Southwest flights-how easy to get credit if price drops?

[chefmb]

That's what I need to know. I'm flying in Dec--prices are pretty high--it's $476 for 2! If I book now and the price drops, SW says there are no charges to change and you can get a credit, but HOW do you do it?? Is it easy? We don't fly much, so I'm not very savvy about all this. Thanks for the info.

Also, those who fly a lot, do you think it's too early and prices will go down as we get closer? Ie, should I wait to book???

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We fly often and luv SWA. That may seem high but if that is RT price I would definitely book it. That works out to $119 pp each way. Not setting the world on fire but not getting robbed either. If you're the gambling type you can wait and see if you can find it cheaper but you also may end up paying more. If I can be very flexible with dates/times, I tend to gamble more but usually between work & kids schools schedules, we seem to be less flexible these days so when it's a price I can tolerate, I book it.

It's very easy to change a SWA flight if you see it at a cheaper price. Also if you bought Early Bird Check In, that will carry over to your new flight as well, as long you just change it, not cancel and rebook, as the EBCI is attached to the conf # and that will stay the same with flight changes.

Just look at bottom, center of home page under Customer Service, click on Travel Tools. Then click on Change Reservation.
http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/changeItinerary.html

Just choose the flight you want to change to, even if it's the same as your original flight. It rebooks at the lower price and will tell you how much credit you have. Credits are stored with your conf # and you have 1 yr from original date of purchase to use the credit. You must actually fly within the year, not just buy new flights with the credit. kwim?

Also, you can't use credits to buy EBCI so if you only end up with $10 or $20 credit and thinking of using to buy EBCI, it won't offer you the option. Not sure if you can do it by phone. Would be nice if they did allow it though.

 

[Jestocost]

FWIW, depending on where you are flying from and when in December you are traveling, that might not be a bad fare. Our RT tickets from STL to MCO at Thanksgiving are $400+ each!

Anyhow, it's very easy to change your flights to get a credit. Just go to the SWA site and click "Change Flight" on the upper right hand side of the main page. From there you enter your confirmation number and one passenger's name, and just follow the steps. You'll end up with a credit for the fare difference that's good for travel up to one year from when you book the original tickets.

 

[chefmb]

Thank you so much! Sounds easy enough. I guess I will go ahead and book. I waited a day to book my Disney reservation, and the standard rooms were sold out when I called back (less than 24 hours later!) Cost me an extra $100 because I had to get an upgrade to get the special. I don't want the airfare to go up too!
Thanks again.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

To add to what others have said, do you understand you don't get the credit as a refund? It is money sitting on hold with Southwest to use toward a future flight, that must be completed with one year of the original purchase. If not used within that year, it expires.
And each of the 2 will be individual credits, which can not be combined and used by one of you, and cannot be applied to a flight for someone else (your mother or daughter, for example).
But as others have said, it sounds like a great price for Dec. Sounds really good to me for 2.

 

[granmanh603]

Does anyone know about rebooking using their new point system... If you book with points can you rebook if the point value goes down? thanks

 

[brenda1966]

Yes, it needs to be emphasized that while it is very, very easy to get a credit from southwest when your fare goes down, it is not that easy to use the credit! I think there are many of us here that have had to let credits expire because we couldn't use them or it wasn't in our best interest to use them.

They have to be used one year from your purchase date. And that flight has to occur prior to that one year deadline, so unless you fly regularly, you're not going to be able to use it.
Also, if you use a credit book another flight, that flight purchase is backdated to the date of that credit. Then if something happens and you want a credit for the second flight, it still carries that original date.

I don't know anything about using points.

 

[chefmb]

Thanks again for the replies. I did understand that the credit needed to be used on another flight-wasn't sure if it was a year from purchase date or flight date, so that is cleared up. We were already planning to go to Disney in June with the family, so I'd probably be able to use any credit if I got any. This trip in December is a special one for our anniversary--just DH and me. As soon as DH mentioned that we could take a special trip in Dec if I could get a few days off, I was pricing trips, contacting my principal to ask for approval to take 3 days off, and checking out airfare! I think I'll go ahead and book the flight. Haven't looked yet today--any bets on the price going up since I last looked???

 

[chefmb]

Just booked---Airfare was the same. For 2 from BWI it was $476.80 rt. SW started a new sale today, but there were no sales for these dates. I even added the early check-in for $40 total! My DH will be happy that I did that---he doesn't mind spending the extra money for that kind of stuff, but I hate to do it! I guess I'm just thrifty. My dad used to tease me by saying birds flew by my window chirping, "cheap, cheap.."

 

[Lewisc]

The credits are easy to use the credit. The funds are electronic. You don't have to go to the airport to purchase the ticket. You don't have to call. You can use it for any fare you can book.

You can no longer use the credit for another passenger. You have to fly within a year of your original purchase date.

Your point is partially current. The credits are very easy to use. Some passengers won't by taking a trip in time to use the credit.

People who fly Southwest several times a year won't have an issue using the credit. People who get a large credit may be motivated to use the credit to take an extra trip.

I agree some DIS won't be using their credits. I just lost a $20 credit. Not worth losing any sleep over. I got the credit. Took seconds to do online. No downside.

edited to add

The credits are easy to get. Easy to use. But not everyone will be taking their next flight in time to use the credit. Some people will wind up letting their credits expire.
BE VERY CAREFUL USING A SMALL CREDIT. Unless something has changed the date for any credits resulting from cancelling a flight will be the date of the oldest source of funds used for a flight. Use a $10 to pay for part of a flight and the original expiration date of the credit will be the expiration date of your entire credit if you cancel a flight. Your fare is $300 and use use a $10. Cancel your flight The $290 you just paid will have the same (early) expiration date as the $10 credit.

I don't think his has changed in the last month or so.

Yes, it needs to be emphasized that while it is very, very easy to get a credit from southwest when your fare goes down, it is not that easy to use the credit! I think there are many of us here that have had to let credits expire because we couldn't use them or it wasn't in our best interest to use them.

They have to be used one year from your purchase date. And that flight has to occur prior to that one year deadline, so unless you fly regularly, you're not going to be able to use it.
Also, if you use a credit book another flight, that flight purchase is backdated to the date of that credit. Then if something happens and you want a credit for the second flight, it still carries that original date.

I don't know anything about using points.

 

[spartankid34]

I'm not so sure about the prices dropping as I'm not much of a flyer, but I just recently purchased tickets for 2 one way home from Orlando in August. When I originally booked the tickets, they were 150 each. 2 weeks later the price dropped to 80 each!!! I went right to southwest.com and clicked the change flights button. I entered my reservation, chose my "new" flight, and received a credit! It's simple, and worth it! I kept my same flight, but cheaper

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

The credits are easy to use the credit. The funds are electronic. You don't have to go to the airport to purchase the ticket. You don't have to call. You can use it for any fare you can book.

You can no longer use the credit for another passenger. You have to fly within a year of your original purchase date.

Your point is partially current. The credits are very easy to use. Some passengers won't by taking a trip in time to use the credit.

People who fly Southwest several times a year won't have an issue using the credit. People who get a large credit may be motivated to use the credit to take an extra trip.

I agree some DIS won't be using their credits. I just lost a $20 credit. Not worth losing any sleep over. I got the credit. Took seconds to do online. No downside.

edited to add

The credits are easy to get. Easy to use. But not everyone will be taking their next flight in time to use the credit. Some people will wind up letting their credits expire.
BE VERY CAREFUL USING A SMALL CREDIT. Unless something has changed the date for any credits resulting from cancelling a flight will be the date of the oldest source of funds used for a flight. Use a $10 to pay for part of a flight and the original expiration date of the credit will be the expiration date of your entire credit if you cancel a flight. Your fare is $300 and use use a $10. Cancel your flight The $290 you just paid will have the same (early) expiration date as the $10 credit.

I don't think his has changed in the last month or so.

Anytime I'm am using credits, I book that as a separate reservation, 1 person, 1 way. That way my whole fam of 4 doesn't have an early exp date. I guess now that we can't pool credits, I can't do that but I'd still book as one way and apply the credit to the leg that is least likely to have a price drop. Like our Sun return after Easter week.