Cancel flight that used Luv Voucher
Sep 29, 2014, 9:51 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
Cancel flight that used Luv Voucher
I searched and couldn't find an answer anywhere. I partially paid for a flight with a $50 LUV Voucher, and now need to cancel it. Will the amount go back to the voucher, back to my account, or just be lost? I am trying to decide if it would be better to just change the flight out to the end of the schedule and "park" the voucher there?
Jul 10, 2015, 6:49 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: PIT, EWR
Posts: 138
I just confirmed this policy with a WN customer relations rep. Funds are tied to the confirmation number, and therefore also tied to the passenger name.
This is true even if you cancel within 24 hours of making the reservation. But this appears to be a violation of DOT regulations, which say:
In other words, you should get your LUV voucher back.
This just happened to me. I booked with a LUV voucher and cancelled within 24 hours. WN customer relations got me what I wanted -- which was to apply the funds to a different passenger -- but they didn't seem too willing to issue a new LUV voucher.
I would suggest that if anyone has this same problem, and WN customer relations can't resolve it, that they file a DOT complaint.
This is true even if you cancel within 24 hours of making the reservation. But this appears to be a violation of DOT regulations, which say:
For any online cancellation that is covered by the 24-hour reservation requirement, in deciding whether to pursue enforcement action, the Enforcement Office considers it to be a...an unfair and deceptive practice for a carrier not to offer consumers the option of receiving a full refund in the original form of payment before the cancellation request is submitted. Carriers may offer other refund options, such as, for example, carrier-issued credits, but such offer should not be pre-selected as the default choice of refund form or appear as the more prominent refund option.
This just happened to me. I booked with a LUV voucher and cancelled within 24 hours. WN customer relations got me what I wanted -- which was to apply the funds to a different passenger -- but they didn't seem too willing to issue a new LUV voucher.
I would suggest that if anyone has this same problem, and WN customer relations can't resolve it, that they file a DOT complaint.
Jul 10, 2015, 7:59 am
#8
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
I don't know, but I can take a wild guess.
This is either a CS problem, an IT problem, or a financial transaction problem. It could be one or more.
If you schedule with the voucher and cancel or move outside the 24 hour window, all is good. It goes to TTF in the PAX name. We know that and live with it. Once used it is linked.
And, that is the key. I suspect (guess follows) that when the voucher is used to claim a reservation, the voucher buys a TTF that is immediately applied. I suspect that because when you cancel you get the TTF or what the IT system sees as the "original" payment method.
The voucher claim number may even disappear to be recycled in the system. After all, it is simply a CC# format with a 6-digit PIN that can be used over and over until they run out of PIN's. They may even have a fixed block of numbers assigned by VISA or MC or whatever the processing entity may be.
The solution would be to hold that account number for 24 hours so that charge backs could be made in the 24 hour window, but that is a lot of held numbers and it is ripe for crazy errors given that it is WN IT.
So, they clear the number and issue the TTF linked to the date of the voucher. If they were to issue a new voucher, they likely have no way to date it to the original voucher and the system defaults to today's date.
So what? We would quickly learn, this is FT, that instead of paying to extend a voucher we need only to buy a ticket, cancel within 24 hours, and get a new voucher with a year to go.
The simple fix is to date the new voucher the same as the old. It will match the TTF expiration date. Simple IT fix, except that it is WN IT.
At least that is my guess.
This is either a CS problem, an IT problem, or a financial transaction problem. It could be one or more.
If you schedule with the voucher and cancel or move outside the 24 hour window, all is good. It goes to TTF in the PAX name. We know that and live with it. Once used it is linked.
And, that is the key. I suspect (guess follows) that when the voucher is used to claim a reservation, the voucher buys a TTF that is immediately applied. I suspect that because when you cancel you get the TTF or what the IT system sees as the "original" payment method.
The voucher claim number may even disappear to be recycled in the system. After all, it is simply a CC# format with a 6-digit PIN that can be used over and over until they run out of PIN's. They may even have a fixed block of numbers assigned by VISA or MC or whatever the processing entity may be.
The solution would be to hold that account number for 24 hours so that charge backs could be made in the 24 hour window, but that is a lot of held numbers and it is ripe for crazy errors given that it is WN IT.
So, they clear the number and issue the TTF linked to the date of the voucher. If they were to issue a new voucher, they likely have no way to date it to the original voucher and the system defaults to today's date.
So what? We would quickly learn, this is FT, that instead of paying to extend a voucher we need only to buy a ticket, cancel within 24 hours, and get a new voucher with a year to go.
The simple fix is to date the new voucher the same as the old. It will match the TTF expiration date. Simple IT fix, except that it is WN IT.
At least that is my guess.
Jul 10, 2015, 9:01 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: PIT, EWR
Posts: 138
Regardless, it's WN's problem...they don't appear to be in full compliance with the DOT regulation.
Aug 10, 2015, 8:55 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2009
Location: CA
Programs: AA/BA, HH/SPG
Posts: 12
Has anyone successfully either been issued a new LUV voucher or been able to apply the funds to a different passenger?
I purchased a ticket with credit card and LUV voucher and cancelled within 24 hours. The credit card was refunded; however, the LUV voucher funds were attached to the passenger as travel funds.
After speaking with two separate representatives, neither was willing to apply the funds to a different passenger.
Is my only recourse to submit a DOT claim - which may still not amount to anything?
I purchased a ticket with credit card and LUV voucher and cancelled within 24 hours. The credit card was refunded; however, the LUV voucher funds were attached to the passenger as travel funds.
After speaking with two separate representatives, neither was willing to apply the funds to a different passenger.
Is my only recourse to submit a DOT claim - which may still not amount to anything?
Aug 10, 2015, 9:02 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: PIT, EWR
Posts: 138
I booked identical itineraries for Mr. Flyallegheny and me. I booked mine using RR points and his using a LUV voucher and a little cash. Then I realized I had meant to use the opposite forms of payment for each of us. So, within 24 hours of booking, I called customer service, and they went ahead and did the switch. Took about 10 min on the phone with an agent -- he had to figure out how to do it.
So I have the itineraries that I want, but I have to make any further changes over the phone and not online (e.g., when the price dropped a week later and I re-ticketed, I needed to do that on the phone). The website won't let me change the itineraries myself.