Azurik

Has anyone recently renewed a legacy RR voucher for the standard $50 fee? I tried a couple weeks ago on mine and two different reps stated it was not possible anymore due to them phasing it out?

Is this a company-wide policy? I was thinking it might have been because I renewed this particular voucher a couple times already, or that it was past its expiration by a week or so before I called to renew.

Thoughts?

ftnoob

Are you talking about an Award or a funds voucher?

If an Award, can you provide more details, starting with the date the Award expired and when it was last reissued? Generally Awards can be extended up to 12 months after expiry.

Any particular reason you didn't use the web site to extend your Award?

southwestwhit

Hi @Azuirk,

Please PM me with me details, i.e. your RR # if you are referring to a Standard Award that needs to be reissued. I can take a look at your account.

screeton

This is a related question, dealing with RR 1 awards that were "prematurely" renewed during the early RR 2 transition period when WN was stating that old RR 1 awards could NOT be renewed after being expired more than one year. (The old rule, in RR 1, was that awards could be renewed for $50, as long as the expired awards were less than 2-years post-expiration.)

I had a RR 1 award that had been expired 11.5 months as of late March 2011. Under the "reissue it or lose it" rule, I renewed, for the $50 fee, and award was reissued with late March 2012 expiration.

A few weeks later, WN revised this rule, essentially relaxing/reverting back to the 2-year grace period for reissuing expired awards. I didn't need to renew the expired RR 1 award for any reason other than to satisfy WN's one-year rule -- having several other awards already in my account.

Undoubtedly others have encountered this same problem, and started the final 1-year clock ticking on expired RR 1 awards sooner than necessary. I don't mind paying the $50 early, but I do mind losing the flexibility of having a RR 1 award that could have been held until closer to the 2-year post expiration date (March 2012, in my case) then renewed for 1 year, as the current rules provide.

Has anyone asked Southwest whether some modification to expiration date might be granted on these specific reissued awards, to minimize concerns of award holders who were making good faith effort to comply with WN rules -- rules that were modified in mid-stream, so to speak?

lougord99

Good luck. Won't happen, in my opinion.

Bushwacker

I'm confused. Can you keep the expired voucher for almost 2 years after expiration and then extend it for $50. I thought it was one year when they transitioned to RR 2.0.

ftnoob

We are all confused because the official policy is still 12 months post-transition, but unofficially and for an indefinite amount of time the 24-month period reportedly has been reinstated. This has been discussed on multiple threads.

And none of us yet knows whether the OP was referring to Awards or funds.

screeton

Is this unfortunate strategy ("unofficial and indefinite") the WN game plan going forward? I am holding a second RR1 award, which currently shows in my account as available to reissue, but which expired May 2010. I had presumed that I still have 9 months in which to pay the $50 and have it reissued. I don't want to lose the award -- but I don't immediately need it with other current awards still in my account. From the above quote, it appears that by NOT renewing it, I risk WN summarily ending the 24 month grace period and reverting back to the 1 year expiration rule.

Why can WN not provide a clear, concise and understandable explanation on this issue? It obviously affects fewer and fewer people going forward, as awards are used, but the "unofficial and indefinite" mode of operation leaves many long-time loyal WN travelers shaking their heads.

southwestwhit

As you know, when we introduced our All-New Rapid Rewards Program, Awards that had expired prior to March 1, 2010 were ineligible to be reissued. However, in response to Member feedback, we have revisited the guidelines regarding Award reissues. Currently, Awards with an expiration date within the last 24 months can be reissued by paying $50. The new Award will be valid for 12 months from the date of reissue. Travel must be completed by the new expiration date as no further Award reissues will be considered.

I apologize for any confusion; however, please know the adjustment in guidelines was made with our Members' best interest at heart.

ftnoob

southwestwhit, virtually everybody is happy that SWA heard the complaints and reinstated the 24 month rule, but confusion remains because the FAQ on southwest.com still says:
Furthermore, customers report having been told by telephone agents that the 12 month rule still applies.

It also is not clear whether the 12-month or 24-month rule will apply to Awards that were already re-issued in January or February of this year for customers who knew about and understood the rule change. We have all been assuming that 28-Feb-2014 is the last possible date to use any Standard Award. If the reversion to the 24 month rule is complete, the new last possible date would instead be 28-Feb-2015.

Can you find out when or if the stated rule on the web site is going to be changed? Until that happens we will continue to be apprehensive that the rule is unofficial and possibly temporary. That word "Currently" in your post serves to reinforce the idea that the rule change is temporary.

Bushwacker

Thank you ftnoob. I hope you can get an official answer. I have some decisions to make by September.

screeton

I am also looking for an "official" answer, and it concerns me that none seems to be forthcoming on something that should be relatively simple to resolve and explain.

In the absence of something official from SWA, it seems that we hold these expired but currently renewable RR1 awards at our peril. At some point, with little or no warning, SWA could unilaterally decide that the "grace period" is over, and start enforcing the no renewal after one year wording, just as they decided to suddenly start enforcing the rule allowing travel funds to be applied only to the ticketed passenger.

ScottCa596

When is the website going to be changed to 24 months????

screeton

Or is it going to be changed? Are we in the midst of a grace period of some unspecified length, only to find that without warning some day, our expired awards have disappeared from our account?

The inability to get a definitive answer raises more questions. I had PMed Southwestwhit over my situation a week or so ago, but have received no response to that inquiry.

HRP

This just happened to me losing 3.5 round trip awards. I get a sense Southwest will not budge and have lost the "LUV" and very likely my business. The confusion in their site on expirations should be reason enough to allow for a one time reinstatement and an apology. Obviously Loyalty only operates when it is convenient, something I will remember next time I travel. Oddly I had a similar experience with USAir and they did reinstate 150,000 miles once I completed some account activity. On a note I was on the phone making Southwest reservations (using awards and purchase) 1 week prior to the award terminations and the agent said nothing. I could have donated them to Make a Wish rather than letting them vaporize.

Seems like the TV News station would "LUV" this story.