Horrible Southwest Refund Practice
Feb 19, 2019, 6:14 pm
#47
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Tahoe
Programs: Delta DM for now
Posts: 474
You think this is a good practice??
Now I have a $200 UA travel voucher that expiring in Aug-2019. As I understand, I can use the voucher before expiration for travel any time. This is more generous than the WN's policy that the travel has to be completed before the expiration. I'm not saying UA is better than WN, but for the travel fund alone, it is better.
Now I have a $200 UA travel voucher that expiring in Aug-2019. As I understand, I can use the voucher before expiration for travel any time. This is more generous than the WN's policy that the travel has to be completed before the expiration. I'm not saying UA is better than WN, but for the travel fund alone, it is better.
Feb 19, 2019, 7:16 pm
#49
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NY State
Posts: 212
As long as we are giving a "heads up" to those that aren't familiar with WN's policies, I will add that trying find these funds was very difficult my first time. I thought it would show up in my account when I logged in, but I believe I had to have some reference number to access them.
I am sure it was explained somewhere, but I finally found the info on an old email and was able to use it. If it is still like that, keep that info easily available. If different now, please share the trick!!
I am sure it was explained somewhere, but I finally found the info on an old email and was able to use it. If it is still like that, keep that info easily available. If different now, please share the trick!!
Feb 19, 2019, 7:21 pm
#50
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,459
Not at all. You do the community a service to bring the subject up, once again. What many object to are 'horrible' and 'blindsided' . It is good that people on this forum who are not familiar with the rules, be reminded of the rules.
However, the opinion of many including myself is that this rule is not horrible.
However, the opinion of many including myself is that this rule is not horrible.
Feb 19, 2019, 8:22 pm
#51
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
Not at all. You do the community a service to bring the subject up, once again. What many object to are 'horrible' and 'blindsided' . It is good that people on this forum who are not familiar with the rules, be reminded of the rules.
However, the opinion of many including myself is that this rule is not horrible.
However, the opinion of many including myself is that this rule is not horrible.
To me, bypassing the Fed 24-hour cancellation consumer protection is horrible business practice. As quite some pointed out, this is WN's own way to extract "travel funds" from consumers to compensate itself for the cancellation fees revenues WN loses.
Feb 19, 2019, 10:11 pm
#52
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
Feb 19, 2019, 10:32 pm
#53
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Oakland CA
Programs: DL Gold, AS MVPG, Globalist
Posts: 1,008
Anytime within that year, you can purchase a new ticket anytime before end of schedule. No restrictions on traveling before the original year is out. And if you then change that ticket, you get an ETC good for another year.
Of course, you’re paying a $200 change fee each time, but there’s ways to get out of that (schedule change, etc.)
Feb 22, 2019, 7:55 am
#54
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 921
To be honest, I did not know of all this when I did the bookings. Or I would not have bothered with the re-bookings. To make it even worse, I changed the Dec-2018 booking and cancelled within two hours. Then the new $$ was comingled with the old $15 Travel Fund. I thought I'd get all payment back since this was cancelled within 24 hours.
As most of you have stated, SW has its T&C. And the SW agent was adamant of following its refund policy. She said the refund policy is much better than other major airlines. I agreed to some extend. But I figure there are just a lot of SW tiny small prints behind its "industry generous" refund policy. I just figure some of the SW advertisement is mis-leading. Consumer have to learn the hard ways....
As most of you have stated, SW has its T&C. And the SW agent was adamant of following its refund policy. She said the refund policy is much better than other major airlines. I agreed to some extend. But I figure there are just a lot of SW tiny small prints behind its "industry generous" refund policy. I just figure some of the SW advertisement is mis-leading. Consumer have to learn the hard ways....
One important question we should ask ourselves is that, who understand fully the Fed's 24-hour airline cancellation policy? I think it was erected to protect consumer to put the booking (pricing) on hold for 24-hours without incurring any penalty. WN's travel fund practice in this case clearly carries the penalty of 9 months out of the 12-month period.
So, looking around the website: If you went solely on their leading headline on their main page, then yes, I can see why you're upset. Except - it doesn't lay out anything regarding reusing the funds or their expiration at all. If you go to this page: https://www.southwest.com/html/why-fly-southwest/index.html , then it gives slightly more detail, but again, nothing regarding reusing available funds. When you get to this page: https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/purchasing-and-refunds/refund-info-pol.html , it lays out all the terms and conditions of getting refunds and the terms of refusing funds.
Now, here's the thing - other than the large headlines, all the 'small print' you're complaining about is the same size from page to page. In fact, if anything, Southwest helpfully bolds the section header. I mean, look at this:
For nonrefundable reservations within 24 hours of booking:
- If you call or cancel online at Southwest.com within 24 hours of booking, Southwest will offer you the option of refunding the airfare back to the original form of payment, or retaining the credit to be used toward future travel. If you purchased all or part of the reservation using a Southwest gift card or a Southwest LUV Voucher and cancelled the reservation within 24 hours of booking, contact Customer Relations.
But more importantly, this is what I took away from this comment: You just jumped on, wrote a lengthy complaint, and was 'surprised' at the police and some of the responses. You didn't look at anything anyone else may have said in the past...you just wrote your comments. What did you do when you wanted to cancel and refare your tickets with Southwest? You didn't look at anything on the website in regards to their policies....you just did what you wanted to do.
Your entire beef with Southwest had nothing to do with their "small print". You've demonstrated a history of just doing something without even a shred of basic research to see what you actually need to do to successfully accomplish what you're trying to do!
Feb 22, 2019, 8:19 am
#55
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
On FT "fine print" does not mean a small font, but any language which disfavors the position being discussed.
At the same time, WN's 24-hour refund policy is 100% in compliance with federal law. In fact, it exceeds what is required.
At the same time, WN's 24-hour refund policy is 100% in compliance with federal law. In fact, it exceeds what is required.
Feb 22, 2019, 9:11 am
#56
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Feb 22, 2019, 11:44 am
#58
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Feb 22, 2019, 11:59 am
#59
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
Feb 22, 2019, 12:28 pm
#60
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Location: DCA
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For nonrefundable reservations within 24 hours of booking:
- If you call or cancel online at Southwest.com within 24 hours of booking, Southwest will offer you the option of refunding the airfare back to the original form of payment, or retaining the credit to be used toward future travel. If you purchased all or part of the reservation using a Southwest gift card or a Southwest LUV Voucher and cancelled the reservation within 24 hours of booking, contact Customer Relations.