Southwest: any way to salvage expiring credits?

[gkrykewy]

We have about $140 in southwest credits over two confirmation numbers that will expire in about a week. Because of the way the credits break out, southwest views them as three ~$45 mini-credits, each of which would cost $50 to extend (making extension not worthwhile, obviously).

Southwest's fare rules aren't as customer-friendly as I remember them being... the only reason these credits are about to be lost is because of their policy of applying the earliest possible expiration date to tickets purchased with credits and cash. For example, if I buy a $200 ticket and pay for $50 of it with an old credit, the expiration date of that old credit applies to the entire $200.

Anyway, I think I recall people talking here about ways to combine credits in such a circumstance, making for one $50 extension fee rather than three.

Does anyone have any tips? Is there some way I can donate these?

 

[gmeh1]

We have about $140 in southwest credits over two confirmation numbers that will expire in about a week. Because of the way the credits break out, southwest views them as three ~$45 mini-credits, each of which would cost $50 to extend (making extension not worthwhile, obviously).

Southwest's fare rules aren't as customer-friendly as I remember them being... the only reason these credits are about to be lost is because of their policy of applying the earliest possible expiration date to tickets purchased with credits and cash. For example, if I buy a $200 ticket and pay for $50 of it with an old credit, the expiration date of that old credit applies to the entire $200.

Anyway, I think I recall people talking here about ways to combine credits in such a circumstance, making for one $50 extension fee rather than three.

Does anyone have any tips? Is there some way I can donate these?

I would call customer service and speak with them. The rules that apply to credit have not changed at all. It has always been one year from the original date of purchase. The 50.00 extension fee is relatively new within the last few years.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I had some credits expire in January. BEFORE they expired, I booked a flight with 2 of the credits. This combined the 2 credits into one. In my case, they had the same expiration date, both under my name, so this was fine. When you combine them, they both use the closest expiration date. I booked a flight that was just about the same $$ amount, but I forgot that if you cancel in 24 hours, you get any difference credited back anyway, so I need not have worried about finding a flight so close in $$ to my credit total. In any case, now I had one credit, and it expired in Jan.

The way I understand it, I have a year to extend the credit, for $50. (I combined them so I only had to pay one $50 fee). Once extended, you have to use them in 6 months. I want to use mine in late Sept. So I will extend them in about a month. I think you get a LUV voucher type credit? I read it takes a few days to process. And this can only be done once.

 

[gkrykewy]

I had some credits expire in January. BEFORE they expired, I booked a flight with 2 of the credits. This combined the 2 credits into one. In my case, they had the same expiration date, both under my name, so this was fine. When you combine them, they both use the closest expiration date. I booked a flight that was just about the same $$ amount, but I forgot that if you cancel in 24 hours, you get any difference credited back anyway, so I need not have worried about finding a flight so close in $$ to my credit total. In any case, now I had one credit, and it expired in Jan.

The way I understand it, I have a year to extend the credit, for $50. (I combined them so I only had to pay one $50 fee). Once extended, you have to use them in 6 months. I want to use mine in late Sept. So I will extend them in about a month. I think you get a LUV voucher type credit? I read it takes a few days to process. And this can only be done once.

Thanks for the detail! One of our expiring credits has one name (my wife's), and the other has both of us. I only have a single $48 credit under my name, so I guess that's toast. Total under her name across the two credits is $90. So from the sound of it, my best option would be to buy a single fare under her name to combine those credits, cancel it, and then extend that combined credit after it expires for $50. Not sure if it's worth the trouble for $40 net savings. Hmm...

 

[ccgirl]

We have about $140 in southwest credits over two confirmation numbers that will expire in about a week. Because of the way the credits break out, southwest views them as three ~$45 mini-credits, each of which would cost $50 to extend (making extension not worthwhile, obviously).

Southwest's fare rules aren't as customer-friendly as I remember them being... the only reason these credits are about to be lost is because of their policy of applying the earliest possible expiration date to tickets purchased with credits and cash. For example, if I buy a $200 ticket and pay for $50 of it with an old credit, the expiration date of that old credit applies to the entire $200.

Anyway, I think I recall people talking here about ways to combine credits in such a circumstance, making for one $50 extension fee rather than three.

Does anyone have any tips? Is there some way I can donate these?

Are they tied to the same confirmation number? I know I had several $10 credits and they said once they expired I could call and pay $50 to have them extended.

 

[gkrykewy]

Are they tied to the same confirmation number? I know I had several $10 credits and they said once they expired I could call and pay $50 to have them extended.

When I called, they wanted $50 per person per confirmation number, so $150 in my case.