SWA - If you fly twice a year and credits question

[Kanga1]

This is for all you SWA experts...

If you only fly two times per calendar year, when do you book your 1st flight to possibly make use of any future travel credits offered for a price change on your 2nd flight?

For example...I will be flying down in Dec. '12 and again in July '13. If I book my Dec. trip when SWA releases their booking dates (which will probably be in May) then any future travel credits I incur for that flight will be expired by the time I go in July '13. But if I wait to book my Dec. flight until August (which would be less than a year when I want to travel again) then I'm risking the possibility of sold out flights, as well as outrageous prices. I'm also trying to work this Dec. flight with a free flight award which puts a whole other element I have to deal with.

FWIW, in all the years I've been flying SWA, I have ALWAYS gotten future travel credits because of a price decrease. (This year I have $212 in credits that will be wasted because they expire before I can use them.) I'd like to be able to take advantage of them next time.

Any thoughts?

 

[DebbieB]

This is for all you SWA experts...

If you only fly two times per calendar year, when do you book your 1st flight to possibly make use of any future travel credits offered for a price change on your 2nd flight?

For example...I will be flying down in Dec. '12 and again in July '13. If I book my Dec. trip when SWA releases their booking dates (which will probably be in May) then any future travel credits I incur for that flight will be expired by the time I go in July '13. But if I wait to book my Dec. flight until August (which would be less than a year when I want to travel again) then I'm risking the possibility of sold out flights, as well as outrageous prices. I'm also trying to work this Dec. flight with a free flight award which puts a whole other element I have to deal with.

FWIW, in all the years I've been flying SWA, I have ALWAYS gotten future travel credits because of a price decrease. (This year I have $212 in credits that will be wasted because they expire before I can use them.) I'd like to be able to take advantage of them next time.

Any thoughts?

Another thing you have to think about is if you use credits for your July 13 flight, even if it's not the full amount of the ticket, that flight's funds will expire one year from the purchase date of your Dec 12 ticket. I was surprised to see that when I purchased a ticket for my next trip and used a $20 credit. The confirmation showed that flight's funds expired on the earlier date.

 

[Bronte]

So if I buy tickets now (March 25) for July and the price goes down in June I can get a credit from Southwest but I would have to use that credit (fly not just buy my next ticket) before March 25th ???
Thanks for the clarification ...
I usually fly Airtran and when they give you credit it is good for one year from the time you get the credit. Plus you only have to use it by that date, buy at ticket not necessarily fly.

 

[DebbieB]

So if I buy tickets now (March 25) for July and the price goes down in June I can get a credit from Southwest but I would have to use that credit (fly not just buy my next ticket) before March 25th ???
Thanks for the clarification ...
I usually fly Airtran and when they give you credit it is good for one year from the time you get the credit. Plus you only have to use it by that date, buy at ticket not necessarily fly.

You would have to fly by March 25.