Question About Using Southwest Residual Travel Funds

I purchased a roundtrip ticket to San Diego on Aug. 8, 2017. On Oct. 11, 2017 I saw a lower fare, changed my ticket, and $44.49 went to my Residual Travel Funds. Do I have a year from the October 11 date to use the funds, or does it go back to the date I purchased the original ticket, Aug. 8?

 

Roz

https://www.southwest.com/flight/travel-funds-search.html

You have one year from the purchase date to use it.

 

Keith

Rugrats, thank you for the link. I didn't know how to look up that information on the website. Very useful. Unfortunately, it's one year from the August 8, 2017 date. I don't plan on flying SW again until April 27, 2019, so my ability to use the funds is dependent on when SW releases its schedule for that time frame.

 

Roz

The good news is you are not talking about a lot of money.

 

Keith

I wonder how much money WN makes on their “no change fee” scam.

The good news is you are not talking about a lot of money.

 

Keith

 

This is true. At times it's been over $100 - that would hurt.

 

Roz

I wonder how much money WN makes on their “no change fee” scam.

 

Just asking but why is this a scam?

 

Most airlines we book with we cannot get a lower fare if the price goes down.

 

With Southwest you can. Whether you use it or not is a different story but with most airlines that's not an option.

 

Keith

Just asking but why is this a scam?

 

Most airlines we book with we cannot get a lower fare if the price goes down.

 

With Southwest you can. Whether you use it or not is a different story but with most airlines that's not an option.

 

Keith

Not my experience with Alaska or Hawaiian.

 

I call it a scam because WN and their loyalists make it sound like it’s a “benefit” only WN offers when it’s obviously not true.

Not my experience with Alaska or Hawaiian.

 

I call it a scam because WN and their loyalists make it sound like it’s a “benefit” only WN offers when it’s obviously not true.

 

It's been my experience with most airlines we book with that we can't get a lower fare and also if we cancel the flight we get very little back.

 

I am not a loyalist of SW but do take it on occasion and have appreciated the ability to be able to make changes. For example from time to time we had to change the date of departure or arrival and there were no penalties to do so and the cost of the airfare could be the same, lower or higher depending on what was available.

 

That would not have been the same on many other carriers.

 

I look at SW and most airlines as purely transportation in this day of age.

 

I am a fan of certain cruise lines though. :)

 

Keith

I'm not aware of another airline that does it like SW, where you can keep refunded money in an account with them, and you can make ticket changes yourself online. I don't see it as a scam at all.

 

Roz

I'm not aware of another airline that does it like SW, where you can keep refunded money in an account with them, and you can make ticket changes yourself online. I don't see it as a scam at all.

"Scam" may be too strong a word. But this feature is touted as an advantage of booking WN over other airlines, and is therefore intended to drive some people to pay money to WN that they might not have had to pay to another airline if they'd bought a cheaper ticket on the other airline instead of waiting for WN bookings to open.

 

The element that could be (unfairly) described as a "scam" is that this feature over-promises to many people. There is probably a lot of "breakage" that customers don't factor into their choices. They think that the refunded money is theirs and make their decisions on that basis, but in fact there's a good chance that the airline will actually keep it after all.

 

The same applies to frequent flyer schemes: people think they're earning something that's theirs and valuable, but in fact they'll never use it and the airline will swallow the potential value because of the amount of breakage in those schemes.

Southwest is the biggest game in town in Nashville, so that's where I start when I'm looking for airfare. I've not had good experiences overall with United, Delta, American, etc. Their pricing is misleading and confusing, and they seem to cancel and change flights a lot.

 

Roz

Southwest is the biggest game in town in Nashville, so that's where I start when I'm looking for airfare. I've not had good experiences overall with United, Delta, American, etc. Their pricing is misleading and confusing, and they seem to cancel and change flights a lot.

 

Would love to know just how they are "misleading and confusing".

I've had travel funds available in the past in my account and used it for another flight, several times in fact. If not needed for a cruise, I can always schedule a little get away to my son or daughter's homes to visit them. :)

Would love to know just how they are "misleading and confusing".

 

They charge for a lot of added items, and it's difficult to compare apples to apples. SW's pricing seems straightforward to me, and is more inclusive. I know what I'm getting.

 

Roz

Just asking but why is this a scam?

 

Most airlines we book with we cannot get a lower fare if the price goes down.

 

With Southwest you can. Whether you use it or not is a different story but with most airlines that's not an option.

 

Keith

 

And, even if yiou dont end up with an opportunity to use those residual funds and you lose them, WN still doesnt charge a change fee as most legacy airlines do. In that sense you'd still potentially come out ahead,

 

 

Not my experience with Alaska or Hawaiian.

 

I call it a scam because WN and their loyalists make it sound like it’s a “benefit” only WN offers when it’s obviously not true.

 

Obviously not true? Sure. I'll bet many end up forfeiting those funds but they have a chance to use them, and still dont pay change fees. I wouldnt call that a scam, even if your travel plans dont afford you the opportunity to use up all of your residual funds.

Southwest is the biggest game in town in Nashville, so that's where I start when I'm looking for airfare. I've not had good experiences overall with United, Delta, American, etc. Their pricing is misleading and confusing, and they seem to cancel and change flights a lot.

 

Roz

 

They charge for a lot of added items, and it's difficult to compare apples to apples. SW's pricing seems straightforward to me, and is more inclusive. I know what I'm getting.

 

Roz

 

Such as? Other than checked baggage, what are all these added items that Delta and the others charge for in a confusing and misleading way? Or are you thinking of ultra low cost carruers like Spirit who really do charge for every little thing?

UA, DL and AA don't have any hidden fees, or "charge for a lot of added items." The price you see is the price you pay. If you want to check a bag on a domestic flight, and you don't have high enough status in their frequent flyer program, or you aren't purchasing your ticket with their branded credit card, you'll pay for that checked bag.

All airlines have schedule changes and cancellations.

But, this is clearly disclosed.

UA, DL and AA don't have any hidden fee. The price you see is the price you pay. If you want to check a bag on a domestic flight, and you don't have high enough status in their frequent flyer program, or you aren't purchasing your ticket with their branded credit card, you'll pay for that checked bag.

But, this is clearly disclosed.

 

I agree. It is all clearly spelled out at booking.

 

Keith

Rugrats, thank you for the link. I didn't know how to look up that information on the website. Very useful. Unfortunately, it's one year from the August 8, 2017 date. I don't plan on flying SW again until April 27, 2019, so my ability to use the funds is dependent on when SW releases its schedule for that time frame.

 

Roz

 

Roz: Your response above reads like you plan to use the funds for an April 2019 trip. Remember: they're only good til August 8 2018... and that schedule is out. But I'm not sure if you need to return by that August 8? Or simply commence travel by then. Don't know the details.

 

Peg

Yikes, :eek: I thought I had to book the flight by August 8, 2018, not travel by August 8, 2018. Guess I'll lose my money. :(

 

Roz

 

From SW website - "All travel involving Travel Funds from an unused or cancelled reservation or a Southwest LUV Voucher must be completed by the expiration date. Travel Funds from an unused or cancelled reservation may only be applied toward the purchase of future travel for the individual named on the ticket."

Edited March 11, 2018 by Roz

Yikes, :eek: I thought I had to book the flight by August 8, 2018, not travel by August 8, 2018. Guess I'll lose my money. :(

 

Roz

 

From SW website - "All travel involving Travel Funds from an unused or cancelled reservation or a Southwest LUV Voucher must be completed by the expiration date. Travel Funds from an unused or cancelled reservation may only be applied toward the purchase of future travel for the individual named on the ticket."

 

Yes, you must travel by that date.

 

Keith

Would love to know just how they are "misleading and confusing".

 

Roz doesn't seem to want to answer that. I think maybe the real confusion was in comparing legacy airlines to LCCs.