Southwest Airline credit question

[disneypharm]

Back in Feb 2011, We bought 4 Southwest Airline tickets for our Oct 2011 trip to Orlando. In March 2011, the price of our tickets went down by about $400 for all 4 tickets. We were planning to use the credit for a trip in March 2012, but we decided to cancel the trip for work reasons. Anyway, I understand that this credit should be used within a year, but I have several questions:

Do you have to use the credit by March 2012? Reserve and fly by that date or just reserve by that date?

If only reserve by March 2012, then could we fly in June 2012?

Lets say we made the reservation before March 2012, and got tickets for June 2012, could we reschedule for a later date (eg, Oct 2012) if something comes up? Is there a change fee?
Thank you in advance

 

[DVC-Don]

The flight must be completed one year from the date of the original purchase. There is no change fee. I've read you can extend the date by six months for a $50 fee.

 

[disneypharm]

The flight must be completed one year from the date of the original purchase.

Wow!. That means this Feb 2012! I guess we are loosing our credit!

 

[Marionnette]

Wow!. That means this Feb 2012! I guess we are loosing our credit!

You can pay $50 to extend the credits but I don't know if it is $50 per person or $50 per reservation. I do know that you will not be able to use each other's credits. So if you and your husband/wife/sig. other want to take a trip without the kids, you cannot use the kids' credits to pay for your flight.

 

[disneypharm]

You can pay $50 to extend the credits but I don't know if it is $50 per person or $50 per reservation. I do know that you will not be able to use each other's credits. So if you and your husband/wife/sig. other want to take a trip without the kids, you cannot use the kids' credits to pay for your flight.

Thanks. I think we have about $95 credit per person. To pay $50 per person to save about $45! I am not sure if we want to do that!
I know we have to use our own credit for our tickets. The only person who can probably use the credit before that date is DH.

 

[bookgirl]

Okay this is goofy but if you have a day off, take a mini vacation.

Find somewhere in your imediate fly area (the ones that are 59 dollars a flight). Fly out 1st thing in the morning, pick a local tourist attractions, go have a fun day, take the last flight home. You'll spend about 100 bucks above your credit but have a fun goofy day trip to remember.

Hey you were going to lose it anyway, why not spend a little more and do something out of the ordinary.

 

[MineMail]

Southwest has changed their policies in the last year. We had three tickets to NY for a Feb 2011 flight that was cancelled due to weather. We ended up taking a bus, so SW put a credit on EACH of our accounts.

I was able to apply two of the credit to a single ticket (solo trip for me) a few months later. The system only allowed me to use two of my three credits. I knew I was flying again over the summer, so I didn't think anything of it at the time. When I went to apply the third credit to a new ticket, the system and phone agent wouldn't allow it, saying the credit was only available to the original ticketed passenger.

She's a kid and we didn't have any other plans for her to fly, so I drove to my destination over the summer, but I'm going to lose that credit soon because of the one-year rule. I wouldn't send her on a flight alone (she's scared of flying) and I have no plans to go anywhere together by plane.

Thanks for reminding me - I'm going to write and ask if they can issue a credit in my name, since I can fly solo. I paid for the ticket originally, and that the policy was different when I bought the ticket. Maybe if I ask about disputing the charge with my credit card company, they'll relent, but both of the agents I spoke to refused.


Going back to your original question, you can use the credit when you book the ticket. SW didn't have a change fee last year if you needed to reschedule, but I'm not sure about this year's policies.

 

[disneypharm]

Okay this is goofy but if you have a day off, take a mini vacation.

Find somewhere in your imediate fly area (the ones that are 59 dollars a flight). Fly out 1st thing in the morning, pick a local tourist attractions, go have a fun day, take the last flight home. You'll spend about 100 bucks above your credit but have a fun goofy day trip to remember.

Hey you were going to lose it anyway, why not spend a little more and do something out of the ordinary.

Thanks. That sounds fun. We might do that.

 

[disneypharm]

Southwest has changed their policies since last year. We had three tickets to NY for a flight that was cancelled due to weather. We ended up taking a bus.

I was able to apply two passenger's credit to a single ticket (solo trip for me) a few months later. It only allowed me to use two of my three credits. I knew I was flying again over the summer, so I didn't think anything of it. When I went to apply the third credit to a new ticket, the system and phone agent wouldn't allow it, saying the credit was only available to the original ticketed passenger.

.

Maybe DH can do that. It wouldn't hurt to ask.