SW Cancellation Refund ??

[MADnNOLA]

I have a flight scheduled on October 16 to MCO. It is a fully refundable flight. I changed the flight, to a lower priced fare, and they put a credit on my account. I then tried to use the credit for a flight in December to MCO.

It said my credit would expire on October 16 and could only be used prior to then for a flight! So I changed my flight to the higher priced flight on October 16 to use my full credit (why let them keep my $$). It again is a fully refundable flight.

My question. Should I try to cancel the flight all together and wait a couple of days, then rebook the cheaper flight in October and then try to do the same in December or will they require me to use the credit by October?

I always thought that a cancellation credit with SW was good for travel for a year.

I am trying to work out a quick Disney weekend in December and this would be the key!

Thanks!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

On nonrefundable fares, credit is good for one year from the date of original purchase, not the date of the flight.

On refundable fares, shouldn't you be getting an actual refund?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Is there a reason you're not calling Southwest for assistance with this? The price difference in a fully refundable fare should be refunded to your original form of payment, not credited to your Southwest account.

The other part of your question, the usage period? Travel funds would need to be used completely within one year of original purchase.

 

[MADnNOLA]

On nonrefundable fares, credit is good for one year from the date of original purchase, not the date of the flight.

On refundable fares, shouldn't you be getting an actual refund?

Is there a reason you're not calling Southwest for assistance with this? The price difference in a fully refundable fare should be refunded to your original form of payment, not credited to your Southwest account.

The other part of your question, the usage period? Travel funds would need to be used completely within one year of original purchase.

To be more clear, and I forgot to mention, I paid with a gift card. So they would not refund to the GC.

My original flight purchase was in June, so I am using it long before it would expire.

 

[DebbieB]

Did your original flight purchase include a credit from an another flight? If so, the expiration date becomes the expiration date of the earliest credit.

 

[kaytieeldr]

To be more clear, and I forgot to mention, I paid with a gift card. So they would not refund to the GC.

My original flight purchase was in June, so I am using it long before it would expire.

So, again, is there a reason you're not calling Southwest for assistance? Most posters here don't purchase refundable fares on that airline (couple of business travelers might) or pay for airfare with a gift card - although if you have the GC, the funds should be reapplied to it.

 

[MADnNOLA]

So, again, is there a reason you're not calling Southwest for assistance? Most posters here don't purchase refundable fares on that airline (couple of business travelers might) or pay for airfare with a gift card - although if you have the GC, the funds should be reapplied to it.

I thought someone might have hit this same issue, and thought I would put it out there before calling SW. Obviously I am wrong from the responses I am getting.

 

[bumbershoot]

So I actually looked it up, and even though it made no sense to me, their giftcard T&C says:

A southwestgiftcard redeemed for travel is not refundable. If travel is not taken, the funds will be held as travel funds with an expiration date. If applied with any other accepted form(s) of payment, the earliest expiration date of all forms of payment applies.
For any additional questions, call 214-932-0333.

That's just ugly of them, IMO. Sounds like you knew it already (you did say it couldn't be refunded to your GC!) so you're one ahead of the game already.


But if you bought the ticket this June for this October, you cancelled October and are trying to book this December, then it seems something has gone awry. If you were booking NEXT December, or next October, then it makes sense b/c the funds would expire in June of 2014. I would definitely call at this point.

 

[Tara]

So I actually looked it up, and even though it made no sense to me, their giftcard T&C says:



That's just ugly of them, IMO. Sounds like you knew it already (you did say it couldn't be refunded to your GC!) so you're one ahead of the game already.


But if you bought the ticket this June for this October, you cancelled October and are trying to book this June, then it seems something has gone awry. If you were booking NEXT December, or next October, then it makes sense b/c the funds would expire in June of 2014. I would definitely call at this point.

Wow, I'm glad I read this because I had NO IDEA that was their gift card policy! I agree, that's a sucky policy. It's a gift card, so they already have their money. Penalizing the gift card user with a credit that is time bound is harsh.

 

[MADnNOLA]

So I actually looked it up, and even though it made no sense to me, their giftcard T&C says:



That's just ugly of them, IMO. Sounds like you knew it already (you did say it couldn't be refunded to your GC!) so you're one ahead of the game already.


But if you bought the ticket this June for this October, you cancelled October and are trying to book this December, then it seems something has gone awry. If you were booking NEXT December, or next October, then it makes sense b/c the funds would expire in June of 2014. I would definitely call at this point.

This is what I found out: Because I used a GC, the expiration of the credit was the same dates as the original flight date (Oct 16th). It is NOT based on the date of the original purchase.

So this means I would have to book a flight prior to Oct 16th to use the credit.

I changed my flight back to an earlier flight, more expensive ticket (business class) to use the complete credit and get the perks of first group boarding, free cocktail, etc.

But now I know they do have a sucky policy when it comes to GC refunds!

 

[bumbershoot]

This is what I found out: Because I used a GC, the expiration of the credit was the same dates as the original flight date (Oct 16th). It is NOT based on the date of the original purchase.

Wow, you have taught us all something that's really good to know! I'm not sure it spelled that out in the T&C. Wowzers. I am so sorry.

 

[ironz]

Wow, you have taught us all something that's really good to know! I'm not sure it spelled that out in the T&C. Wowzers. I am so sorry.

Agreed.