southwest policy about changing tickets?
 

Hey all--

I usually fly United so I'm not familiar with how to go about these things with southwest so I am hoping you guys have some expertise. I made a reservation for my wife and I (internet and fun fares down and back respectively) to go from MHT to PHL, leaving on a Friday, coming back on a Sunday. I just found out I need to head to San Diego on Sunday for business and my company has put me on a flight from MHT to SAN on United that Sunday night that I am supposed to come back from PHL. I have a 6 hour window when I return--get back from PHL at 11:30, leave for SAN at 5:30 so I'm more than confident that even with delays I'll get back in plenty of time to catch my flight out west. The only thing I've decided to do is that if I see there might be bad weather in PHL or MHT that weekend, I'll bag the trip. If I bag the trip to PHL, can I get any of my money back from southwest--I'd assume I can't since it's a non-refundable ticket, but could I apply it to a different weekend?

Correct. The fares are non-refundable. However, there are no cancel or change fees on WN, so you can use all of those funds on another flight up to a year from the original date of purchase.

You can also go online and change your flight to eariler time/date if you still really want to go to Philly. Depending how far in advance that trip is the same fare could be available, even if it's this weekend, upgrade to full Y is likely not that much on a short run like that. ($102 - Fun Fare = Upgrade) No change fees.

I couldn't have said better myself. :)

You can get a refund back of the taxes ($10 or so), but the rest you'd have to apply to another ticket within a year.

** MORE QUESTIONS ON HOW TO CHANGE OR USE AT A LATER TIME THE VALUE OF A TICKET **

What if the ticket you change to is cheaper than the ticket you originally booked - what is the status of the remaining value?

E.g.-
* Can be applied to another flight, but with the same expiration date?
* Can be applied to another flight, but the expiration date is extended 1 year from the date the replacement ticket was booked?
* Or???

Also, I thought I remember in the past that an unused ticket value could be used for persons other than the original traveler or even for tickets for more than one person; don't know if my memory is correct, it has been a long time. When checking this online, it looks like that the new ticket has to be for the original traveler and the value can only be applied to one new ticket at a time - is that current policy?

And if one has to cancel the ticket before deciding on a new booking, I assume the new booking can still be made online at a later date simply by retrieving the ticket value information with the passengers name and the original booking's confirmation number, is that correct?

The remaining funds are non-refundable and retain the original expiration date: one year from original purchase.

This is correct. You need only the existing confirmation number and the name from the credit card used for the original purchase.

Correct, with the exception of credit card purchaser's name as noted above.

Originally Posted by GrizShel
Thanks! Followup q - So, if one cancels a ticket first, then at a later time tries to use the value of the canceled ticket through an online booking, it is at that time that one gets the option to use the value for multiple tickets / persons, if so desired?

Yes. On the payment page you will be given the option to apply funds from two existing confirmation numbers.

Thanks a million Crusher! I think I got this all down now, I tried to find this on the WN wicki, but I guess I was looking on the wrong page.

You don't even have to cancel, though it's helpful to others who might want to get on that flight if you do. Even if you no-show, the funds will be available for reuse the next day.