SW Ticket Question

[disny_luvr]

Hello!

I have several SW credits to use from a canceled trip this summer. We have rebooked for August, 2021 and are pretty sure this trip is going to happen because we all miss Disney so much and just need to take a trip to our favorite place.

Here’s my question - If I book this flight, and then for some reason we decide not to take the trip, will my credits still be good through 9/7/22 or would they only be good for one year after I purchase the tickets, so 12/30/21? If we don’t travel in August I know we won’t be flying again before the end of next year, and if the credits expire in one year, I may just hold off on booking right now.

TIA!

 

[starry_solo]

Hello!

I have several SW credits to use from a canceled trip this summer. We have rebooked for August, 2021 and are pretty sure this trip is going to happen because we all miss Disney so much and just need to take a trip to our favorite place.

Here’s my question - If I book this flight, and then for some reason we decide not to take the trip, will my credits still be good through 9/7/22 or would they only be good for one year after I purchase the tickets, so 12/30/21? If we don’t travel in August I know we won’t be flying again before the end of next year, and if the credits expire in one year, I may just hold off on booking right now.

TIA!

They will be good for one year from the date of the new purchase, so if purchased today and canceled later, it would expire 12/30/21. So, hold off booking.

That's what I'm doing. I don't have a trip planned until late 2021 so I wasn't planning to book until 2-3 months before. That's when we will know if the cruise will happen and, if it doesn't, then we would modify our trip to have USO in lieu of the cruise and we would fly out sooner...

 

[disny_luvr]

They will be good for one year from the date of the new purchase, so if purchased today and canceled later, it would expire 12/30/21. So, hold off booking.

That's what I'm doing. I don't have a trip planned until late 2021 so I wasn't planning to book until 2-3 months before. That's when we will know if the cruise will happen and, if it doesn't, then we would modify our trip to have USO in lieu of the cruise and we would fly out sooner...

Thank you! I’m so glad I asked. I’m definitely not booking right now. I’ll wait until closer to our travel dates. Thanks again!

 

[starry_solo]

Thank you! I’m so glad I asked. I’m definitely not booking right now. I’ll wait until closer to our travel dates. Thanks again!

You're welcome. That's what I remember seeing the T&C about. I think that's why people converted it into points because then it wouldn't expire.

 

[disny_luvr]

You're welcome. That's what I remember seeing the T&C about. I think that's why people converted it into points because then it wouldn't expire.

That makes total sense.

 

[DebbieB]

.

 

[starry_solo]

@disney_luvr

In the SW thread (the big one), they are saying that the funds will expire one year after the original purchase date for which the funds were created....

 

[KristaZ]

I have a number of Southwest travel funds - some that were booked after the fund converted to the 9/7/22 date. Any flight I've cancelled reverted those funds to the date the cancelled flight was booked. Just as an example - my original flight was for April of last year. That was cancelled and the fund had an expiration of February 2021. It was then converted to the September 2022 date. I then booked another flight in September for December 2020. When I cancelled that flight the fund expiration changed to September 2021.

So, long story short, your fund would expire 1 year from whenever you book the new flight if you cancel.

 

[keishashadow]

Here’s my question - If I book this flight, and then for some reason we decide not to take the trip, will my credits still be good through 9/7/22 or would they only be good for one year after I purchase the tickets, so 12/30/21?

What about travel funds with an extended expiration date of September 7, 2022?
It’s important to note, while these unused travel funds will be available until September 7, 2022, once the funds are used to make a purchase, the expiration date of the travel funds will then follow our normal ticketing rules and will expire 12 months from the original purchase date. Expiration dates of applied funds may result in new ticket(s) expiring earlier than the 12 months from date of purchase.
More frequently asked questions on refunds can be found on Southwest.com

 

[disny_luvr]

Thank you, everyone!

I just want to make sure I’m understanding this correctly. Right now my travel funds are good until September 7, 2022. If I book flights for us on March 6, 2021 using the travel funds and then decide to cancel, the new travel funds are good only until March 6, 2022. Am I understanding correctly? Thank you!

 

[keishashadow]

Yes, look at it as though these funds take on the rules of booking any new travel...

One year from date of booking, not the travel date.

 

[Handykapper]

I have the same circumstance. Thanks so much for the info.

 

[kevgraub]

I have seen multiple conflicting reports on this - even in this thread.

Honestly, your best bet is to reach out directly to Southwest (I'd do it by email so you have a written record of what was said) and get the official answer directly from them.

Message boards can be great sources of information, but when it comes to something like this, I would always feel much, much better getting the answer directly from the company.

 

[tzeitel]

• I had May 2020 booked. Had to cancel, funds got the Sep '22 expiration.
• Booked for Aug. Had to cancel. Funds still showed as Sept "22.
• In Dec. booked for this May - it ended up being $30 more than the funds so paid the difference with a cc.
• Yesterday I repriced (went down $21) one leg. That $21 now shows as Dec 2021 because I paid with a cc.

So, not sure if there was an "expiration" date on getting the funds back to their Sept '22 date, but anything paid with anything other than the travel funds will have the regular expiration date - 1 year from the day you book (not the travel date).