Southwest - Spring Break flights / cancellations?

[sunlover13]

I have Southwest flights booked for this upcoming weekend for Spring Break. We are obviously not going. I haven't cancelled the flights yet due to credits and the dates they expire. If I cancel the flights, my credits will expire in October 2020. If SW cancels my flights, my credits will be extended until June 2021. The June 2021 works better for us as we were able to reschedule our condo for the same dates in March 2021. My question is has Southwest been cancelling flights for March / April? I check my dates on Southwest and it looks like they have a full day of flights still from Chicago to Fort Myers which I find very strange if not very many people are flying. I will cancel Friday morning if they do not cancel them. I'm just holding out hope they will cancel my flights so the credits will have a later expiration date.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I have Southwest flights booked for this upcoming weekend for Spring Break. We are obviously not going. I haven't cancelled the flights yet due to credits and the dates they expire. If I cancel the flights, my credits will expire in October 2020. If SW cancels my flights, my credits will be extended until June 2021. The June 2021 works better for us as we were able to reschedule our condo for the same dates in March 2021. My question is has Southwest been cancelling flights for March / April? I check my dates on Southwest and it looks like they have a full day of flights still from Chicago to Fort Myers which I find very strange if not very many people are flying. I will cancel Friday morning if they do not cancel them. I'm just holding out hope they will cancel my flights so the credits will have a later expiration date.

I didn't see anywhere that you can only get the extension if Southwest cancels.

https://www.southwestaircommunity.c...FGjbdKf4C98Dg&linkId=84657186&src=FBK20200319

 

[focusondisney]

Check the SW thread at the top of the page. The posts there indicate the credits will extend to June 2021 even if you cancel the flight.

 

[sunlover13]

I didn't see anywhere that you can only get the extension if Southwest cancels.

https://www.southwestaircommunity.c...FGjbdKf4C98Dg&linkId=84657186&src=FBK20200319

My credits would expire October 2020 so I would not get the extension unless SW cancels the flight. My credits do not fit into bullet point 1 below. If I cancel my flight, my credits will expire Oct 2020. If SW cancels my flight, my credits will be extended until June 2021. That's how I read the below.

In recognition of the current travel environment, we are extending the expiration date of some travel funds:

• Customers’ funds that have expired or will expire between March 1-May 31, 2020, will now expire June 30, 2021
  
• Any newly created travel fund because of a flight cancellation between March 1-May 31, 2020, will have an expiration date of June 30, 2021

 

[SaintsManiac]

My credits would expire October 2020 so I would not get the extension unless SW cancels the flight. My credits do not fit into bullet point 1 below. If I cancel my flight, my credits will expire Oct 2020. If SW cancels my flight, my credits will be extended until June 2021. That's how I read the below.

In recognition of the current travel environment, we are extending the expiration date of some travel funds:

• Customers’ funds that have expired or will expire between March 1-May 31, 2020, will now expire June 30, 2021
• Any newly created travel fund because of a flight cancellation between March 1-May 31, 2020, will have an expiration date of June 30, 2021

Gotcha! It's too complicated! I would Tweet them as @focusondisney suggested.

 

[Thumper99]

Please let us know. I read it that all flights cancelled, regardless of who cancels will have their travel funds extended. Southwest is not cancelling all their flights but they are understanding that people are having to cancel their travel plans.

we have a May3rd flight that if I cancel now the funds will say Oct 2020. I am trying to decide if I should just change existing May reservations for some October flights now for a possible trip but if I do that possibly my travel funds (if applicable because it was a May flight) won’t be extended. I have $1300 in flight funds I don’t want to make a bad decision on. I’d rather cancel and SEE that they are extended to June 2021 before I book another flight.

 

[focusondisney]

My credits would expire October 2020 so I would not get the extension unless SW cancels the flight. My credits do not fit into bullet point 1 below. If I cancel my flight, my credits will expire Oct 2020. If SW cancels my flight, my credits will be extended until June 2021. That's how I read the below.

In recognition of the current travel environment, we are extending the expiration date of some travel funds:

• Customers’ funds that have expired or will expire between March 1-May 31, 2020, will now expire June 30, 2021
• Any newly created travel fund because of a flight cancellation between March 1-May 31, 2020, will have an expiration date of June 30, 2021

This is a screen shot from SW Twitter page. Says it applies no matter who cancelled the flight. They do say it will take a few weeks for their tech people to update everything.

 

[sunlover13]

My flight there was cancelled today, after I wrote this. My flight home has not been cancelled yet. I'm going to hold out until Friday morning in hopes the flight home is cancelled. If not, I'll cancel it and hope they get extended. I'm nervous because it also says new travel funds created. I believe I used some old travel funds so I wonder if those won't be extended.

 

[Thumper99]

My flight there was cancelled today, after I wrote this. My flight home has not been cancelled yet. I'm going to hold out until Friday morning in hopes the flight home is cancelled. If not, I'll cancel it and hope they get extended. I'm nervous because it also says new travel funds created. I believe I used some old travel funds so I wonder if those won't be extended.

How did you find out it was cancelled. Did they send you an email? Tell you what to do because it was cancelled? I know you wanted it cancelled but I'm curious as to the process. thanks. Still trying to decide when to cancel my May 3rd trip.

 

[focusondisney]

My flight there was cancelled today, after I wrote this. My flight home has not been cancelled yet. I'm going to hold out until Friday morning in hopes the flight home is cancelled. If not, I'll cancel it and hope they get extended. I'm nervous because it also says new travel funds created. I believe I used some old travel funds so I wonder if those won't be extended.

Were both your flights on the same reservation? If they are, you should call or contact SW on social media. They should refund both flights even if they only cancelled 1 way so far. Don’t need flight home if they canceled your flight there.

 

[White Sox]

If your flight was canceled by the airline, you're entitled to a cash refund.
https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds

 

[sunlover13]

How did you find out it was cancelled. Did they send you an email? Tell you what to do because it was cancelled? I know you wanted it cancelled but I'm curious as to the process. thanks. Still trying to decide when to cancel my May 3rd trip.

They sent me a text saying my flight was cancelled. When I booked the flight, I remember putting in my phone number on how to notify me of changes to my flight so you might not get a text if you didn't specify that when booking. I figured I would just get the travel fund, but the flight was still showing up under My Trips at Southwest.com. I messaged Southwest on Facebook and apparently, I still needed to go in and either change the flight or cancel it. I didn't realize I still needed to cancel the flight when they cancelled the original flight. I still have my return flight booked right now. I'm going to wait and see if they end up cancelling it too just in case for the credits to hopefully be extended until June 2021.

 

[sunlover13]

Were both your flights on the same reservation? If they are, you should call or contact SW on social media. They should refund both flights even if they only cancelled 1 way so far. Don’t need flight home if they canceled your flight there.

No, I have a different confirmation number / reservation for the way home. I booked one-way flights.

 

[sunlover13]

If your flight was canceled by the airline, you're entitled to a cash refund.
https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds

Really? I would love a cash refund. Are you sure? I thought Southwest just issues travel funds. I will definitely ask for a cash refund.

 

[White Sox]

Really? I would love a cash refund. Are you sure? I thought Southwest just issues travel funds. I will definitely ask for a cash refund.

The US DoT policy sounds like you can get a refund in cash if the airline cancels, even for non-refundable fares. You'll probably need to call and demand it since the airline would rather give you credit.
If you cancel yourself, they won't give you cash.
https://onemileatatime.com/flight-c...es_airlines_to_offer_refunds_for_cancelations

 

[focusondisney]

Really? I would love a cash refund. Are you sure? I thought Southwest just issues travel funds. I will definitely ask for a cash refund.

If you already accepted a change to a different flight or a travel credit, it may be too late. But if they cancel, you can get a refund. They didn’t provide the service you paid for. So they have to return your money.

And if they cancelled the flight, there is nothing for you to cancel or change. That is nonsense.



This is SW’s contract of carriage.

 

[sunlover13]

No luck on a refund.

“Thank you for your patience. While we’re unable to refund any nonrefundable, Wanna Get Away fares, the good news is you still have the funds as flight credit towards a new flight later down the line. We’re looking forward to traveling with you, and hope to see you onboard soon.”

 

[focusondisney]

No luck on a refund.

“Thank you for your patience. While we’re unable to refund any nonrefundable, Wanna Get Away fares, the good news is you still have the funds as flight credit towards a new flight later down the line. We’re looking forward to traveling with you, and hope to see you onboard soon.”

You didn’t get a refund because you cancelled the flight yourself. You said you got a text saying the flight was cancelled, but you still had to go in and cancel it yourself. I don’t know what kind of text you got, but if the airline cancels the flight, you don’t have to do anything. It is already cancelled because THEY cancelled it. And then you can get a refund. But once you went in & cancelled it yourself, you lost that option.

Edit: Did you look at the SW site & see if your flight still shows up? It
Looks like there are plenty of Chicago - Ft Meyers flights still showing up for tomorrow. I really haven’t seen SW actually cancelling many flights yet. Maybe so they don’t have to give refunds?

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

It almost sounds like SWA pulled a trick to get people to technically cancel the flights that SWA had really cancelled, so they could get out of offering a refund. This is only what it sounds like from reading the thread, though. The OP sounds a bit confused, so it might be different in reality.

But yes, the bottom line for everyone to know is that if an airline cancels your flight, you are legally entitled to get your money back. "Nonrefundable" is only in regards to the customer cancelling the flight.

If the airline tries not to refund the money you paid for a flight they cancelled, do a few things:

1. Don't play into their hands by clicking "accept" for a credit for a future flight, or yourself cancelling a flight they say is cancelled, etc. After you do that kind of thing, you'll probably lose any chance at getting your money back.
2. Contact DOT (department of transportation) through their online customer complaints section (forget exactly what it's called but it's not hard to find) and tell them the airline cancelled and won't refund your money. DOT does investigate complaints & will direct the airline to respond.
3. If that doesn't work, contest the charge via your credit card company. (This is one reason to use credit cards rather than debit cards for all major purchases.) No one has a right to take your money, fail to provide the promised service (for whatever reason), then keep your money anyway.

 

[sunlover13]

Ok, I sent them another message stating I wanted a refund vs. travel funds. They are giving me back $99 per passenger back on my credit card, but the rest will remain as travel funds which will be extended thru June 2021. We originally paid around $300 per flight, but the flight kept dropping so I have various travel funds. Example, travel fund abcdef-1 is worth $55, abcdef-2 is worth $85, abcdef-3 is worth $45 and finally abcdef-4 is $99. Southwest is saying since the tickets that were cancelled were $99 at the time of cancellation, that is what I'm refunded back to my credit card. The other 3 travel funds will remain travel funds. Does that sound right?