Rules Governing Travel Funds
Dec 11, 2019, 2:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 41
Rules Governing Travel Funds
I apologize in advance for this question. I suspect it has been asked before but I have been unable to locate an answer so far, and the rules are a bit confusing to me.
I booked a Wanna Get Away fare (flight #1 ) a few months ago and had to cancel. I am intersted in using the Travel Funds from the original flight on a new Wanna Get Away flight today (flight #2 ), but there is a chance that I may need to cancel this one too. If I cancel flight #2 , can I still use the travel fund toward a third Wanna Get Away flight (flight #3 ) or do the funds from flight #1 become un-refundable upon bookiung flight #2 ?
Thanks!
I booked a Wanna Get Away fare (flight #1 ) a few months ago and had to cancel. I am intersted in using the Travel Funds from the original flight on a new Wanna Get Away flight today (flight #2 ), but there is a chance that I may need to cancel this one too. If I cancel flight #2 , can I still use the travel fund toward a third Wanna Get Away flight (flight #3 ) or do the funds from flight #1 become un-refundable upon bookiung flight #2 ?
Thanks!
Last edited by hbcobra; Dec 11, 2019 at 3:33 pm Reason: Additional detail
Dec 11, 2019, 3:46 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: California
Posts: 1,129
Your plan mostly sounds fine with rebooking over and over again, but travel funds have an expiration date which is the original purchase date, not the date of the original flight.
Will the travel funds expire prior to flight #2 ?
Do you have to put in additional funds for flight #2 ? Any new funds will be tainted with the original expiration date.
Is there enough time prior to expiration for flight #3 if you cancel flight #2 ?
Will the travel funds expire prior to flight #2 ?
Do you have to put in additional funds for flight #2 ? Any new funds will be tainted with the original expiration date.
Is there enough time prior to expiration for flight #3 if you cancel flight #2 ?
Dec 11, 2019, 3:49 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 41
Your plan mostly sounds fine with rebooking over and over again, but travel funds have an expiration date which is the original purchase date, not the date of the original flight.
Will the travel funds expire prior to flight #2 ?
Do you have to put in additional funds for flight #2 ? Any new funds will be tainted with the original expiration date.
Is there enough time prior to expiration for flight #3 if you cancel flight #2 ?
Will the travel funds expire prior to flight #2 ?
Do you have to put in additional funds for flight #2 ? Any new funds will be tainted with the original expiration date.
Is there enough time prior to expiration for flight #3 if you cancel flight #2 ?
Dec 11, 2019, 4:05 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Westchester Co, NY or Rio Grande Valley, TX or ???
Programs: BAEC G, WN A-, Hyatt G, HH G, MAR T, Hz PC, was [UA2P, FL A+Elite, BD G]
Posts: 2,271
I apologize in advance for this question. I suspect it has been asked before but I have been unable to locate an answer so far, and the rules are a bit confusing to me.
I booked a Wanna Get Away fare (flight #1 ) a few months ago and had to cancel. I am intersted in using the Travel Funds from the original flight on a new Wanna Get Away flight today (flight #2 ), but there is a chance that I may need to cancel this one too. If I cancel flight #2 , can I still use the travel fund toward a third Wanna Get Away flight (flight #3 ) or do the funds from flight #1 become un-refundable upon bookiung flight #2 ?
Thanks!
I booked a Wanna Get Away fare (flight #1 ) a few months ago and had to cancel. I am intersted in using the Travel Funds from the original flight on a new Wanna Get Away flight today (flight #2 ), but there is a chance that I may need to cancel this one too. If I cancel flight #2 , can I still use the travel fund toward a third Wanna Get Away flight (flight #3 ) or do the funds from flight #1 become un-refundable upon bookiung flight #2 ?
Thanks!
The only issue is that any travel funds must be used on a flight that is flown one year or less from the earliest date that any of the funds were first given to Southwest.
Example:
- You booked WGA flight #1 on July 15th 2019 for $150. (Say this flight was scheduled for November, it doesn't matter to this example.)
- You cancelled WGA flight #1 on August 10th 2019; the $150 travel funds created must be used on a flight flown by July 15th 2020 (one year from when the $ was first given to Southwest).
- On September 20th you booked WGA flight #2 for a cost of $170, using the $150 travel funds plus another $20. Flight #2 departs sometime in January (timing again not really relevant).
- On December 25th you decide to cancel WGA flight #2 .
- Under the above circumstances you would now have new travel funds of $170 which would still need to all be used by July 15th 2020.
- IF you had used all new funds (not travel funds) for flight #2 then you would now have a $150 credit that must be used by July 15th 2020 (from flight #1 ) along with a $170 credit that must be used by September 20, 2020 (from flight #2 ).
Again "used by" means "flown on a flight" by that date, NOT "booked a flight" by that date. Also, the person for whom the original ticket was purchased is the only person who can use those travel funds. It used to be the case that travel funds created from a ticket cancelled in my name could be used to purchase a ticket for my sister (or anyone else), but that has not been the case for many years.
The number of times that travel funds are used to book a flight is irrelevant; what matters is whether or not all travel funds are used on a ticket for a flight flown no later than one year from the earliest date that any portion of those travel funds were first given to Southwest.
I hope this helps!
Dec 11, 2019, 4:10 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 41
You can use the travel funds created from cancelling WGA flight #2 for a WGA flight #3 even if flight #2 was funded by travel funds created from cancelling flight #1 (and so on for a 4th flight, 5th flight, etc.)
The only issue is that any travel funds must be used on a flight that is flown one year or less from the earliest date that any of the funds were first given to Southwest.
Example:
- You booked WGA flight #1 on July 15th 2019 for $150. (Say this flight was scheduled for November, it doesn't matter to this example.)
- You cancelled WGA flight #1 on August 10th 2019; the $150 travel funds created must be used on a flight flown by July 15th 2020 (one year from when the $ was first given to Southwest).
- On September 20th you booked WGA flight #2 for a cost of $170, using the $150 travel funds plus another $20. Flight #2 departs sometime in January (timing again not really relevant).
- On December 25th you decide to cancel WGA flight #2 .
- Under the above circumstances you would now have new travel funds of $170 which would still need to all be used by July 15th 2020.
- IF you had used all new funds (not travel funds) for flight #2 then you would now have a $150 credit that must be used by July 15th 2020 (from flight #1 ) along with a $170 credit that must be used by September 20, 2020 (from flight #2 ).
Again "used by" means "flown on a flight" by that date, NOT "booked a flight" by that date. Also, the person for whom the original ticket was purchased is the only person who can use those travel funds. It used to be the case that travel funds created from a ticket cancelled in my name could be used to purchase a ticket for my sister (or anyone else), but that has not been the case for many years.
The number of times that travel funds are used to book a flight is irrelevant; what matters is whether or not all travel funds are used on a ticket for a flight flown no later than one year from the earliest date that any portion of those travel funds were first given to Southwest.
I hope this helps!
The only issue is that any travel funds must be used on a flight that is flown one year or less from the earliest date that any of the funds were first given to Southwest.
Example:
- You booked WGA flight #1 on July 15th 2019 for $150. (Say this flight was scheduled for November, it doesn't matter to this example.)
- You cancelled WGA flight #1 on August 10th 2019; the $150 travel funds created must be used on a flight flown by July 15th 2020 (one year from when the $ was first given to Southwest).
- On September 20th you booked WGA flight #2 for a cost of $170, using the $150 travel funds plus another $20. Flight #2 departs sometime in January (timing again not really relevant).
- On December 25th you decide to cancel WGA flight #2 .
- Under the above circumstances you would now have new travel funds of $170 which would still need to all be used by July 15th 2020.
- IF you had used all new funds (not travel funds) for flight #2 then you would now have a $150 credit that must be used by July 15th 2020 (from flight #1 ) along with a $170 credit that must be used by September 20, 2020 (from flight #2 ).
Again "used by" means "flown on a flight" by that date, NOT "booked a flight" by that date. Also, the person for whom the original ticket was purchased is the only person who can use those travel funds. It used to be the case that travel funds created from a ticket cancelled in my name could be used to purchase a ticket for my sister (or anyone else), but that has not been the case for many years.
The number of times that travel funds are used to book a flight is irrelevant; what matters is whether or not all travel funds are used on a ticket for a flight flown no later than one year from the earliest date that any portion of those travel funds were first given to Southwest.
I hope this helps!
Dec 11, 2019, 5:19 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 41
Slight correction on the example dates: (I'm not certain if this is a leap year counting issue with Southwest platform or not. But if you booked a WGA ticket today and cancel asking for the funds to the held in a TTF the expiration date on the really neat new"My Travel Funds" tab displays an expiration date one day short of 1 year from today.)
(edited example below)
(edited example below)
You can use the travel funds created from canceling WGA flight #2 for a WGA flight #3 even if flight #2 was funded by travel funds created from canceling flight #1 (and so on for a 4th flight, 5th flight, etc.)
The only issue is that any travel funds must be used on a flight that is flown one year or less from the earliest date that any of the funds were first given to Southwest.
Example:
- You booked WGA flight #1 on July 15th, 2019 for $150. (Say this flight was scheduled for November, it doesn't matter to this example.)
- You canceled WGA flight #1 on August 10th, 2019; the $150 travel funds created must be used on a flight flown by July1514th 2020 (one year from when the $ was first given to Southwest).
- On September 20th you booked WGA flight #2 for a cost of $170, using the $150 travel funds plus another $20. Flight #2 departs sometime in January (timing again not really relevant).
- On December 25th you decide to cancel WGA flight #2 .
- Under the above circumstances, you would now have new travel funds of $170 which would still need to all be used by July1514 2020.
- IF you had used all new funds (not travel funds) for flight #2 then you would now have a $150 credit that must be used by July1514 2020 (from flight #1 ) along with a $170 credit that must be used by September 20, 2020 (from flight #2 ).
Again "used by" means "flown on a flight" by that date, NOT "booked a flight" by that date. Also, the person for whom the original ticket was purchased is the only person who can use those travel funds. It used to be the case that travel funds created from a ticket canceled in my name could be used to purchase a ticket for my sister (or anyone else), but that has not been the case for many years.
The number of times that travel funds are used to book a flight is irrelevant; what matters is whether or not all travel funds are used on a ticket for a flight flown no later than one year from the earliest date that any portion of those travel funds were first given to Southwest.
The only issue is that any travel funds must be used on a flight that is flown one year or less from the earliest date that any of the funds were first given to Southwest.
Example:
- You booked WGA flight #1 on July 15th, 2019 for $150. (Say this flight was scheduled for November, it doesn't matter to this example.)
- You canceled WGA flight #1 on August 10th, 2019; the $150 travel funds created must be used on a flight flown by July
- On September 20th you booked WGA flight #2 for a cost of $170, using the $150 travel funds plus another $20. Flight #2 departs sometime in January (timing again not really relevant).
- On December 25th you decide to cancel WGA flight #2 .
- Under the above circumstances, you would now have new travel funds of $170 which would still need to all be used by July
- IF you had used all new funds (not travel funds) for flight #2 then you would now have a $150 credit that must be used by July
Again "used by" means "flown on a flight" by that date, NOT "booked a flight" by that date. Also, the person for whom the original ticket was purchased is the only person who can use those travel funds. It used to be the case that travel funds created from a ticket canceled in my name could be used to purchase a ticket for my sister (or anyone else), but that has not been the case for many years.
The number of times that travel funds are used to book a flight is irrelevant; what matters is whether or not all travel funds are used on a ticket for a flight flown no later than one year from the earliest date that any portion of those travel funds were first given to Southwest.