SWA Experts...Still Need Info On TTF Expiry Process

[wee-haggis]

I have asked a question on another thread but I'm trying a new one to hopefully get further info.
If my TTF expires within a year (with no chance of extension), is it true that the requested vouchers :
1)have 6 month limit
2)Tickets have to be bought at the airport where vouchers are handed over
3)Cannot be used for Dings ?

I also read on this and another forum that folk have let the TTF expire,booked,paid for and taken a trip....then applied for CC refund and received it(even although TTF has expired)....anyone?
Thanks

 

[Rpsemont]

If my TTF expires within a year (with no chance of extension), is it true that the requested vouchers :
1)have 6 month limit
2)Tickets have to be bought at the airport where vouchers are handed over
3)Cannot be used for Dings ?

I'll try to help out. TTF are not "vouchers" I would equate them more to a virtual gift/promotion certificate that carries restrictions. When you cancel or change an airfare that results in TTF, it will say that they "must be used for travel by "date". This date is one year from your original PURCHASE date. As long as they are used by that date, all you need is the confirmation # and the Credit card name and use them for any ticket, from any city, to any city, for any PERSON. It can be used to DINGS.
Example:
You buy a ticket today (6/18)for Bob to travel to MCO in Sept that costs $200. A sale comes out next week that has the same flight itinerary for $125, so you change his ticket and are left with $75 TTF. Those funds must be used for travel that completes before 6/18 or next year. SO, in theory, you could book a ticket for Rick to fly to Baltimore from Tampa in May (but, of course, you couldn't book this until those flights opened up in Feb or March.
I have read here that some people have managed to get an extension on the expiration date. I have also read here that many people have succeeded in having the $75 refunded to the credit card. The rules don't state that so I wouldn't COUNT on it.
The only SWA vouchers that I know of are Rapid Reward (the frequent flyer club for SWA) They have their own set of rules.

Do you have some TTF?

 

[wee-haggis]

I'll try to help out. TTF are not "vouchers" I would equate them more to a virtual gift/promotion certificate that carries restrictions. When you cancel or change an airfare that results in TTF, it will say that they "must be used for travel by "date". This date is one year from your original PURCHASE date. As long as they are used by that date, all you need is the confirmation # and the Credit card name and use them for any ticket, from any city, to any city, for any PERSON. It can be used to DINGS.
Example:
You buy a ticket today (6/18)for Bob to travel to MCO in Sept that costs $200. A sale comes out next week that has the same flight itinerary for $125, so you change his ticket and are left with $75 TTF. Those funds must be used for travel that completes before 6/18 or next year. SO, in theory, you could book a ticket for Rick to fly to Baltimore from Tampa in May (but, of course, you couldn't book this until those flights opened up in Feb or March.
I have read here that some people have managed to get an extension on the expiration date. I have also read here that many people have succeeded in having the $75 refunded to the credit card. The rules don't state that so I wouldn't COUNT on it.
The only SWA vouchers that I know of are Rapid Reward (the frequent flyer club for SWA) They have their own set of rules.

Do you have some TTF?

Thanks for your response.
At this time I have 4 flights which I booked last month for Buf to MCO.
It looks like I will not be able to use them so I will most likely cancel them.
(If I am correct)this will then mean that I have TTF that will expire May/07.
I will most likely not be able to travel during the early to mid part of 07.
So, I was hoping to arrange an extension of the TTF or (as I read somewhere)applyling for vouchers to the value of my TTF which can be used beyond the one year date .The tickets would have to be bought in advance and the vouchers then be either presented to the SWA ticket booth for a refund or send in the receipt with the vouchers for a refund after completion of the flights. I'm not sure if one or both options are indeed allowable ?

 

[coinkc]

yes, you can get a voucher for a 6 month extension. However, they are MUCH more strict with how they can be used.
I am reading the rules of one as I type this. Here are some of the key points:

- this voucher may be exchanged for a ticket at a SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ticket counter only. No other person or place is authorized to accept this voucher.

- the voucher must be presented for ticketing by the person to whom it has been issued. this person may exchange the voucher for tickets issued in his/her name or the name of the passenger he/she designates. Once a ticket has been issued, no subsequent changes in passenger name may be made.

- reservations for travel with tickets issued from a travel voucher may be made for all applicable classes of service where seats are available by calling a SOUTHWEST AIRLINES reservations office. SWA makes no gurantee that seats will be available on the flights preferred at the time the reservations are requested.

I called SWA and was basically told that you had to buy your tickets in person at the airport. Since the voucher is in my name, I have to be present although I can buy a ticket for someone else. Also, DING and internet fares are not available since the ticket has to be bought in person. I don't understand the last section above as it seems to contradict the others unless they mean that you can call and hold a reservation for a set period of time to allow yourself time to get to the ticket counter and pay for the ticket. Not really sure though.

Hope this helps..I am sitting on a $40 voucher that I think will be going to waste!

 

[rlduvall]

I called Southwest three different times Friday night and received the same response each time regarding the fact that I have TTF that will expire prior to me being able to use the airfare, by 7 days. There was a great Ding special I wanted to grab Friday night, but didn't have the "voucher" approved by the Refund Department yet. All Customer Reps said: Go ahead and purchase, contact the Refund Dept. on Monday and they will send you out a paper voucher for the TTF amount. After you complete the air travel, mail in your receipt (from that air travel) and the voucher. At that time, they will credit your card or send you a check for the TTF amount. The only negative is having to purchase the airfare, yet having to wait until after the new air travel is completed; but then again, what airlines allow this at all?

I felt comfortable enough to go ahead and book the new travel and I will call them tomorrow about getting the voucher. At no time did they say I had to buy it at the counter at the airport.

 

[Rpsemont]

Thanks for your response.
At this time I have 4 flights which I booked last month for Buf to MCO.
It looks like I will not be able to use them so I will most likely cancel them.
(If I am correct)this will then mean that I have TTF that will expire May/07.
I will most likely not be able to travel during the early to mid part of 07.
So, I was hoping to arrange an extension of the TTF or (as I read somewhere)applyling for vouchers to the value of my TTF which can be used beyond the one year date .The tickets would have to be bought in advance and the vouchers then be either presented to the SWA ticket booth for a refund or send in the receipt with the vouchers for a refund after completion of the flights. I'm not sure if one or both options are indeed allowable ?

I never knew about the whole voucher thing. I always use up my TTF funds. The other option, is if you know anyone who might be traveling, you could use your TTF's to purchase tickets for them and they could pay you for the funds.

 

[wee-haggis]

I called Southwest three different times Friday night and received the same response each time regarding the fact that I have TTF that will expire prior to me being able to use the airfare, by 7 days. There was a great Ding special I wanted to grab Friday night, but didn't have the "voucher" approved by the Refund Department yet. All Customer Reps said: Go ahead and purchase, contact the Refund Dept. on Monday and they will send you out a paper voucher for the TTF amount. After you complete the air travel, mail in your receipt (from that air travel) and the voucher. At that time, they will credit your card or send you a check for the TTF amount. The only negative is having to purchase the airfare, yet having to wait until after the new air travel is completed; but then again, what airlines allow this at all?

I felt comfortable enough to go ahead and book the new travel and I will call them tomorrow about getting the voucher. At no time did they say I had to buy it at the counter at the airport.

Thats interesting. I wonder if the refund is only because you are 7 days beyond the TTF expiry date?
I 'd like to ask you advice.
If my TTF were to expire in May....and I can't travel till July.
Is booking the flights (assuming they came out in February)....paying for them up front....The travelling .Where abouts in the process would I contact them to request the vouchers?..the day after booking?....or closer to the Travel time (or original TTF expiry time).
thanks

 

[rlduvall]

Well, I don't want to give any advice until I talk to the Refund Dept. At this point, I was taking a Customer Rep's word and that could really bite me. As soon as I can call them, I will post what they said. As to the refund because being 7 days past TTF; that's exactly why. This way you have to pay again, then get reimbursed after the travel is completed. It is much more painful.

 

[rlduvall]

Just talked to the Refund Department. My situation will be handled differently than a voucher. As Coinkc indicated, a voucher can only be used at a SWA counter. So, it's the terminology that is confusing.

In my case, after I complete the travel which is after my original cut-off date of my old TTF, I will contact the Refund Department again. They will then apply the old TTF towards the tickets for the new travel, now completed, by crediting the card I used for the new travel. Whew, confusing, huh?

The Refund Department did make a note on my account that the extension has been approved. The problem I am causing is that my old TTF doesn't expire until 9/12/06, yet I already know I will not be using the TTF before then.

 

[goofyforlife]

In my case, after I complete the travel which is after my original cut-off date of my old TTF, I will contact the Refund Department again. They will then apply the old TTF towards the tickets for the new travel, now completed, by crediting the card I used for the new travel. Whew, confusing, huh?

Actually that is standard procedure for TTF.

We just did that ourselves.....(we had a $100 in TTF that expired in April. We called and customer service opened a case (they call it that) so that we could extend the expiration date for 6 mths. We paid for a ticket for DH to fly in May. After we came home, we called the office and they applied the credit to the card that the May flight was purchased with. )

 

[wee-haggis]

Actually that is standard procedure for TTF.

We just did that ourselves.....(we had a $100 in TTF that expired in April. We called and customer service opened a case (they call it that) so that we could extend the expiration date for 6 mths. We paid for a ticket for DH to fly in May. After we came home, we called the office and they applied the credit to the card that the May flight was purchased with. )

If you don't mind me asking,can you give some further info.......did you book flights before April........was the 6 month extension a "hard sell" or was it straight forward.....was the 6 month date extension only offered after you said you were using the funds a few short weeks later?
Any info would be helpful.
Thanks

 

[goofyforlife]

If you don't mind me asking,can you give some further info.......did you book flights before April........was the 6 month extension a "hard sell" or was it straight forward.....was the 6 month date extension only offered after you said you were using the funds a few short weeks later?
Any info would be helpful.
Thanks

We booked the flight we got credit for in march..... However I had called them in January when I noticed our funds would expire before the trip. (We used a bunch of outstanding credits to purchase a ticket that my nephew didn't use in mid-December. One of those credits (amount of $5.00) dated back to April 2005 so they made the expiration date in april.)

In january they made the notations to the confirmation # and gave us a case # to get the refund after we flew in May. The 6 month rule seemed rather straight forward. (i know we've read that people have begged and got their fares refunded to credit card but I can't vouch for that one. I did once get $20 back to our card but that was back in 2004.) We've been going to FL enough now that we're DVC members that I know we'll use the credits.