Southwest RR reservation questions!

[WDW4us2006]

I am about to book a trip using Rapid Rewards points. There are four of us flying, and I have enough for three tickets, and will pay cash for the last one. My questions are:

If I need to reschedule, cancel, etc., can I get credited back with points the same way I would with cash?

If so, then do I have just a year to use the points?

And do those points transfer over to the person whose name is on the ticket, or back to me?

Or do I lose the points?

I have never done this.

Thanks!

 

[BenandMorgsMom]

Hope this is helpful:
I would purchase 3 tickets on your RR miles for your 3 family members. Pay cash for your ticket. Why? Because should you switch or cancel...the RR points will get credited back to your account for the 3 and the cash ticket will issue Travel Funds in your name so you will have one year from date of purchase to reuse. We have made many mistakes in being SW frequent fliers over the years and I think we finally have all angles figured out.
If cash ticket is in say a "child's name" it is issued back to the name for their travel. My husband and I travel many more trips each year than my kids who are in school. This way it is safer and you have control over the travel funds voucher.
If the ticket price drops...check daily as I do...do a ticket change and the RR points are deposited directly back in your account.
Very easy.
Good Luck

 

[leebee]

Hope this is helpful:
I would purchase 3 tickets on your RR miles for your 3 family members. Pay cash for your ticket. Why? Because should you switch or cancel...the RR points will get credited back to your account for the 3 and the cash ticket will issue Travel Funds in your name so you will have one year from date of purchase to reuse. We have made many mistakes in being SW frequent fliers over the years and I think we finally have all angles figured out.
If cash ticket is in say a "child's name" it is issued back to the name for their travel. My husband and I travel many more trips each year than my kids who are in school. This way it is safer and you have control over the travel funds voucher.
If the ticket price drops...check daily as I do...do a ticket change and the RR points are deposited directly back in your account.
Very easy.
Good Luck

ITA with this. RR points that are refunded go back into your account. Money that is refunded is held in the name of the person on the ticket, and can only be used for a ticket for this person within the year.

ALSO... If you have extra points in your RR rewards account after getting the three tickets, look into purchasing additional points for the fourth ticket. We needed three tickets but only had enough for two. I think we paid $100 for 2000 points, which was enough points for the additional ticket. If it's financially feasible, I'd rather do this than pay for the other ticket, so that if I cancel the RR points go back into my account and there's no messing around with cash credit in a specific traveler's name.