Possible Southwest refund trick?

[traveler9]

I have a flight booked to MCO for next year but I'm looking to drive down instead now. Southwest is still selling tickets for flights on Wednesday when Hurricane Milton will be coming. MCO has already announced they will be closing then so the flights will almost certainly be cancelled.

What would happen if I changed the flight to be Wednesday morning/afternoon and then requested a refund when the inevitable cancellation happens? Would this work to get a refund?

 

[Mle8308]

Maybe, but remember karma.

 

[TinkAgainU]

I have a flight booked to MCO for next year but I'm looking to drive down instead now. Southwest is still selling tickets for flights on Wednesday when Hurricane Milton will be coming. MCO has already announced they will be closing then so the flights will almost certainly be cancelled.

What would happen if I changed the flight to be Wednesday morning/afternoon and then requested a refund when the inevitable cancellation happens? Would this work to get a refund?

You mean you're hoping for a cash refund instead of a credit towards future flights? They have been generous when the error was their fault (don't EVEN ask about my Christmas trip last year on SWA lol), but this is a well known storm which is not their "fault." Plus, yes, Karma (or just guilt since you're likely a decent person) for booking a seat during an evacuation that you never planned to use

 

[_19disnA]

I think the airlines are wise to that trick and usually specify limitations on when you purchased the ticket. Knowing an airport will close and trying to buy a flight to gain some advantage probably isn't permitted. Many airlines will also only refund your ticket price as a credit toward future travel.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

Aren't you usually refunded in the method that you paid? In this case, you would be paying in a credit (from the original flight to the new flight on Wed.) so you would most likely just be refunded in the form of a credit since that is how you will have paid for the flight so you'll be in the exact same spot as just canceling the original trip and taking the credit. Southwest will covert a canceled flight to credit, you're not out the money.

 

[_19disnA]

Sounded like the OP was trying to take advantage of the storm related refund policy to get a refund on an unrelated future nonrefundable ticket that wouldn't have normally been possible.

 

[mikehn]

Life changes on a dime. Why would anyone buy nonrefundable airfare a year out

 

[_19disnA]

Nonrefundable tickets are cheaper. Likely that is one reason people buy them.

 

[sam_gordon]

Life changes on a dime. Why would anyone buy nonrefundable airfare a year out

Well,they said "next year", which could be January. Also, doesn't SW limit their bookings to the next 6(?) months?

And yes, I've never purchased refundable fares for personal travel, and yes, have booked anywhere from 6-11 months out.

Using the mantra "life changes on a dime", you shouldn't book until you're at the airport the day of travel.

 

[georgina]

Southwest is quite generous when you cancel a flight, you get a credit that doesn’t expire, but if it was the cheapest fare, the credit is good only for the person on the reservation.

There are ways around that, if you use that credit to book a higher level flight that gives a transferable credit, and then cancel that one.

 

[sam_gordon]

Southwest is quite generous when you cancel a flight, you get a credit that doesn’t expire, but if it was the cheapest fare, the credit is good only for the person on the reservation.

There are ways around that, if you use that credit to book a higher level flight that gives a transferable credit, and then cancel that one.

I thought SW credit expired 1 year after original booking date. Has that changed?

 

[EACarlson]

I thought SW credit expired 1 year after original booking date. Has that changed?

Yes, about three years ago. It was supposed to be a pandemic change, but it was kept permanently.