Flexible return on companion voucher?
Feb 5, 2019, 3:48 pm
#1
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,622
Flexible return on companion voucher?
A family member wants to climb Denali with a companion, and we have a companion voucher. The challenge is that the return date is not precisely known. Anything they choose would be more than 80% likely to change. I presume that a change would require upgrade to refundable fare plus a fee of $125 each.
If they buy a non-refundable outbound with a refundable return, will they be able to walk up to the airport whenever they want to return and catch the next flight for no extra cost? The fare rules are not completely clear on this, except that any downfare amount would be nonrefundable.
If they buy a non-refundable outbound with a refundable return, will they be able to walk up to the airport whenever they want to return and catch the next flight for no extra cost? The fare rules are not completely clear on this, except that any downfare amount would be nonrefundable.
Feb 5, 2019, 3:55 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
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Posts: 38,629
A family member wants to climb Denali with a companion, and we have a companion voucher. The challenge is that the return date is not precisely known. Anything they choose would be more than 80% likely to change. I presume that a change would require upgrade to refundable fare plus a fee of $125 each.
If they buy a non-refundable outbound with a refundable return, will they be able to walk up to the airport whenever they want to return and catch the next flight for no extra cost? The fare rules are not completely clear on this, except that any downfare amount would be nonrefundable.
If they buy a non-refundable outbound with a refundable return, will they be able to walk up to the airport whenever they want to return and catch the next flight for no extra cost? The fare rules are not completely clear on this, except that any downfare amount would be nonrefundable.
Feb 5, 2019, 6:47 pm
#3
Formerly known as stellertony
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: MEX
Programs: UA Gold, DL Gold, NEXUS, APEC
Posts: 1,146
Feb 5, 2019, 7:01 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
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Posts: 7,263
James
Feb 5, 2019, 7:17 pm
#6
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,622
Interesting that the same day or next day fare might be less than the refundable fare. Maybe not $125x2=$250 less but maybe so.
Unrelated, can anyone here confirm that changing (not refunding) the refundable fare return will or will not incur $125x2 change fee?
Unrelated, can anyone here confirm that changing (not refunding) the refundable fare return will or will not incur $125x2 change fee?
Feb 6, 2019, 2:13 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 608
I can. Been burned by this before. Both legs of the ticket inherit the restrictive non-refundable/change fee policies of the most restrictive segment. I've had forgiveness from phone reps when I called in after explaining that I didn't realize that, but YMMV. That's why, even as a non-Gold, I always split into two one-ways if one of the segments is a refundable fare, but this isn't an option for a companion ticket.