how does SW credits work?

[disneymom15]

We're flying SW for the first time. We just got a price reductions on one of our booked flights.
How do the credits work? Will I get a voucher in the mail? When do they expire? Can I combine credits from other family members onto 0ne flight (say mom & dad don't plan on using there credits, can they give them to me?)
Anything else I should know about?

[NotaGeek]

Your credits are available for 1 year from the date your tickets were issued and you can use them for anyone traveling, Southwest doens't force you to use the credit for the traveler. There are no fees. Be sure and get the exact rules from Southwest, there are no etickets, the credit is kept under the same confirmation code.

There is another thread going on about pretty much the same thing HERE (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?p=1940675#post1940675).

[DizneyRox]

There is no voucher, etc. Your credit is stored on the reservation number. When you go to rebook, you will be aksed for different payment options, using a credit is one of those options, and you put the "old" reservation number in and any money on that reservation will be credited to the new flight.

The credit is stored per reservation number, so if everyone booked under one reservation, the credit will be one lump sum, it's not broken out by person.

[Fangorn]

Clarifying Southwest Credits

1) you don't get a voucher. Southwest keeps track of the credit by the original confirmation number. If your original trip had a confirmation number of ABC123, and you change your flight and get a new confirmation of DEF456 and a price reduction of $50, the $50 credit is associated with ABC123, and you'll need to keep track of that number in order to use your credit. The confirmation number doesn't have to change in order to get a credit, so you can have a current ticket (that you're planning on using) that also has a credit attached to it.

2) credits expire 1 year from the date of the original purchase. If you bought the original ticket on May 1, 2009 for a flight on September 23, 2009, then the credit expires on May 1, 2010. And you have to have booked and actually flown another trip by May 1, 2010. Just making a reservation by May 1, 2010 isn't enough. If you wanted to make a trip leaving on April 29, 2010 and returning on May 4, 2010, you can't use the credit for the round-trip flight. You CAN, however, make two, one-way reservations, and use the credit on the 4/29/10 flight.

3) If you have multiple confirmation numbers that each have some credit on them, they CAN be combined, but there are some restrictions (and ways around them). As long as you have the confirmation number and the traveler's name, any credit can be used by anyone. Credit is fully transferable.

4) Restrictions on using credit. Only TWO confirmation numbers can be used per new reservation. If you have more that 2, you can get around the restriction by breaking up flights into multiple reservations. Make separate reservations for each person, and/or one-way reservations. You'll have more confirmation numbers to worry about (and check-in will be more of a hassle), but you will be able to use multiple credits this way.

5) You can't get around the expiration date. Using credits to make a new reservation and then cancelling the new reservation only returns the credit to the original confimation number and date. It doesn't re-associate the credit and reset the timer. You can ask SW for an extention. They don't have to do it, but might depending on your circumstances. They will charge you $50 for the privilege however.

Hope this helps.

Steve