because they aren't treated as a lump sum.

If you're also using a credit card for your new purchase, that takes up one form of payment out of four, leaving you three "slots" to apply entries from your travel funds.

would it work if you buy your outbound and return separately?

I always buy my outbound and return separately because it is easier when dealing with price drops.

If you run into an issue with more than 4 credits you can buy a "fake flight" to combine credits. Flights like PIT-BWI or LAX-LAS can be as cheap as $30 or $40. Buy one of those flights with your smaller credits to combine them into one credit, then cancel the flight. Now you can buy the flight you wanted and use all your credits.

Great idea.

 

[jerseygal]

Yay! Another price drop!

 

[pooch]

My in bound dropped 1300 points

 

[jerseygal]

Not bad! LOVE the price drops using reward points!
Pays to watch!

 

[Minniekins]

Not bad! LOVE the price drops using reward points!
Pays to watch!

Wow, that's worth stalking SW for those 4500 pts, it definitely pays!

I've been faithfully stalking, but our flights both just went up about $30 each! Oh well, will keep watching just in case!

 

[jcarwash]

would it work if you buy your outbound and return separately?

I always buy my outbound and return separately because it is easier when dealing with price drops.

As you say, buying outbound and return on separate itinerary (confirmation) numbers can provide some advantages, because yes, you'd have four payment options per purchase (total of eight) instead of four on a single round-trip purchase.

 

[jerseygal]

Wow, that's worth stalking SW for those 4500 pts, it definitely pays!

I've been faithfully stalking, but our flights both just went up about $30 each! Oh well, will keep watching just in case!

Hey, think of it this way...if you waited to purchase, you would wind up paying $60 more! You WIN!

 

[keishashadow]

If you run into an issue with more than 4 credits you can buy a "fake flight" to combine credits. Flights like PIT-BWI or LAX-LAS can be as cheap as $30 or $40. Buy one of those flights with your smaller credits to combine them into one credit, then cancel the flight. Now you can buy the flight you wanted and use all your credits.

admit to being surprised the loophole hasn't been shut down, yet.

for those new to this concept: remember that all the funds used in this manner will take on the expiry date of the earliest booked flight.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

admit to being surprised the loophole hasn't been shut down, yet.

for those new to this concept: remember that all the funds used in this manner will take on the expiry date of the earliest booked flight.

That's a really good point - you only want to combine credits in this manner when you're ready to buy your flight and know that the expiration date of the earliest credit is useable on the flight you're booking.

Regarding the loophole - you're right, it basically is a loophole. But I don't see Southwest figuring it out, or for that matter having a problem with it. Not many people understand how these credits actually work and all you're really doing is buying a flight with the credits, then "later" cancelling it leaving you with a credit. It just so happens that later is a minute later and using the credit happens immediately when booking the next flight.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Just so you all know, if you have travel funds (not from points) that you know you won't get to use, you can call SWA and get a 6 month extension. It's $75 to do but worth it for larger credits. Also your funds must already be expired when you call. IIRC, you have until 6 months after original expiration date to call for an extension. The extension lasts 6 mos from the date you call for the extension.
The good part is that your funds are then mailed to you in the form of a LUV voucher which is transferrable. You can pool them together to buy 1 ticket.

I did this 1.5 yrs ago and I'm a little fuzzy on whether it's $75 per confirmation # or $75 pp. Maybe someone else who's done this lately can clarify.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I did this 1.5 yrs ago and I'm a little fuzzy on whether it's $75 per confirmation # or $75 pp. Maybe someone else who's done this lately can clarify.

I haven't done it lately but it's been reported on flyertalk by multiple people that it's now $100 to do this. It's also reportedly at the "discretion" of customer service so you could call and get told no. I've never been told no but others say they have. You can't call until after the funds have expired. The fee is per Ticket (Confirmation Number) so if you have multiple funds expiring it's best to consolidate them first. If your fund(s) aren't more than $100 it won't be worth it but if it's more the LUV voucher is great because like you said it's usable by anybody.

 

[Minniekins]

Hey, think of it this way...if you waited to purchase, you would wind up paying $60 more! You WIN!

Haha, funny, I was just telling my DD24 tonight that I was glad we had booked the switch when we did as it was now up another $60 for the two of us! She is glad I stalk, grabbing low fares! I've somehow got a good track record, always getting our trips at their lowest point before they go up and never go back down again, lol! Just very lucky!

Just so you all know, if you have travel funds (not from points) that you know you won't get to use, you can call SWA and get a 6 month extension. It's $75 to do but worth it for larger credits. Also your funds must already be expired when you call. IIRC, you have until 6 months after original expiration date to call for an extension. The extension lasts 6 mos from the date you call for the extension.
The good part is that your funds are then mailed to you in the form of a LUV voucher which is transferrable. You can pool them together to buy 1 ticket.

I did this 1.5 yrs ago and I'm a little fuzzy on whether it's $75 per confirmation # or $75 pp. Maybe someone else who's done this lately can clarify.

Oh, now that's very good info to have for cash credits! I did suggest the 6 month extension earlier but had no confirming info or details. Even if it is $100 charge as another poster noted it might be, if you do consolidate your credits before expiring, then wait a bit before calling, you can push that use time out quite a bit which might fit better with being able to use it! Thanks for sharing!

 

[keishashadow]

That's a really good point - you only want to combine credits in this manner when you're ready to buy your flight and know that the expiration date of the earliest credit is useable on the flight you're booking.

Regarding the loophole - you're right, it basically is a loophole. But I don't see Southwest figuring it out, or for that matter having a problem with it. Not many people understand how these credits actually work and all you're really doing is buying a flight with the credits, then "later" cancelling it leaving you with a credit. It just so happens that later is a minute later and using the credit happens immediately when booking the next flight.

...unless large enough numbers of people start calling SWA asking for guidance on how to accomplish it instead of working it through on their own. At this point the practice is flying under their radar or the bean counters would've shut it down.

If you peruse other travel forums, it's apparent that many frequent travelers aren't quite as discriminating as disboard folk. Many routinely use codes that they may not have the appropriate credentials to utilize. I'm not moralizing by any means, as rental cars are often the one component of a trip where the rates fluctuate wildly and diligence can pay off.

it's really not that difficult to google a code to determine it's origin & determine if they choose to use a dubious code. Unfortunately, when enough people call and ask instead because it is currently producing such a good rateit is often enough to raise the red flag and it disappears. I would hate to see that happen with this SWA loophole.