Southwest change question

[Dan Murfman]

I have a friend who's is going to Orlando in a few weeks. She booked a round trip ticket from Hartford to MCO. She now wants to visit her parents down in Fort Myers. I thought she could cancel her return flight and change to it to a flight from Fort Myers. But when we went to do it online it wouldn't let her change the flight from Orlando to Fort Myers but would let her change Hartford to another airport. We tried calling but the wait on hold was too long and we had to go. She's going to call tomorrow. Is this doable?

 

[aribelle]

Orlando to Fort Myers isn't possible, because the distance is too short. Same way you can't fly from Hartford to Newark/LaGuardia/Philly.

Your friend might consider flying into Ft Myers, visiting with mom, renting a car and driving to Orlando, then returning for a last night with mom before hoping a flight home.

We do the same when the rates for flight/car are cheaper to Tampa (near where MIL lives). We bookend our trip with short visits to her, but when the rates are better in Orlando, we take a long weekend in the middle and go see her, lol.

 

[Dan Murfman]

I worded that wrong. We want to change her return flight. Instead of Orlando to Hartford she wants to change it to Fort Myers to Hartford

 

[DebbieB]

What she may have to do is cancel the return and rebook it with the credit on a separate reservation as a one way.

 

[ibob52]

If she is going to call tomorrow ... I would phrase the question to SWA as ...

Is it possible to *change* my return flight / departure from *Orlando* to *Ft Meyers*

(I would not use the word *Cancel*)

 

[aribelle]

If she is going to call tomorrow ... I would phrase the question to SWA as ...

Is it possible to *change* my return flight / departure from *Orlando* to *Ft Meyers*

(I would not use the word *Cancel*)

Cancel doesn't mean anything to Southwest....no charges for cancelling or changing.

 

[aribelle]

I worded that wrong. We want to change her return flight. Instead of Orlando to Hartford she wants to change it to Fort Myers to Hartford

Not sure then....I was able to look at the schedule for Ft Myers to Hartford on a number of different days in October. You might want to just try online again....maybe something went glitch when she tried.

 

[ibob52]

Cancel doesn't mean anything to Southwest....no charges for cancelling or changing.

Cancel you can loose the EBCI (funds) ... Change you will not.

 

[DebbieB]

What she wants to do is known as an "open jaw", which means returning from a different city than you arrived at. I don't see how SW's online system would allow that other than booking 2 one ways. There's no Multi city option like some airlines have. I would try calling first before messing with it online.

 

[aribelle]

Cancel you can loose the EBCI (funds) ... Change you will not.

Ok, I must have missed where OP said she had the early boarding.

 

[Dan Murfman]

Thanks for all the help! She was able to change with no problem after getting through this morning.