Post all SW questions concerns, etc. here...

[Gitelfor]

Sorry if this has been covered... we cancelled an AUG 2020 trip so we have travel funds that will expire in SEP 2022. If we book a trip for this summer with those funds, but then decide to cancel it, do we still have until SEP 2022 to use the funds, or will attempting to use the funds move up the expiration date in some way?

If cancelling a flight booked with extended travel funds which expire in September 2022, the funds will revert to the original expiration date. The funds will lose the extended 2022 expiration date.

 

[Gitelfor]

New - Southwest updates current status for CP and A-List members and starts new 2021 promotion for earning new
CP and A-List for 2021-2022. Refer to link for additional T&C.

• For our current Companion Pass Members who received an extension of their earned Companion Pass benefits through June 30, 2021, we are extending your benefits another six months.* You can now enjoy Companion Pass through December 31, 2021.

*This does not apply to Members who earned a promotional Companion Pass or did not previously receive an extension through June 30, 2021.

We are making it easier for our Rapid Rewards Members to earn tier status and Companion Pass in 2021 by giving each Rapid Rewards Member this boost:

• 15,000 tier qualifying points (TQPs)*
• 25,000 Companion Pass qualifying points (CPQPs)*
• 10 qualifying one-way flight segments towards tier status
• 25 qualifying one-way flights towards Companion Pass

All Rapid Rewards Members with a Rapid Rewards account opened by December 31, 2020 will get this boost toward earning tier status or Companion Pass benefits for 2021-2022. These points will be deposited automatically in your account within a week.

https://www.southwest.com/RRCoronavirusUpdates/

 

[eeyore29]

If cancelling a flight booked with extended travel funds which expire in September 2022, the funds will revert to the original expiration date. The funds will lose the extended 2022 expiration date.

So... we booked in March 2020 for August 2020. If we book today for July 2021 and decide in June 2021 to cancel, we lose all our funds because the original expiration date would’ve been March 2021. If I’m understanding it all correctly, then we shouldn’t book any flights until we’re absolutely sure we’re going to travel...?

 

[Gitelfor]

So... we booked in March 2020 for August 2020. If we book today for July 2021 and decide in June 2021 to cancel, we lose all our funds because the original expiration date would’ve been March 2021. If I’m understanding it all correctly, then we shouldn’t book any flights until we’re absolutely sure we’re going to travel...?

That is pretty much it. Trip booked and cancelled using extended funds will revert to March 2021 expiration date. That's good that you are thinking about it now. Some people got caught and were very upset about losing the extension till 2022 of their funds, even though the terms/conditions were stated by Southwest.

 

[eeyore29]

That is pretty much it. Trip booked and cancelled using extended funds will revert to March 2021 expiration date. That's good that you are thinking about it now. Some people got caught and were very upset about losing the extension till 2022 of their funds, even though the terms/conditions were stated by Southwest.

Thanks for the help!

 

[starry_solo]

I wonder if Southwest will do another travel funds conversion to RR points.

 

[MarBee]

I wonder if Southwest will do another travel funds conversion to RR points.

Fingers crossed that they do!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Fingers crossed that they do!

I was really surprised they didn’t extend the first one or, offer another as soon as it was over. Travel is still very iffy for many so I’m really surprised we haven’t seen SW offer another option for those who cancel flights.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Looks like fares jumped from $83 to &148 one way from mid April thru summer

 

[Tink3815]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. We have not flown for about a year, so we have been wondering about current conditions.

Southwest replies to complaints about experiences similar to yours by asking customers to DM their confirmation numbers, so that an official complaint can be filed. I don’t know if that action goes any further, i.e. with flight’s cabin crew, or if it is just to appease the concerned customer.

I would say that when you are on a flight where someone near you is not wearing a mask, point this out to the flight attendant in a quiet manner so not to start a ruckus. If the flight attendant does nothing or does not enforce the rule, email Southwest, including your conformation number. Or post on the twitter account {do not give conformation number} about the problem and see if Southwest reaches out. If Southwest has the conformation #, they can easily look up the flight and what attendants were working that flight. I would hope that Southwest would be policing these complaints. If they see enough complaints online, they may take this seriously. Wearing a mask is a pain, but it is a rule that Southwest created, so they need to enforce it

 

[hayesdvc]

My Companion Pass expires 12/31/21.

I understand SW is extending these passes.

If this is true, what do I need to know/do to get mine extended?

TIA

 

[elgerber]

My Companion Pass expires 12/31/21.

I understand SW is extending these passes.

If this is true, what do I need to know/do to get mine extended?

TIA

That is the date they are extending them to, so if yours already expires that date it will not be extended further. At least not at the moment.

 

[focusondisney]

My Companion Pass expires 12/31/21.

I understand SW is extending these passes.

If this is true, what do I need to know/do to get mine extended?

TIA

No, they are not extending CPs that expire 12/31/21. They are extending passes that would have expired 12/31/2020. Those were previously extended to 6/30/21. They are now extending them to 12/31/21. To qualify for that your CP had to have already been extended to 6/30.

For everyone else, they are giving you 25,000 points towards a renewal of your CP.

 

[Thumper99]

No, they are not extending CPs that expire 12/31/21. They are extending passes that would have expired 12/31/2020. Those were previously extended to 6/30/21. They are now extending them to 12/31/21. To qualify for that your CP had to have already been extended to 6/30.

For everyone else, they are giving you 25,000 points towards a renewal of your CP.

I’m so confused. I earned a companion pass in February of 2020. So I would normally get the rest of 2020 and all of 2021. So am I correct in that they basically gave everyone a who would have ended 12312020 an extension but screwed those of us who earned it before the pandemic? And now they are giving a whole other year to the 2020 people. How is that fair? Is there anywhere we can complain? What is the 25,000 thing?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I’m so confused. I earned a companion pass in February of 2020. So I would normally get the rest of 2020 and all of 2021. So am I correct in that they basically gave everyone a who would have ended 12312020 an extension but screwed those of us who earned it before the pandemic? And now they are giving a whole other year to the 2020 people. How is that fair? Is there anywhere we can complain? What is the 25,000 thing?

If you earned a companion pass in February of 2020, you were earning a 2021 companion pass. By earning 125,000 points prior to 12/31/2020 you earned a CP good through 12/31/2021. As a courtesy or "bonus" Southwest activates that Companion pass immediately - which of course gives us a nice loophole to exploit and earn a CP for 22-23 months by timing CC applications perfectly. While many of us are able to game the system via CCs and earn the CP early in the prior year, that's not necessarily the intent of the program. I can understand your frustration, but Southwest is really under no obligation to extend 2021 CPs as that benefit truly just kicked in 17 days ago for 2021. (I mean let's be honest, they're under no obligation to do any extensions period, for anybody)

They MIGHT choose to extend 2021 CPs in the future - Southwest is considered by many to be the most customer friendly airline out there and they've done numerous things throughout the pandemic to take care of their customers - BUT I would not count on that extension. The good news is, at least you earned 125k+ points which now never expire due to SW eliminating points expiration, and that should be worth over $1,800 in flights.

Also of note: the people who earned a 2020 Companion Passes basically got 2.5 months out of it and then had the rug pulled out from under them for the remainder of the year. I'm glad to see Southwest taking care of the folks who were most affected by this. Maybe they'll come back for 2021 folks and do something in the future, but I feel like they did the right thing for now for their customers.

RE: "the 25,000 thing" - you should soon see your CP ticker for your 2022 Companion Pass tick up by 25,000 points. (You won't actually get 25k points in your account, just the credit towards the CP). That means to earn a 2022 companion pass you now only need to earn 100k more SW points by the end of this year.

 

[Thumper99]

If you earned a companion pass in February of 2020, you were earning a 2021 companion pass. By earning 125,000 points prior to 12/31/2020 you earned a CP good through 12/31/2021. As a courtesy or "bonus" Southwest activates that Companion pass immediately - which of course gives us a nice loophole to exploit and earn a CP for 22-23 months by timing CC applications perfectly. While many of us are able to game the system via CCs and earn the CP early in the prior year, that's not necessarily the intent of the program. I can understand your frustration, but Southwest is really under no obligation to extend 2021 CPs as that benefit truly just kicked in 17 days ago for 2021. (I mean let's be honest, they're under no obligation to do any extensions period, for anybody)

They MIGHT choose to extend 2021 CPs in the future - Southwest is considered by many to be the most customer friendly airline out there and they've done numerous things throughout the pandemic to take care of their customers - BUT I would not count on that extension. The good news is, at least you earned 125k+ points which now never expire due to SW eliminating points expiration, and that should be worth over $1,800 in flights.

Also of note: the people who earned a 2020 Companion Passes basically got 2.5 months out of it and then had the rug pulled out from under them for the remainder of the year. I'm glad to see Southwest taking care of the folks who were most affected by this. Maybe they'll come back for 2021 folks and do something in the future, but I feel like they did the right thing for now for their customers.

RE: "the 25,000 thing" - you should soon see your CP ticker for your 2022 Companion Pass tick up by 25,000 points. (You won't actually get 25k points in your account, just the credit towards the CP). That means to earn a 2022 companion pass you now only need to earn 100k more SW points by the end of this year.
[/QUOTE
The CP is earned for the current year AND the next year. I have no problem extending the people for 2020 passes. But I wasn’t able to fly either just like them and use my pass that I earned in 2020. And probably well into this year as well as possibly more shutdowns coming. I hope they do the right thing for those of us who earned the CP pass in 2020. Not anyone with the promotional extra points but those of us who earned it legitimately. You are right they don’t have an obligation to but I hope they do.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

I received my companion pass. Should I designate someone now, or wait until I book a flight. I read it takes 21 days for a card to be issued. I'm trying to avoid having to request another card for say a May flight that I book after already having an August flight booked. I know I can change my companion up to three times, but I'm trying to minimize that need. I'm trying to do things wisely. I appreciate the guidance.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I received my companion pass. Should I designate someone now, or wait until I book a flight. I read it takes 21 days for a card to be issued. I'm trying to avoid having to request another card for say a May flight that I book after already having an August flight booked. I know I can change my companion up to three times, but I'm trying to minimize that need. I'm trying to do things wisely. I appreciate the guidance.

You don't need the card to book or fly. I'm not even sure why the send it, I've had at least one companion pass active since 2014 and have never once been asked for the card, haha!

I would wait to designate a companion until you're ready to fly somewhere. Especially if you're unsure of your travel plans or if things could change. You can use those changes up pretty quickly if you make a mistake, or decide to book a sooner trip or any number of other factors.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I received my companion pass. Should I designate someone now, or wait until I book a flight. I read it takes 21 days for a card to be issued. I'm trying to avoid having to request another card for say a May flight that I book after already having an August flight booked. I know I can change my companion up to three times, but I'm trying to minimize that need. I'm trying to do things wisely. I appreciate the guidance.

Oh and I should add that I assume you are “holding” a spot on any flights for your companion with points. If you have extra points this is a good idea - although it seems rare these days that flights sell out early like they did pre-COVID.

 

[Thumper99]

Oh and I should add that I assume you are “holding” a spot on any flights for your companion with points. If you have extra points this is a good idea - although it seems rare these days that flights sell out early like they did pre-COVID.

hmmm I’ve had CP also many years and never have “held” a spot. But I also didn’t switch companions that much. Have companions been rejected because a flight was full? Are you just suggesting this just in case you don’t know who your companions will be?