Cancel a Southwest flight booked with Rapid Rewards points
Jul 25, 2012, 12:22 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 7
Cancel a Southwest flight booked with Rapid Rewards points
If I'm reading the FAQs correctly, when you cancel a WGA flight booked with a credit card, your refund is in the form of credit that can be used for a future flight within 1 year from the date of the original booking. But when you cancel a flight booked with points, the points get refunded to your account with no stipulation that they have to be used in a year. Is that true? If so, isn't it always better to book a flight with points?
Jul 25, 2012, 12:39 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nashville, TN
Programs: WN Nothing and spending the half million points from too many flights, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,043
If I'm reading the FAQs correctly, when you cancel a WGA flight booked with a credit card, your refund is in the form of credit that can be used for a future flight within 1 year from the date of the original booking. But when you cancel a flight booked with points, the points get refunded to your account with no stipulation that they have to be used in a year. Is that true? If so, isn't it always better to book a flight with points?
Exception! If you are building points toward A-List or CP, the points purchase does not help.
Jul 28, 2012, 5:03 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards
Posts: 791
If I'm reading the FAQs correctly, when you cancel a WGA flight booked with a credit card, your refund is in the form of credit that can be used for a future flight within 1 year from the date of the original booking. But when you cancel a flight booked with points, the points get refunded to your account with no stipulation that they have to be used in a year. Is that true? If so, isn't it always better to book a flight with points?
Jul 28, 2012, 8:27 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,189
It also often makes sense for one member of a family (or extended family) to accrue the paid flights and to use the resultant points for others who don't fly as much.
Apr 8, 2014, 10:19 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,189
Apr 8, 2014, 6:22 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,832
OK. I think the person you were responding too was asking what happened if you cancelled a points booking that was made for a WGA fare - that's why I asked.
If that's the case, then yes, the points just go back into your account even if you don't cancel.
If that's the case, then yes, the points just go back into your account even if you don't cancel.
Apr 8, 2014, 6:34 pm
#15
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,622
I am ashamed to admit that I distractedly failed to cancel an unneeded award booking recently. The points went back into my account automatically.