Southwest Buy Now, RR Later?

[10_Kyle_10]

Does anyone know if you can buy your plane tickets now on a Credit Card and before the trip get refunded/apply RR ?

 

[Disneycouple99]

Does anyone know if you can buy your plane tickets now on a Credit Card and before the trip get refunded/apply RR ?

You will be given a voucher for the price of the air fare that would need to be used with in a year of purchase if you use a credit card.

If you use RR to book a flight, points go back into your account with no experation if you change anything resulting in a credit.

 

[mek17]

Does anyone know if you can buy your plane tickets now on a Credit Card and before the trip get refunded/apply RR ?

Additionally, you will not be able to apply RR points to a previously-paid-for reservation, and get a refund of the full (or partial) cash payment. You would need to cancel the cash reservation and make a new one using points at the then-current fares.

As previously pointed out, you would receive a credit (called TTF or ticketless travel funds) that would have to be used by the person named on the original ticket, even if a minor, within one year of the original date of purchase. (Unless you buy an "Anytime" or "Business Select" fare, which are fully refundable.)

I assume you have some RR points but not enough for your entire party, and you want to go ahead and lock in fares. My recommendation would be to buy what you can with point right now for the person(s) less likely to travel via Southwest again in the next year. Then buy airfare in cash right now for the person(s) more likely to travel via Southwest again in the next year. Then, if and when you get more RR points, you can cancel the cash reservations and book points reservations for those persons.

Final tip: when booking on Southwest, I recommend booking each person's trips individually, as one way flights. It does not cost any more to do it this way, and it really doesn't take that much more time to do. However, when it comes to making changes later, it makes it much easier. Simple one ways with one person on them can be easily changed online. More complex reservations require you to call in, wait on hold, explain what you want to do to the agent, risk the fare you want disappearing, etc.

 

[Tara]

Final tip: when booking on Southwest, I recommend booking each person's trips individually, as one way flights. It does not cost any more to do it this way, and it really doesn't take that much more time to do. However, when it comes to making changes later, it makes it much easier. Simple one ways with one person on them can be easily changed online. More complex reservations require you to call in, wait on hold, explain what you want to do to the agent, risk the fare you want disappearing, etc.

I disagree with this to some extent. Yes, sometimes it's easier to book everyone as one way not round trip because that makes it a little easier to book DING fares if available. However, it can be a big hassle if you book each person individually because then you are checking each person in individually...and likely will end up with scattered boarding numbers. The odds that you'll have to change one individual's flight are not that good I'd think...the odds that your flight there or your flight home might go down and you'd want to rebook for credit are much better.

 

[mek17]

I disagree with this to some extent. Yes, sometimes it's easier to book everyone as one way not round trip because that makes it a little easier to book DING fares if available. However, it can be a big hassle if you book each person individually because then you are checking each person in individually...and likely will end up with scattered boarding numbers. The odds that you'll have to change one individual's flight are not that good I'd think...the odds that your flight there or your flight home might go down and you'd want to rebook for credit are much better.

Good point on boarding order. Although in my experience I am generally able to get my party of 6 all checked in consecutively.

As for rebooking the entire group, I have run into issues when trying to change an itinerary with more than one passenger. Hence my preferred approach of booking everyone their own separate one ways. I'd personally rather go through the individual bookings/changes online than call in when I want to rebook at a lower fare, or change to a different flight. But that is just my preference.

 

[10_Kyle_10]

Thank you for everyone's responses