Changing flight booked by someone else, using points
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards
Posts: 791
Changing flight booked by someone else, using points
Let's say I book a flight for my sister, using my own Rapid Rewards points. I send her the confirmation number and such. Some time later, she decides she wants to change her flight to a different one, that costs an additional 600 points. She logs in to her account, goes to Travel Tools->Change Itinerary, and enters the confirmation number and her name. What happens next? I honestly don't know, but I imagine it's one of these options:
A) She's told she can't modify this reservation, because it was booked with someone else's points.
B) She can modify the reservation, and it automatically takes the extra 600 points out of my account.
C) She can modify the reservation, but only after I somehow "approve" the extra points taken from my account.
D) She can modify the reservation, and it takes the extra 600 points from her own account
E) She can modify the reservation, but only by taking the new full amount out of her account, and the original points cost being refunded to my account.
Which of those is what actually happens if someone tries to do this? Is there an option F) I'm not thinking of?
A) She's told she can't modify this reservation, because it was booked with someone else's points.
B) She can modify the reservation, and it automatically takes the extra 600 points out of my account.
C) She can modify the reservation, but only after I somehow "approve" the extra points taken from my account.
D) She can modify the reservation, and it takes the extra 600 points from her own account
E) She can modify the reservation, but only by taking the new full amount out of her account, and the original points cost being refunded to my account.
Which of those is what actually happens if someone tries to do this? Is there an option F) I'm not thinking of?
#2
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Let's say I book a flight for my sister, using my own Rapid Rewards points. I send her the confirmation number and such. Some time later, she decides she wants to change her flight to a different one, that costs an additional 600 points. She logs in to her account, goes to Travel Tools->Change Itinerary, and enters the confirmation number and her name. What happens next?
My gut is that it is still (A), but, I couldn't confirm. I doubt it would now let one use only the marginal points from a different account because under my Point Activity Details, all refaring/changes/etc. to points bookings are processed as a full refund of the original booking and then a new redemption.
Also, note that if you include her RR # when you make the reservation, it will appear in her "My Travel" "Upcoming Trips" tab when she logs in (this link may work for her too if you forget).
#3
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Posts: 5,160
although she can see the travel in her account, she can checkin/cancel but not modify.
Hitting modify gets to a certain point then it will ask the rapid reward points-earner to log in. Calling the reservation 800# results in the rep insisting to speak to and verify security information from the reward earner.
Making a chance in the airport is also denied unless the reward earner is present. Once they allowed this because I had my wife's rapid reward card which they swiped. The other time the reward earner wasn't present and in order to get my flight changed I had to cancel the current reservation and re-book using my own points.
Hitting modify gets to a certain point then it will ask the rapid reward points-earner to log in. Calling the reservation 800# results in the rep insisting to speak to and verify security information from the reward earner.
Making a chance in the airport is also denied unless the reward earner is present. Once they allowed this because I had my wife's rapid reward card which they swiped. The other time the reward earner wasn't present and in order to get my flight changed I had to cancel the current reservation and re-book using my own points.
#4
Moderator, Southwest Airlines and Choice Privileges
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,034
Confirming what expert7700 posted after I loaded this thread...
Kinda-sorta A from your list:
In the quoted example the flight was being refared down, so approval of the points owner should not have been necessary.
So what happens next is that you have to start all over after logging in to the account of the points owner (so you better have the PNR handy). IIRC, it was clearly stated in the initial RR 2.0 documents that changes to points bookings could only be made by the owner of the points.
Kinda-sorta A from your list:
An additional complication on this rebooking was that the points came from Mrs. ftnoob's account and the passenger was Mama ftnoob. To access the itinerary online to change it (without copy & paste from the Email confirmation) one has to log in to the passenger's account. When going through the change process, however, the change is refused at the last step due to not being logged in to the points-owner's account. A log in hot link is offered, but (of course) it doesn't redirect to a continuation of the change process.
So what happens next is that you have to start all over after logging in to the account of the points owner (so you better have the PNR handy). IIRC, it was clearly stated in the initial RR 2.0 documents that changes to points bookings could only be made by the owner of the points.
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards
Posts: 791
Thanks for all the replies everyone. Glad to know, at least, that my sister wouldn't be able to accidentally charge me more points after getting her a gift of a flight home... :-)