SOUTHWEST AIRLINES no longer allowing you to apply funds to another name

[tlh0726]

As of last Friday mad: why didn't they notify anyone) SWA will no longer allow you to apply unused funds, flight credits, ect to anyone other than the original ticket holder.

DH travels for business and we have always used his bump credits, lower fare credits, etc for any future flights (him or anyone that could use them)

Just got off the phone with customer relations. Had a very lengthy "discussion" and they will not make any exceptions.

If anyone does get an exception made, please let the rest of us know so that we can try again as well.

Guess I will be looking for a more fuel efficient vehicle because we will be driving alot more now!

 

[WDWisTheBest]

As of last Friday mad: why didn't they notify anyone) SWA will no longer allow you to apply unused funds, flight credits, ect to anyone other than the original ticket holder.
DH travels for business and we have always used his bump credits, lower fare credits, etc for any future flights (him or anyone that could use them)
Just got off the phone with customer relations. Had a very lengthy "discussion" and they will not make any exceptions.
If anyone does get an exception made, please let the rest of us know so that we can try again as well.
Guess I will be looking for a more fuel efficient vehicle because we will be driving alot more now!

Thanks for the update.

 

[Jaime4004]

I actually did hear about that a while ago, thought it was supposed to start last January... I loved getting those credits when rebooking a lower fare. I used to stalk the SWA website.
But we're driving more also, getting too expensive for 5 of us to fly. Plan on driving in June and Dec. We'll see how it goes!

 

[tlh0726]

I actually did hear about that a while ago, thought it was supposed to start last January... I loved getting those credits when rebooking a lower fare. I used to stalk the SWA website.
But we're driving more also, getting too expensive for 5 of us to fly. Plan on driving in June and Dec. We'll see how it goes!

The online reservation system was "fixed" as of Friday.

 

[StephMK]

Thanks for the update but now I'm completely ticked!!! We chose to give up our great flight times from our home airport a month ago because prices dropped so low at one farther away. We have a $414 credit, which I planned to use to visit family later this year. We even called before we switched to make sure we could use the credit on just one of us. When I researched it, SW had decided not to make the change in JaN & as of April, it could still be used by anyone.

Now it's only about $80 credit pp so not enough to have made it worthwhile to switch. And our home airport would cost us all our credit plus another $300! I don't know why they can't grandfather in that change or at least send an email warning everyone.

I don't have a problem not giving just anyone the credit but if there are 5 of us on the ressie, I don't understand why just one of us can't use it all.

 

[tlh0726]

Thanks for the update but now I'm completely ticked!!! We chose to give up our great flight times from our home airport a month ago because prices dropped so low at one farther away. We have a $414 credit, which I planned to use to visit family later this year. We even called before we switched to make sure we could use the credit on just one of us. When I researched it, SW had decided not to make the change in JaN & as of April, it could still be used by anyone.

Now it's only about $80 credit pp so not enough to have made it worthwhile to switch. And our home airport would cost us all our credit plus another $300! I don't know why they can't grandfather in that change or at least send an email warning everyone.

I don't have a problem not giving just anyone the credit but if there are 5 of us on the ressie, I don't understand why just one of us can't use it all.

Person at customer relations headquarters this morning, said that it was always their policy (in the fine print) and they just allowed an exception. I replied I never talked with anyone, did it completely online. So since SW already allowed me to do this with these funds from this conf #, SW changed the terms that I agreed upon when purchasing, so SW should be abiding by those change of terms and putting the funds into a voucher that can be used by my husband.
I also pointed out that the majority of the funds remaining belong to a 5 and 6year old. I guess they will be flying themselves.
I even asked for her boss, got nowhere other than her taking my information.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

This change in policy was announced last year. IIRC, it was announced in August. It stinks, but they didn't make the change without telling people ahead of time.

 

[StephMK]

This change in policy was announced last year. IIRC, it was announced in August. It stinks, but they didn't make the change without telling people ahead of time.

Yes, they said it was coming but the Jan 28 date they announced did not happen. So no, they did not tell people ahead of time because for the last few months, they have only been saying that the change to the system was put on hold indefinitely. If they could announce it once, why couldn't they put out an updated change date?

 

[tlh0726]

I used funds on feb 16, 2011 that were attached to a ticket in my name to purchase a ticket to fly a friend home on March 4, 2011

 

[kaytieeldr]

Person at customer relations headquarters this morning, said that it was always their policy (in the fine print) and they just allowed an exception. I replied I never talked with anyone, did it completely online. So since SW already allowed me to do this with these funds from this conf #, SW changed the terms that I agreed upon when purchasing, so SW should be abiding by those change of terms and putting the funds into a voucher that can be used by my husband.
I also pointed out that the majority of the funds remaining belong to a 5 and 6year old. I guess they will be flying themselves.
I even asked for her boss, got nowhere other than her taking my information.

But any person you talked to wouldn't have read you (or any passenger or potential passenger) all the fine print. All of any airline's rules, regulations, restrictions, conditions, etc., are readily accessible online for anyone. And aside from five being the minimum age for an unaccompanied minor on Southwest, isn't your 'guess' that your young children would be flying alone a bit hyperbolic? Is there a reason you couldn't each apply your respective $80 credits one the same family trip flight?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yes, they said it was coming but the Jan 28 date they announced did not happen. So no, they did not tell people ahead of time because for the last few months, they have only been saying that the change to the system was put on hold indefinitely. If they could announce it once, why couldn't they put out an updated change date?

But indefinitely doesn't mean permanently. If I had SW credits I would have done something with them by the originally announced date. Not criticizing, just saying. Maybe it would have been nice if they said, "Okay, we fixed the glitch. No more sharing credits effective midnight CST tonight."

They're not in business to be nice or generous. They're in business to make money. An announcement like that would likely have crashed their reservation systems, followed by complaints of, "But I didn't have TIME! The site crashed and the lines were busy! It's not MY fault!". This despite Southwest announcing the change last August...

 

[WicketsMom]

Glad I saw this, I didn't know they were changing their policy. For our Disney trip last year we had booked our airfare, then they announced $39 fares (each way). We cancelled, then rebooked and added two tickets for my parents using the same credit. Were going to go ahead and book our fall flights, then hope for a similar fare sale to do it again.

Not a big deal if I know about it in advance, but it will change the way we purchase our airfare.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't know why they can't grandfather in that change or at least send an email warning everyone.

Well...I booked a couple flights a few months ago and changed things around in March, and while I was doing that, the wording was right there on the website as I was doing things that I wouldn't be able to use funds in someone else's name.

That wording served as the warning to me.

Now...since they hadn't quite flipped the switch on the change, I was able to do it, but the wording was still there, and actually had stopped me (before I saw a post on the Transportation forum that the switch hadn't quite been made yet).

 

[a1tinkfans]

As of last Friday mad: why didn't they notify anyone) SWA will no longer allow you to apply unused funds, flight credits, ect to anyone other than the original ticket holder.

DH travels for business and we have always used his bump credits, lower fare credits, etc for any future flights (him or anyone that could use them)

Just got off the phone with customer relations. Had a very lengthy "discussion" and they will not make any exceptions.

If anyone does get an exception made, please let the rest of us know so that we can try again as well.

Guess I will be looking for a more fuel efficient vehicle because we will be driving alot more now!

Yeah. this was posted on their website and they also sent a note to all their sw rewards members too, reminding us to use them up. sorry!

 

[a1tinkfans]

as a "hint" for future travel, you are actually better booking one way fares thru SW, so at least the credits will be easier when split up KWIM?

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

keep in mind also that you are not allowed to use over a certain number of credits. I had six credits worth $20 each and bought a flight last week thinking I could use my credits and nope..........and even called and talked to a person and nope.........

 

[jls886]

keep in mind also that you are not allowed to use over a certain number of credits. I had six credits worth $20 each and bought a flight last week thinking I could use my credits and nope..........and even called and talked to a person and nope.........

You can use 3 credits per flight. So when I ran into that problem, I booked my roundtrip as 2 one-ways so that I could essentially use 6 credits instead of just 3.

 

[ktkerber]

I think it is absolutely ridiculous that my husband and myself can't use the credits from our minor childrens tickets. We all went on a cruise last year and we have a combined $160 credit. I thought I would use the whole $160 on tickets for my husband and I to go to Vegas. But we can't use the $40 each for each of my minor children on our tickets. That really ticks me off because it is my money that paid for the children's tickets and therefore the credit should really belong to me. I understand why Sw did this but parents should be allowed to use their minor children's credits. They could look at the previous reservation and see we all traveled together for the original reservation.

 

[SandrA9810]

The should allow any person on the original reservation use the remaining credit.

But at the same time, they're about the only ones (well airtran jumped on the bandwagon last year), to allow you credit if there was a difference in flight prices.
And they're about the only ones that allow you to change or cancel a flight without a penalty.

 

[bookgirl]

As of last Friday mad: why didn't they notify anyone) SWA will no longer allow you to apply unused funds, flight credits, ect to anyone other than the original ticket holder.

DH travels for business and we have always used his bump credits, lower fare credits, etc for any future flights (him or anyone that could use them)

Just got off the phone with customer relations. Had a very lengthy "discussion" and they will not make any exceptions.

If anyone does get an exception made, please let the rest of us know so that we can try again as well.

Guess I will be looking for a more fuel efficient vehicle because we will be driving alot more now!

It's been on the website and on my last couple of confirmation/official emails for months.