Originally Posted by
FCfree
I started a booking for a flight in July just to see what is different now about the process. I selected a BASIC ticket. According to the FARE BENEFITS, under changes, it says:
So, if I booked that ticket today (May 28), the funds would expire in 6 months (Nov 28). However, before the flight date, I could change that flight to a WGA+ for extra money. If I did that change --
-- Would the funds in that new booking (a) retain the May 28 + 6 months expiration (b) become May 28 + 1 year or (c) become date of change + 1 year?
-- If I cancelled that new flight within 24 hours of the change, would any extra funds that I applied to the ticket be refunded to my credit card?
Would the answer change if --
-- I canceled the July ticket, got the travel funds, then booked a new WGA+ ticket?
-- Did the same with an AT or BS ticket?
Pure speculation on my part as nobody has an answer yet. I believe your total fund "investment" after change to WGA+ will retain the original 6 month expiration (
If I were SW, I would not allow folks to do an end run around Basic fare 6 month expiration policy).
If you were to cancel within 24 hours, you should get the option to refund the extra money you put towards WGA+ back to your original method of payment.
If you were to NOT cancel within 24 hours, the total funds will retain the original 6 month expiration date (from my understanding, SW used to recharacterize any new money added to a PNR with the most "inferior" date of any original money before they went with infinity expiration date during COVID)
EDIT: If you were to first cancel your Basic fare and used the credit from it towards a WGA+ fare, I belive you will taint the whole WGA+ fare money with the original 6 month date.
Bottomline, you can add money to a PNR while retaining its original expiration date, but you can NEVER REMOVE any money from that PNR trying to extend its validity.