willywilkes

This is the part that makes it all unknown to me. I know their tech teams are likely already working on this and how knows how they will implement, but my hunch given that TTFs historically always expired 1 year from initial booking, is that on the backend a "travel fund" is created at time of booking, not at time of cancellation, and thus simply cancelling a flight during the window does not automatically mean it will be extended out.

Now I do think that if someone had a TTF expiring in August, booked a flight for May, cancelled it, and it wasn't auto extended, there is a good chance that customer service will extend because there is a case to be made about the statement (maybe only 6 months since its "goodwill" ) but I am not sure the technical fix will do it automatically.

lougord99

That clearly does not happen. If you book a ticket and then change it to a cheaper fare you only get a TTF for the difference.

NoStressHere

I have read your post three times, along with the referenced post. I have no idea what you are saying.

But, I would agree, if you reprice to a lower price, your get a travel fund for the difference. Generally, any travel fund is tied to the date of the BOOKING which is what the earlier poster was saying. Some think it is tied to the flight date, or the change date.

P.S. Sometimes I am slow, so help me....

lougord99

The poster thought that a flight fund was created internally at the time of booking. That clearly does not happen. Flight funds are created at the time of change or cancel.

Travelchurner

I have $600 in travel funds that expire in Jan 2021..I can't use these now or within the next few months.

I think I should get an extension on this also..

NoStressHere

I agree. And MAYBE you will, maybe you will not.

Some folks have booked a flight during the "announced dates, then cancelled it" in hopes it falls into the new rules. Best of luck.

ursine1

Use them to book a flight(s) before June 30, 2020 and then cancel that flight(s), and your expiration will be extended to June 30, 2021. Note that you won't see the updated expiration date in your account just yet.

huge

Updated today:

Canceling your Southwest flight – Updated April 16, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. CT.

If you decide not to travel, as long as you cancel your flight at least 10 minutes before its scheduled departure, the funds used to pay for a nonrefundable ticket (Wanna Get Away® fares) are normally valid for one year from the date of purchase.

However, in recognition of the current travel environment, we are extending the expiration date of some travel funds:

• Customers’ funds that have expired or will expire between March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020, will now expire September 7, 2022.
• Any travel funds created because you cancel a flight between March 1 – September 7, 2020, will expire September 7, 2022.

It can take up to five business days for the new expiration date to appear in your account. It will also take our Technology Team a few days to make these changes.

It’s important to note, while these unused travel funds will be available until September 7, 2022, once the funds are used to make a purchase, the expiration date of the travel funds will then follow our normal ticketing rules and will expire 12 months from the date of purchase.

expert7700

so if a booking with the generous 2022 expiration funds is changed or repriced, it may go back in time? i.e. spend 9/7/22 funds on july 1 2020, and if they will show an expiration date of july 1 2021?

​​​​​also, does "follow our normal ticketing rules" mean they expire the EARLIER of 1 year from date of booking, or funds expiration date.

will a booking date 6/1/22 means that funds and any new $ that you co-mingle get short dated, and keep the same expiration 9/7/22?

ursine1

Newer thread discussing details here: Extensions of Elite Status, CP, Travel funds, and option to convert funds to points

In answer to your questions: It's still unclear at this point. I'm not sure Southwest thought through all the details before announcing this. And/or the details will be dependent upon how the technology people actually implement things.

I suspect that, 1) Yes, since they say that funds will expire in a year once you book a flight, you lose the Sept. 7, 2022 expiration when you use the funds. 2) Also yes, anything booked anytime after Sept. 7, 2021 will expire Sept. 7, 2022. Otherwise, you'd be able to extend funds until Sept. 6, 2023 (by booking/cancelling on Sept. 6, 2022), and that seems very unlikely.

Hopefully some answers to these (and a host of other questions generated by the new policies) will be coming soon.

peanutsplease

This seems to be already answered with an example on this page:

https://www.southwest.com/Coronaviru...A&cbid=4348124

It’s important to note, while these unused travel funds will be available until September 7, 2022, once the funds are used to make a purchase, the expiration date of the travel funds will then follow our normal ticketing rules and will expire 12 months from the date of purchase.

For example:

• Your original unused travel funds with confirmation number OLD111 expired on March 19, 2020.
• These unused travel funds were extended to an expiration date of September 7, 2022.
• You use some of those funds on August 1, 2020 to book new travel in September under confirmation number NEW111.
• If for some reason you need to cancel this new flight, your unused travel funds associated with confirmation number NEW111 will be valid for 12 months from the booking date which means they will expire August 1, 2021.
• Any remaining unused travel funds tied to OLD111 will be available through September 7, 2022.

ursine1

That answers the first part, but not what happens when you book a flight on August 1, 2022.

libralibra

The 4th bullet seems pretty unequivocal:

If this sentence was given to a programmer to implement, then that will be the way the funds work exactly.

But if the programmer explained to the manager how it worked with the additional detail of not extending past 9/7/22, who then relays it to a doc writer, you just might get the same sentence!

ursine1

While it is absolutely up to the programmers to figure out how to implement this, I strongly doubt you'll be able to extend these already-entended travel funds well into 2023.

lililolo

I canceled my ticket on 2/7/2020 for travel in 5/13/2020. My travel fund expires 2/7/2021. I doubt I will be able to use it before then. I read in the thread that someone suggested to use the fund to book another flight in April/may and immediate cancel, that would push the expiration date to 2022. My questions are:

1. how immediate is immediate, within 24 hours?

2. If I cancel the new reservation I just made with the travel fund that expires 2/7/2021, will the credit go back to the original expiration date of 2/7/2021? Or I will get a new expiration date 09/2022?

3. I just checked my account, my other travel funds that expire 10/1/2020 have been extended to 09/2022 but the one expires 2/7/2021 remains the same.

pleaae advise, thanks.