Help understanding conversation regrading discount code
 

This is a cut and paste from an online chat with an Alaska rep. Can someone help me understand this. It sure seems to me like her statement that I underlined and bolded at 11:00AM is confirming what I'm saying - that there is nothing in the terms that explicitly state a canceled ticket results in the loss of a discount code. So why I can't I get the discount code back if I cancel the ticket?

Thanks for your help.



Good morning *****, I'm J*****, in Boise. How can I help you today?

10:51 AM
***** *****
Asking about conformation code *****
We used a discount to purchase a flight. Now we need to cancel that flight. When I go to cancel, it appears as though there is no way to get the $100 value for the discount code (or a new code) back.

10:52 AM
J*****
That is correct. If you choose to cancel and receive a credit certificate or deposit into your wallet the discount code will be forfeited. If you choose the third option to cancel and exchange at a later time the discount code would be applied to your future change.

10:53 AM
***** *****
I don't see any indication in the Terms of the discount code that it will be forfeited upon cancellation.
"Changes and Refunds: Changes and refunds are allowed per the applicable fare rule and will result in the forfeiture of the Discount Code in cases where the modified itinerary does not qualify for the discount. Once issued, tickets are not transferable."
I don't see where in that statement a cancellation results in lost discount code.

10:55 AM
J*****
The information you just sent clearly states "changes and refunds are allowed per the applicable fare rule and will result in the forfeiture of the Discount Code." If you're only canceling you will not have a modified itinerary for the discount code to qualify for. This is where the change option is best. You would be able to apply both the ticket value and the discount code at a later date by selecting the following option: "Email the canceled ticket numbers and use later to retrieve the value."

10:58 AM
***** *****
Yes. It does clearly state that.
But that was not the end of the sentence. The rest of sentence states, "...in cases where the modified itinerary does not qualify for the discount." How is this a modified itinerary? It's a cancellation - not a modified itinerary.

11:00 AM
J*****
Correct. If you're only canceling you will not have a modified itinerary for the discount code to qualify for. This is where the change option is best. You would be able to apply both the ticket value and the discount code at a later date by selecting the following option: "Email the canceled ticket numbers and use later to retrieve the value."

You forfeit the discount code because your new itinerary (none) does not qualify for use of the discount code. If you want to preserve the discount code, use the change option as the agent suggests. If you're Gold/75K and have no change fees, you could book a placeholder itinerary in the meantime, and change that again when you have more solidified plans. The emailed ticket numbers/value preserves it too, and would allow you to waive the change fee (I believe) if you do reach Gold/75K status at a later time. You could also try to see if another agent will reissue the code for you, but that would be a service gesture and not inline w/ policy.

Thanks for your response. I appreciate the explanation.

I suppose at this point, it comes down to semantics. I'd argue that NO itinerary is not a new itinerary. The absence of something is, by definition, not that thing. So therefore, the line about forfeiting "in cases where the modified itinerary does not qualify...." does not apply since there is (none) itinerary. I mean, she even says, "if you're only canceling, you will not have a modified itinerary."

Anyway, I know you didn't craft this language, so thank you for your response.

Only one discount can be used on an itinerary. If you have the ticket numbers issued via email to retrieve the value later and try to apply the funds to a new itinerary with another discount applied, the modified itinerary would be ineligible and the discount from the original itinerary would be forfeited.

A simple cancelation will forfeit the discount, a modification of the existing itinerary will not. She is correct in stating, "if you are only canceling, you will not have a modified itinerary for the discount code to qualify for." Receiving the ticket numbers to retrieve the value to apply to a future reservation will preserve the discount as long a the future modification is eligible. This allows you to modify your original itinerary at some point in the future. Change fees will apply unless you have a change/cancel fee waiver.

James

Let it go - the system is not set up to track codes after cancellation.

However you can accomplish exactly that if you simply change your reservation - to some placeholder if needed.

I believe you can also cancel and hold the ticket value (don't refund it, don't dump it in wallet or credit certificate). Then you can decide later what you want to do with it.

When you use a discount code, you still earn full miles on that flight, correct?

Yes!