Southwest question?

[KAT1811]

I have tickets I am not going to use. I know that I can apply the funds to a future trip my question is does the actual travel have to occur on or before the one year mark or does the tickets for future travel have to be bought on or before the one year mark?

Assuming that the travel needs to take place on or before the one year mark what happens if I book tickets within the year and then change them?

[Tick-Tock]

Actual travel within the one-year period from the date you originally bought the tickets. If you buy new tickets with the credit and then change them, the original first-purchase date still applies.

[DizneyRox]

Correct, with Southwest, the travel must occur within one year of the original booking. Also, note that the date carries forward on ANY reservations you make that use those funds. So, I would advise to use the funds judiciously.

For example, you need 4 tickets and have a credit of $75. If you find fares at $100 each way. Buy ONE ticket with the funds and the extra $25 and buy the rest of the tickets seperately. This way, the original date of that credit doesn't hose all your tickets. If you do need to cancel again, you will lose the $25 that you applied to the first ticket when the original $75 expires.

[PopPhan]

One thing to note in addition to what DisneyRox said --- As of January 28, funds "on account" will only be able to be used for the person whose ticket is credited.

After that date, DisneyRox's example would no longer be valid.

I know this because I just got a lower rate on our tickets for September and the following was on the e-mail under Fare Rules:


NONREF/NONTRANSFERABLE/STANDBY REQ UPGRADE TO YL. Valid only on Southwest Airlines. All travel involving funds from this Confirmation Number must be completed by the expiration date. Effective January 28, 2011, unused travel funds may only be applied toward the purchase of future travel for the individual named on the ticket. Any change to this itinerary may result in a fare increase.

[DizneyRox]

Ouch! Hmmm... Not sure if I like that, well, I'm sure I don't, but I guess it makes a little sense. They don't want people selling credits, it's money that Southwest wants to keep if they can.

I suspect this will probably end up making people wait for the best fares they think are coming and may end up causing Southwest to panic when people stop booking as they used to. I book as soon as I can on SWA and then look for lower fares and apply those to my existing travel. I'll probably continue to do so, I've let credits expire in the past when I couldn't use them, this doesn't change that. The people going now will be the same people going then.

Thanks for the info, I probably wouldn't have noticed that, I like most poeple don't read EVERYTHING, just checking of the box [I AGREE] just about sums up that part of the payment process for me.

[BigRedDad]

I am sure it was bound to happen. I use to sell our left over credits and you use to be able to find them all over eBay.

[Rosemickey68]

To clarify....So if I booked tickets for 6 people in my family and say they come up $10 cheaper and I "normally" would get a $60 total credit, will it show as $10 credit under each persons name that had been booked or $60 under my name since I put myself first and paid for the tickets?
I would think that since the tickets have one reservation confirmation number that it would be under my name!?!?

[PopPhan]

To clarify....So if I booked tickets for 6 people in my family and say they come up $10 cheaper and I "normally" would get a $60 total credit, will it show as $10 credit under each persons name that had been booked or $60 under my name since I put myself first and paid for the tickets?
I would think that since the tickets have one reservation confirmation number that it would be under my name!?!?

You would find a $10 credit under EACH NAME.