Sw question for the gurus

[4dizfans]

Any help is appreciated...

I booked a southwest flight last month and now I see they have a special lower rate? UNfortunatley my fare is non refundable but can I get the lower rate and possibly have a credit with southwest? TIA.

 

[DonnaL]

You should be able to....go to the policies section on their website ( I think
that's where the info is) The same thing happened to us in January and I called the 800 SW customer service #. The rep walked me through the process onlline to change the code on the tickets and I ended up with a credit for $120.00 to be used within 12 months of the original ticket purchase date ( which meant I had to use the credit by early December which was when I originally bought the tickets online even though travel didn't happen until January)

 

[MKCP5]

you can do this but you have to cancel your existing reservations and rebook your trip. this can be dicey, but they will give you a credit for the difference

it happened to us but it ended up only being a 40.00 credit and it just wasn't worth all the hassle and possibilty of not getting back on the flights we wanted.

good luck

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I did this in April, and saved a whole bunch! It is a tiny bit of a hassle, like the previous poster said, you have to cancel your existing ressie's first, but you should be able to rebook within a few minutes. I saved hundreds of dollars, so it was VERY worth while!

I too cancelled my old bookings over the phone, and got little help from a rep on how to re-book online (it's a little bit of a silly system, but hey - I want my double rapid rewards credits!)
The only tricky part I found is that you have to enter everything correctly, or the system bumps you out, and you have to start the process all over again ( I hate it when you have to re-enter allyour info!) Now that I know how to do it though, I'd do it again in a heart beat! Three pointers: one, even though you aren't using a credit card to pay for the re-bookings, you have to enter the cardholder address to verify that you are the correct person using the credits. Two: you have to keep track of your Confirmation numbers in order to use the credits! So put them in a safe place. I kept hard copies, and emailed them to myself (with dollar amounts). Three: be certain to read each screen as it pops up. When the credit amounts show up - you still have to click on a little box next to each one - in order to put that credit towards the new ticket.

Good luck!

 

[Allabtprincesses]

You don't even have to call to change it anymore. I called the other day when I noticed that my flight for the end of August had gone down...only $10x2 tickets, but hey, $20 is $20! Anyway, I called and she said you do it right on line. Go to the Travel Center section, as I recall? I was a little nervous doing the whole thing, but in the end, I was credited $20 and my confirmation number stayed the same. Then also sent me a new e-mail. I of course printed everything out as "proof", but from what I can tell I was a smooth, painless procedure. I guess they got sick of the hundreds of people calling to change their ressies and figured this was easier. Of cours you can always call SW, but when I did she just told me about changing it on the website.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

Pam

 

[Allabtprincesses]

I didn't have to cancel my existing ressies. And I got a credit, not a refund.

 

[zurgswife]

Cancel your existing fare online. It might say that credits won't be available immediately....but mine was....I'd give it a try...cancel and rebook with the ding fare..

 

[Forevryoung]

Cancel it online, no hassle and the money was ready immediately for me.

I have NEVER had an issue with Southwest and I have flown with them regularly for the past 3 years

 

[DonnaL]

I didn't have to cancel mine either......I seem to remember the rep telling me to click on changing a reservation and completing a screen showing the new amount charged for the ressie and the system then changes the code and credits you for the difference. The ressie number did not change and then when I used the credit several months later I just had to put the old ressie
number in the system in order to use the credit and I was charged the difference for that second trip.

 

[pirateparrot]

I think the only time you have to cancel and rebook now is if the new lower fare is from the DING program.

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

We didn't have to cancel and rebook either. We just went online and changed the reservations.

I did wonder how it would work with a DING special and it does look like you then need to cancel and rebook.

We also got a credit that will expire in one year which is April 2006 and we are not planning on flying again until May 2006. My husband called and they told him if we call closer to the experation day, they will do a one time extension request for an additional 6 months.

 

[cocowum]

We didn't have to cancel. I called the 1-800 number and she walked me through it. I was able to keep the same flights with a $60 credit for next time.