southwest extension of travel funds

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How to Use Southwest Travel Funds

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Southwest is one of the most popular airlines to fly in the U.S., partially because it offers a generous cancellation and flight change policy. However, depending upon the ticket you buy, you may receive travel funds instead of a cash refund in the event your flight plans change.

Here's how to use Southwest travel funds.

How do you get Southwest travel funds?

Thanks to its no-fee change/cancellation policy, Southwest provides a full refund or issues travel funds to your account. To benefit from this generous policy, you must cancel your flight at least 10 minutes before departure.

Here’s how to determine what kind of refund you’ll get:

You get a full refund to your original payment method when you book Anytime or Business Select tickets.

You get travel funds when you book Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus tickets. If you use Rapid Rewards points, they will be returned to your Southwest account. Any refunded taxes will go to your travel funds.

Business Select and Anytime fares offer the most flexibility, but they also cost more than Wanna Get Away fares. Wanna Get Away fares, on the other hand, offer the lowest prices. But if you need to cancel or choose to rebook to a lower-priced flight , your only choice is to receive travel funds — cash refunds aren't on the table.

» Learn more: Southwest Rapid Rewards program: the complete guide

Where can you see your travel funds balance?

When you log in to your Rapid Rewards loyalty account, your travel funds appear at the top of the "My Account" screen.

This shows the total available travel funds that you have, but it does not provide the details. You need to click on "View Details" to see the balance of the individual travel fund reservations. Here, you find the expiration date and balance for each reservation. As of July 28, 2022, any unexpired funds and any funds created from there on out will no longer expire. Southwest is updating their system, so for the time being, an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2040, will be displayed in the expiration field. Eventually, that field will go away altogether.

If you don't have a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards account, booked a flight that didn't have your loyalty number attached to it or have travel funds from a special purchase ticket, then you'll need to track them manually. Signing up for a Rapid Rewards account is free to do.

Unfortunately, you cannot manually add travel funds to your profile. To track your travel funds manually, visit the " Check Travel Funds " page on Southwest's website. You'll need to provide the passenger's first and last name plus the confirmation number from the reservation. On this page, you can also check the balance of Southwest LUV vouchers and gift cards.

» Learn more: Don't just redeem miles — redeem them wisely. Here's how

What can I do if my travel funds have expired?

While unexpired funds and newly created funds no longer have an expiration date as of July 28, 2022, what if you have travel funds that expired just before this change in policy? According to the Southwest Community message boards, your one hope is to call customer service within six months of the expiration and ask them to reinstate your travel funds as a LUV voucher. The LUV voucher will be good for another six months from the date of your call. Southwest charges $100 for this one-time extension and it comes out of your travel funds.

» Learn more: Southwest Airlines sweet spots

What can Southwest travel funds be used for?

Travel funds from Southwest can be used to book any available cash flight or to pay for the taxes and fees on award flights. They are treated like cash and can be used to pay for some or all of the amount owed. If you don't use all of the travel funds for the reservation, any remaining balance remains for future use.

» Learn more: Your guide to booking award flights on Southwest

Can I use Southwest travel fund for someone else?

Your travel funds can be transferred to someone else with a Rapid Rewards account if you bought a a Business Select , Anytime or Wanna Get Away Plus fare. That person would have to book their own flight using the travel fund, though. You won't be able to use your travel fund to book for someone else. Wanna Get Away fares are not eligible to transferred, so they can only be used by the ticketed passenger.

4 steps to book a flight with Southwest travel funds

Your travel funds can be used to book flights online, over the phone or at a Southwest Airlines ticket counter. For this illustration, we'll focus on booking a reservation online.

1. Have your original ticket confirmation number handy

Before booking a reservation, print out or write down the travel funds reservation number(s) that you'd like to use. Southwest's website does not allow you to choose from a list during booking.

2. Browse and select your flights

During the booking process, you'll select your travel dates, cities and times as normal.

3. Apply your travel funds

When you arrive at the "Passenger & Payment Info" page, click to expand the "Apply Travel Funds, LUV Vouchers and gift cards" section. Here is where you'll enter your travel funds' confirmation number and your first and last name before clicking "Apply funds." Then, continue the booking process as normal and pay any remaining balance owed with your preferred form of payment, such as the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card .

Again, you may use your travel funds for cash fares or to pay the taxes and fees on award tickets.

Remember, travel funds from other passengers may not be applied to your ticket.

4. Get confirmation

Now that you've filled out all of the necessary information and remitted payment with your travel fund, you should see a confirmation email pop up in your inbox.

» Learn more: Is a Southwest credit card worth it?

Using Southwest travel funds

Southwest travel funds are typically created when you cancel or change a Wanna Get Away reservation. They are automatically added to your account when you attach your Rapid Rewards number to the reservation before it is canceled. These funds can be used to book cash or award travel, and any unused amount from your new reservation can be used on a future flight.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

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No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Travel Funds, Refunds, & Reimbursements

Related articles, search our help options and faqs.

UponArriving

Southwest Travel Funds (Expiration, How to use, Etc.) [2021]

Sometimes you need to cancel a flight or you just flat out miss a flight with Southwest. In those instances, all hope is not lost and all of your value is not lost either. That is because you will likely be issued Southwest travel funds (depending on the type of ticket that you purchased).

In this comprehensive article, I will show you everything you need to know about Southwest travel funds. I’ll discuss how you get them, how to use them, and important details like when they expire. I will also touch on gift cards and LUV vouchers for added clarification.

Table of Contents

What are Southwest travel funds?

Southwest travel funds are special funds that usually get issued when you are given a refunded credit for your Southwest flight. Southwest travel funds are different from gift card balances and Southwest LUV vouchers and I’ll discuss those below for added clarification.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Best Southwest credit cards

Southwest airlines rapid rewards premier card.

The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Card comes with the following benefits:

• No foreign transaction fees
• 6,000 anniversary points ( learn more )
• Earn 1,500 Tier-Qualifying Points for every $10,000 in purchases, up to 15,000 Tier-Qualifying Points each calendar year
• $99 Annual fee

Southwest Airlines Priority Card

The Southwest Airlines Priority Card comes with all of the benefits offered below:

• 2X Rapid Rewards on Southwest purchases
• 2X Rapid Rewards on hotel and car rental partner purchases.
• 1X Rapid Rewards on all other purchases
• $75 Southwest annual travel credit ( learn more )
• 7,500 anniversary points each year
• Four Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
• 20% back on in-flight drinks, WiFi, messaging, and movies
• Earn tier qualifying points towards A-list Status
• $149 annual fee applied to your first billing statement

How to get Southwest travel funds

Typically, you will get Southwest travel funds whenever you cancel a flight or you fail to show up for a flight (a “no show”).

One of the most common ways to get Southwest travel funds is to receive a credit for your canceled flight.

Southwest Airlines has one of the most generous cancellation policies out of any major airline in the US. They allow you to change your flights with no additional fee (up to 1 hour prior to departure) and allow you to cancel your flight up to 10 minutes prior to the departure time.

Anytime fare or a Business Select fare

If you purchased an Anytime fare or a Business Select fare then you can cancel up to 10 minutes prior to the departure time and receive a full refund. However, if you fail to cancel your flight you will be issued Southwest travel funds in place of that refund.

Wanna-Get-Away fare

If you purchased a Wanna-Get-Away fare you are not allowed to receive a full cash refund. Instead, you will receive Southwest travel funds whenever you cancel your ticket at least 10 minutes prior to departure. But keep in mind that if you fail to show up for your flight and don’t cancel your ticket at least 10 minutes prior to departure, you will not be issued any type of credit at anytime and you will lose all of your travel funds. 

Award reservations

If you had an award reservation then your Rapid Rewards will be deposited back into your account. However, any taxes and fees associated with your reward travel reservation will be held for future use in the form of reusable travel funds under the name of the traveler(s).

Also keep in mind that if you purchase Southwest EarlyBird, that is a nonrefundable purchase and you will not receive travel funds for that. To find out more about Southwest EarlyBird click here .

2020 Coronavirus travel funds update 

Extended expiration.

If you purchased a nonrefundable fare (such as a Wanna-Get-Away fare) for travel between March 1 and September 7, 2020 and you cancel your flight “in accordance with Southwest’s No Show Policy,” you will receive travel funds good through September 7, 2022.

However, once you use those travel funds for a purchase they will then expire one year from the date of purchase.

So for example if you redeemed travel funds on July 1, 2021 then those travel funds would expire July 1, 2022.

Travel funds with an expiration date of September 7, 2022, can be converted into Rapid Rewards points at the same rate you would be able to purchase a ticket with points today.

You must request to convert your travel fund by December 15, 2020.

Southwest gift cards

Southwest gift cards can be purchased from the Southwest website at anytime  or you can purchase them via phone by calling Southwest Airlines at 1-800-IFLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792).

You can choose any amount between $10 dollars and $10,000 dollars so the range is quite extreme. (Orders exceeding $1,000 can be made by printing the  Southwest gift card order form  and following the directions provided.)

You can also choose to have these gift cards delivered via email, or you can have them sent via mail. But note that if you were getting them sent via the mail, you will have to pay the shipping fees. If you prefer, you can also expedite the shipping of these gift cards.

A Southwest gift card is NOT valid for the purchase of:

• Southwest Airlines Vacation Packages
• Rental cars
• Southwest Airlines Merchandise
• EarlyBird Check-In
• Additional Southwest gift cards
• In-flight purchases

Related: How much are Southwest points worth?

Southwest LUV Vouchers

Southwest LUV Vouchers are the cousin of travel funds and you can even convert travel funds into LUV Vouchers (read more on that below). 

LUV Vouchers are valid as a form of payment toward future airfare only on Southwest Airlines through Southwest.com , toll-free Reservations 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792), or at any Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter.

Southwest LUV Vouchers are not redeemable as:

• Payment toward Government-imposed segment fees
• Excise taxes
• Passenger Facility Charges
• September 11th Security Fees or
• Payment toward miscellaneous charges
• Southwest Airlines Group tickets
• Southwest Airlines Vacations packages
• or travel either wholly or in part on other air carriers.

When do Southwest travel funds expire?

Southwest travel funds will expire one year from the purchase date (booking date) of the original flight. This is a huge thing to know because some people assume that the expiration date is one year from the date of travel, which is not the case.

Southwest Airlines does not offer free extensions for the expiration date for travel funds. However, you still might be able to get them to extend the expiration date of your travel funds. This will likely come at a cost of though.

Travel funds expire date extension

Many people extend the expiration date for their travel funds after paying a $100 reinstatement fee. The travel funds are then converted into LUV vouchers when the reinstatement takes place.

You may only have 6 months to request the reinstatement and you must make your request after your travel funds expire. Also, the LUV voucher may only be valid for 6 months from issue so inquire about its expiration date. 

Sometimes Southwest has reduced the value of the travel funds when they are reinstated so be on the lookout for that.

The good thing about getting a LUV voucher is that you should be able to use that for anybody. So in some instances, it could be very well worth it to pay $100 so that you can apply those funds to a different traveler. 

If your funds have already expired, then I highly suggest that you call and inquire about all of the above possibilities. If the phone representative is not willing to budge, then I suggest that you try calling back later and speaking with another representative.

Note that it is possible that the policies regarding reinstated travel funds are subject to change at anytime so always be prepared for alternative measures!

What about gift cards and vouchers?

Unlike Southwest travel funds, the gift cards do not expire.

However, Southwest LUV Vouchers must be redeemed and all travel completed by the expiration date indicated. If applied in conjunction with any other accepted form(s) of payment, the earliest expiration date of all payments applies.

Southwest will often grant extensions for LUV vouchers but will usually refuse an extension if that LUV voucher was received as a result of getting an extension from your travel funds expiration date. However, if you were given a LUV voucher because of some sort of customer service issue, then you will likely be granted at least one extension for the expiration date.

How to check/view your Southwest travel funds

If you would like to check the status of your Southwest travel funds then simply log-in to your Southwest account and then click on “My Account.” You will then see “My travel funds” at the top and you’ll just need to click on “View Travel Funds.” 

You can also do so by clicking here. You will need to have your confirmation number and the passengers first and last name. On that website, you can also check the balance of your Southwest gift card and vouchers.

If you do not have your flight details, you might run into some resistance because Southwest does state that you need this information to look up your travel funds:

Customers calling Southwest to request a refund or to research travel funds for a specific ticket must provide their confirmation number, ticket number or flight information (date, origin and destination).

How to use and apply Southwest travel funds

It is very simple to use your Southwest travel funds.

When you are getting ready to complete the booking of your flight, you should see a button on the checkout screen under the Payment method window for Travel Funds. You will want to click that and then enter in the confirmation number and passenger name from the reservation of the canceled or unused flight.

Keep in mind that the passenger name must match the name of the traveler on the new flight perfectly. You cannot use Southwest travel funds for someone else. You also cannot transfer your travel funds to someone else.

As Southwest states:

Travel Funds from an unused or cancelled reservation may only be applied toward the purchase of future travel for the individual named on the ticket.

But keep in mind the possible exception where you convert your travel funds into LUV vouchers. That route comes with a cost and some risk, but if it works out it can be a way to get around the transferability rule.

Southwest travel funds FAQ

If you do not know your confirmation number, then try to search your inbox for Southwest emails. You should have been given an email at the time of booking containing your confirmation number. The subject line will usually state “Your reservation is confirmed.” You might also be able to locate the confirmation number by logging into your Southwest account and clicking on your past activity which you find under “My Trips.” If all else fails then consider calling the following phone number: 1-800-435-9792 (1-800 I FLY SWA).

You should note that you can only use these funds for airfare or for Southwest vacation packages. They cannot be applied for other purchases like in-flight purchases, Southwest Earlybird, and other random airline incidentals.

A lot of people don’t have use for their travel funds and they want to know if they can convert the travel funds into cash money. The answer to this question is no. If Southwest allowed customers to do that, it would honestly defeat the entire purpose of issuing travel credits in the first place so it is understandable that they do not allow this.

It is possible that when you go to apply your Southwest travel funds that they will not work. If that is the case, then I suggest calling up Southwest right away and explaining to them that you believe that you have travel funds that should be applied and that they are not working during the checkout process.

If you would like to check the status of your Southwest travel funds then simply log-in to your Southwest account and then click on “My Account.” You will then see “My travel funds” at the top and you’ll just need to click on “View Travel Funds.” 

When you are getting ready to complete the booking of your flight, you should see a button on the checkout screen under the Payment method window for Travel Funds. Click that and then enter in the confirmation number and passenger name from the reservation of the canceled or unused flight.

Southwest is one of the most generous airlines when it comes to changing flights and canceling your flights. Receiving Southwest travel funds for your cancellations and no show instances can be a great way to not miss out on a lot value. Just make sure that you stay on top of tracking the expiration date for your funds so that you properly use them in time.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo . He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio .

23 comments

Hi, I tried to get my travel funds reinstated within the 6months period(by deducting 100), but they were not ready to do it, I have an other travel funds which is about to expire, I booked something and cancelled due to the corona virus scare, though I explained my situation about it, they were not ready to do it.I have been traveling via southwest from past 10 years, even though they were not ready to do it.They would have updated the funds on the app long back.Its so confusing with so many promotional emails from southwest.

So just to make sure, did you make your request after your travel funds expired or before?

I have 2 travel funds, one of them got expired in dec2019, and the other one is expiring on march 22nd 2020.So I requested for both.

The southwest site says you CAN use travel funds for southwest vacations. https://www.southwestvacations.com/deals/benefits-of-booking-southwest-vacations?clk=GSUBNAV-VAC-WHYBK&intcmp=GSUBNAV-VAC-WHYBK

Thanks for that. I’ve updated the article to clarify.

Question that may be very pertinent to this. I had small amount of travel funds to use ($20) which were expiring on 8/15/20. I just applied those to a new flight I just purchased last month (say 2/15/20). With the COVID-19 situation prices continue to drop and I noticed the new flight now is $34 less so I changed to get that $34 credit.

However, now when I look at my Travel funds, I do see the $34, but the expiry date is 8/15/20 (not 2/14/21 which is what I was expecting). It appears since I used that old Travel fund of $20, it is now applying that original expiry date to my new Travel funds. Is this how it should work? I could not find anything on this but it is important to know. It may not be worth to use those small travel fund amounts if they are expiring soon since any future larger credit you may get won’t have a long life.

I would be surprised that SWA would do this (the ticket I bought on 2/15 was $200 – so saying that when I applied that $20 travel fund to it, making that original ticket date be the new expiration date seems silly).

I have the same issue. On 2/20/2020 I booked a flight for this coming weekend using a credit card and a small travel fund balance that was set to expire on 7/16/2020. I’ve now cancelled that flight for obvious reasons, but the website shows the full amount (not the just the amount on the original travel fund) expires on 7/16/2020. Is this a glitch, or by design? If it’s supposed to work like that, then like the other poster wrote, be careful if you book a flight using a combination of travel funds and credit card…if you cancel that flight, you won’t get a full year credit on the amount you paid by credit card…

I recently (March 13,2020) had to make a change in travel. I did not have a computer access and call wait times were in excess of 90 minutes. I COULD NOT use my travel funds on the SOUTHWEST Android app. That is such a huge limitation. I could not load a desktop site on my phone.

Travelers should be aware of the limitation in using Travel Funds is ONLY AVAILABLE via the FULL SOUTHWEST.COM desktop site. Not their mobile app.

Southwest “should” fix this arbitrary limitation.

Excellent information! I canceled my trip last week due to the virus. I had purchased two tickets. When I book my next flight, I will obviously use the travel funds for my ticket. Will I be able to use those travel funds for the other person’s ticket…….she had a ticket on the canceled flight? I tried to call the airline for this question, but the wait time was long.

Travel funds are credited back to the passenger name on the original ticket. No one may use that credit except the original passenger. So if you bought three tickets for three different passengers, then each passenger will have a separate credit listed under their Specific name And under that confirmation code.

If you have travel funds that expire June 1, 2020 to you have to actually fly by June 1, 2020 or just book your next trip by then?

I was wondering the same thing. Have you found out the answer to this yet?

I am wondering that same thing. If my travel funds expire in April 2021, can I use them for a flight in June 2021?

I need to use my “credit” by March 13, 2021 from a cancelled flight. Can i book a ticket for later in the year or do I actually have to fly by March 13?

I do not understand why if I pay for tickets for other family members and they can’t be used, why I can not get the voucher back in my account? It really just doesn’t seem fair!

I purchased tickets for travel for my wife and me to fly to Hawaii last October. Due to personal reasons we could not go at that time. I promised my wife I would take her this past spring but due to the Covid outbreak you are not allowed to travel to Hawaii without quarantining for 2 weeks. My funds expire in October 2020 so basically I will lose my money unless I use the funds for other travel which I do not want to do until the Covid risk lessens. We are elderly and have other health problems so SWA is basically telling us to travel somewhere we don’t need or want to go and in the process risk our lives. What an airline!! By the way I have taken over 700 flights on SWA over the years and have been a loyal customer. As a result I will fly SWA as little as possible in the future. This will be easier now as all the other major airlines have done away with their change fees as well.

does using travel funds for a southwest flight count as a qualifying revenue flight. there are promos that require a revenue flight

I canceled over 10 upcoming flights on Southwest in mid-March just as the pandemic travel restrictions were starting in CA (I also canceled many more on 3 other airlines — I fly a couple times a week). I then went to transfer the credits to points and couldn’t find the cancelation notice (even though I wrote down when I canceled). I was told that the funds were “stuck” and therefore even though they had documentation of cancelation, I had to call corporate to have them establish the credit. I called corporate but after holding for 30 minutes, I didn’t have time to complete the transfer (but the person assured me the cancelation was in the record and would be issued when I called back). When I called back I was placed on hold for about 30 minutes and they told me that they didn’t see that I had canceled and would only issue credit for no-show (due to COVID) but the funds had to be used in a couple months (before my job will allow me to travel). Is there anything you advise?

Thank you for this great information. My question is about using SW travel funds by the expiration date, does “using” mean booking travel or travel by that date?

We have funds that expire in Sept. 2021. I plan to book flights next week for travel in Dec. 2021.

I too have the very same question…Seems it has been asked a lot on here and no one gets an answer. I sure hope to get an answer to this soon too.

So here’s the rub on travel funds, they expire 1 year after the booking date, not the travel date. But when you want to redeem them, the redemption date is the travel date, not the booking date. This is just pure evil!

Whoa! I am facing the similar issues that I read in this comment section. Really they have very conveniently kept hidden loopholes that would be experienced only by the customer who has to face such a situation. And very cleverly SW sneaks away gulping our hard earned money by luring you can have travel funds to use for future travel! Even though I pay with my credit card the travel fund could be used by only the passenger in whose name I bought the ticket. Why on earth the passenger who has enjoyed my buying ticket will get free travel funds to use but I can not use it if he/she is not flying and I need to fly for my own business to take care. Well, this time I had to cancel and rebook the tickets 4-5 times and in that rebooking I had to change my travel route that saved me and my husband more that $ 300 dollars for each of us. My husband is suffering with diabetes as well as lung cavity formed due to bacterial infection making him immunocompromised. Due to this corona/omicron fear he does not want to risk his life. Our travel funds are expiring on June 29, 2022. I spent several hours calling SW airline customer service, wait time 72 hours!, also tried calling through Southwest Credit card that I used to buy our tickets and from there trying to get some help with travel funds extension, no human available making me listening FREE MUSIC for infinite time. Why there is no e-mail facility to get in touch with them? No where on the entire site you can use e-mail contact except using the form the site want me to fill in. And unfortunately my issue is not among the reasons the page shows, I can not use e-mail route! Do you have any update about COVID 19 some modification in using travel funds beyond the expiration time limit? I would appreciate some feedback.

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Southwest extends expiration date on some flight credit vouchers to summer 2021

The most flexible airline in the business has gotten even more generous. As Southwest fans know, the airline allows unlimited changes and fee-free cancellations on all itineraries, even non-refundable flights; travelers just have to pay the difference. For canceled flights, the value of the ticket gets rolled into future flight credit, which Southwest calls travel funds.

Travel funds expiring between March 1 and May 31, 2020 will now have a new expiration date of June 30, 2021, while new travel funds created between March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020, will also have an updated expiration date of September 7, 2022.

Additionally, Southwest is launching a new program that will allow members who have expiring travel funds to convert travel funds to Rapid Rewards points . The specifics of this program are still unknown, but Southwest promises that the transfer will take place at "the same rate you would be able to purchase a ticket with points today." We should see the program launch later this year.

Related: How to rebook your Southwest flight when the price changes

Travel fund expiration dates will take a few weeks to update within the Southwest database.

The airline also announced several updates for flights that are canceled due to COVID-19 travel bans. The airline will either allow customers to reschedule their trips, or to cancel their tickets for future travel credit. Non-refundable 'Wanna Get Away' tickets cannot be refunded for cash. Current destinations impacted by the mandatory cancellations include the Grand Cayman, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica, although the list will likely grow as time progresses.

Related: The U.S. State Department bans all international travel to control the coronavirus outbreak

For now, travelers impacted by domestic route cancellations can rebook, accept travel credit valid through September 2022, or request a cash refund although this policy is subject to change.

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Transferable Flight Credits give you more flexibility. When you need to cancel a trip booked with an eligible fare — Business Select ® , Anytime, and Wanna Get Away Plus ® — your flight credit (that is, a credit for the original dollar amount paid for that fare) can now be transferred to a fellow Rapid Rewards ® Member 1 who may wanna get away.

How Transferable Flight Credits work.

Wanna transfer a flight credit to someone else.

Can’t take your upcoming flight?

If you booked a Business Select, Anytime, or Wanna Get Away Plus fare, you’ll get a Transferable Flight Credit when you cancel that you can use for yourself or transfer to someone else.

How to transfer your Transferable Flight Credit to someone else:

Log in to your Rapid Rewards account. Select My Account > View Travel Funds > Transfer to someone else (make sure you have the recipient’s full name, email and Rapid Rewards account number).

Wanna redeem a flight credit that was transferred to you?

How to access your flight credits through My Account:

Select the Payment tab on southwest.com or View Travel Funds on mobile.

How to redeem your Transferable Flight Credit:

Book a new flight using the Transferable Flight Credit(s) you’ve received (you pay any difference in fare). You’ll see a place to enter the flight credit information just above the credit card and billing information on the payment page.

See the step-by-step process for Transferable Flight Credits in the following video.

Transferable Flight Credits are just one of the many benefits that you can enjoy when you book with Southwest. Check out all the benefits that come with each Southwest fare type.

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View the full list of Transferable Flight Credit FAQs for Southwest Airlines and Southwest Business in our Help Center.

Who can I transfer my Transferable Flight Credit to?

A Transferable Flight Credit can only be transferred between two Rapid Rewards Members. For bookings made through a Southwest Business channel, there is a limitation to transfer only between employees within the organization.

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How many times can someone make a transfer?

Once the flight credit is transferred, it cannot be reversed, and only one transfer is allowed.

When does the Transferable Flight Credit expire?

Flight credits unexpired on or created on or after July 28, 2022 do not expire and will show an expiration date until our systems are updated. A flight credit with an expiration date on or before July 27, 2022, is expired in accordance with its existing expiration date. See My Account for flight credit expiration dates, if any.

Do I have to transfer the entire Transferable Flight Credit?

Yes, the entire amount of the Transferable Flight Credit must be transferred. You cannot transfer a partial amount.

Am I transferring the ticket with the same itinerary to someone else?

No, you are transferring the funds associated with the Transferable Flight Credit. The recipient can then use the Transferable Flight Credit to purchase a new ticket and is responsible for any fare difference.

Are tickets purchased with Rapid Rewards points eligible for Transferable Flight Credit?

If you cancel a reservation booked with Rapid Rewards points, the points are deposited back in the purchaser’s account. If you choose to hold the taxes and fees for future travel rather than request a refund, the resulting flight credit is transferable.

Starting July 1, 2023 (12:00 a.m. CT), for Wanna Get Away ®  or Wanna Get Away Plus™ reward travel reservations (booked with points): if you do not cancel your reservation at least 10 minutes before the flight’s original scheduled departure time, any points used for booking will be forfeited, along with any taxes and fees associated with your reward travel reservation.

For Anytime or Business Select ®  reward travel reservation: the points used for booking will continue to be redeposited to the purchaser's Rapid Rewards ®  account, and any taxes and fees associated with the reward travel reservation will be converted into a Transferable Flight Credit ™

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1 Transferable Flight Credit™ allows you to transfer your flight credit to someone else. Both must be Rapid Rewards® Members and only one transfer is permitted. For bookings made through a Southwest® Business channel, there is a limitation to transfer only between employees within the organization.

2 Due to licensing restrictions, on WiFi-enabled international flights, free live TV and iHeartRadio may not be available for the full duration of flight.

3 Internet access for $8 per device from takeoff to landing. Price is subject to change. May not be available for the full duration of flight. In order to provide a top-notch Internet experience, we prohibit access to certain high-bandwidth applications and websites. We also prohibit access to certain obscene or offensive content.

4 First and second checked bags. Weight and size limits apply.

5 Fare difference may apply.

6 Failure to cancel a reservation at least 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure may result in forfeited travel funds.

7 Flight credits for non-refundable fares will be issued as long as the flight is cancelled more than 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure. Flight credits or refunds for refundable fares will be issued regardless of cancellation time. Flight credits don't expire.

8 Refundable, as long as you cancel your reservation at least ten (10) minutes prior to the scheduled departure of your flight. If you cancel, you’re eligible to receive 100% of your ticket value as a refund to your original form of payment. A Southwest flight credit from a previous reservation that is applied toward a Business Select or Anytime fare will be refunded as a flight credit. For travel booked with Rapid Rewards points, If canceled, points will be returned to the Rapid Rewards account holder who booked the ticket.

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OK, so don’t call for the expired credit and hope to book a flight that day with the voucher as that ain’t gonna happen. As it turned out, we had to call a second time ( Note from Sharon: “WE” had to call again? How about *I* had to call a second time? Joy of joys… ) and found out the first representative didn’t enter the request properly. After that call, I received an email a few days later with the voucher information on it.

Southwest put some exceptions for existing travel funds and funds created for flights during the peak of the COVID crisis in 2020.

Previously, Customers’ travel funds that have expired or would have expired between  March 1 – June 30, 2020 , or travel funds that were created because of a cancellation between  March 1 – June 30, 2020 , had an expiration date of  June 30, 2021 . We are now expanding the window of funds eligible for extended expiration dates and extending the expiration date of these funds.  Funds that are set to expire or funds that are created between   March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020 , will have an expiration date of   September 7, 2022.

If you have funds covered by this policy, you have until next September to complete your travel. However, passengers who booked tickets after September 7, 2020, and received travel funds are set to see those funds expire. Remember you need to complete travel by the expiration date.

Final Thoughts

I guess the first thing I want to stress is to keep close track of when your Southwest credits expire. We were lucky to use one just under the wire and had to let the other one expire. If the travel fund amount is worth over $100, you can call and try to have Southwest transfer the value to a voucher. Even if it’s just a few dollars, it’s still your money. Just remember that money has to be spent in six months.

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10 comments.

Hi. If credits are about to expire (say September 1), and you want to travel after (say September 10), can you book travel for a date like August 20th before the expiration date, and then CHANGE the flight to your desired travel date?

I’ve never tried this but the expiration date of the credit is built into SW’s booking system. When you change a flight on Southwest, you’re cancelling the first reservation and then booking the new one, but at the same time. My guess is that the system wouldn’t let you do the change because the new flight date is past the expiration date of the credit. Depending on the value of the credit, you’re only option may be to take the $100 fee and transfer it into a voucher. That will give you another six months and more flexibility on who can use the money.

One additional comment: The LUV voucher will apparently be issued only for individual flight credits > $100, but not if you have multiple sub-$100 flight credits that sum to > $100. So in my case, I had 3 credits that were each $100 — the 3 sub-$100 credits were not redeemable at all, so I only was able to get a credit for the amount of the over-$100 credit (less $100 for the voucher issuance). Still better than nothing, though…

I think that’s the way it works. Amount of credit – $100 = voucher. So if the credit is less than $100, oh well. Makes it even more important to make sure you don’t forget to use vouchers before they expire.

Is it the $100 fee per travel fund? Or if you have multiple travel funds would it be only $100 total?

The $100 gets deducted from each travel fund when it gets converted into a voucher.

This policy is so customer unfriendly. I bet a very large percentage of these time limited credits get lost in the shuffle of booking and later changing multiple flights. Southwest could set up a place to hold these credits and their expiration dates transparently like Alaska air does with My Wallet. It would cost SW some money to do this as many customers just lose track and forfeit their credits. Paying with money instead of points gets messy when you change reservations. I love Southwest overall but this policy is a problem.

I find it hard to call Southwest’s policy customer unfriendly when it is the most generous refund policy of any airline. I guess it’s much easier to keep track on Delta, United or American where if you need to cancel your flight, you’re probably not going to get anything back because of the hundreds of dollars in fees they’ll charge.

last yr, decided to send an email to the Exec Off, where it kindly issued a 6-month voucher for my sub $100 credit as a 1-time courtesy

You can check your Travel Funds here https://www.southwest.com/flight/travel-funds-search.html

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Southwest passengers now get a $75 voucher for big flight disruptions

Southwest Airlines has launched a new compensation fund for inconvenienced fliers, offering $75 vouchers to passengers whose flights are significantly delayed or canceled for a reason within the airline’s control.

The compensation fund is part of the airline’s $140 million settlement with the Transportation Department, following Southwest’s operational meltdown in December 2022. A mix of winter weather, holiday travel and failing Southwest scheduling systems resulted in nearly 17,000 canceled or significantly delayed flights, affecting 2 million passengers. Southwest agreed to pay the government $35 million and create a $90 million voucher fund for future fliers impacted by operational errors, on top of the $600 million it paid out in refunds and reimbursements to customers impacted by the holiday debacle.

While the original agreement terms slated the voucher program to start Tuesday, Southwest rolled out the fund April 16. Any passenger who arrives at their final destination three or more hours after the scheduled arrival time for domestic flights or six hours for international flights can request a $75 voucher. The money is available only for fliers facing snafus within Southwest’s control, such as a mechanical issue or swapping planes.

To receive the money, customers can fill out a form online . The request must be submitted within one year from the delayed or canceled flight. Southwest should get back to customers within 30 days, according to Southwest spokeswoman Laura Swift. The compensation fund is expected to run for three years.

Last week, the Biden administration announced new rules for airlines to strengthen passenger protection and increase transparency in the industry. Under the new regulations, airlines are required to streamline the refund process for canceled flights and abandon hidden fees by disclosing the price of surcharges for luggage and changes to reservations upfront.

While announcing those rules, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also mentioned Southwest’s vouchers as a customer service measure that could influence other airlines.

“This is the month when those vouchers as part of the Southwest settlement kick in, and Southwest will now, because we are making them, really lead the market on that,” Buttigieg said. “It’ll be very interesting to see what other airlines respond — not as punishment, but by way of competition.”

In a statement Tuesday, DOT officials said they will be “closely monitoring” Southwest’s program, requiring the airline to submit an annual report documenting the voucher expenditures over the next three years.

Hannah Sampson contributed to this report.

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Southwest Now Lets You Extend Expiring Funds for Another 6 Months

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Extend Southwest Expiring Funds for Another 6 Months

Southwest has shared a memo today with some unexpected good news. The airline is making a temporary positive change for those who have expiring travel funds.

Now through the end of the year, you can just contact Southwest and they will extend your expiring funds for another six months. This will be done through a Southwest LUV Voucher.

Here’s the text of the memo:

Knowing that our schedule will soon be extended past the 2022 holidays, Customers may be contacting us to use their funds that may not have expired yet but will expire before they want to travel. In preparation for the anticipated requests we will be receiving, the decision has been made to temporarily offer our Customers additional flexibility. Temporary Additional Flexibility – Effective June 1, 2022 $100 will not be deducted : For all Customers who contact us between June 1 and December 31, 2022, letting us know they are unable to use their funds during the RTF validity period, we will issue a Southwest LUV Voucher for the full value of the RTF, which means temporarily, you will not deduct $100 per our normal GOG exception. No longer required to contact us after the expiration date : Customers do not need to wait to contact us after the RTF expires. Between June 1 and December 31, 2022, If Customers contact us to advise they are unable to use their funds before the expiration date of the RTF and they do not want to wait until after the expiration date to request a Southwest LUV Voucher, we will force close the RTF and issue the SLV immediately. Please explain to the Customer that the SLV will be valid for six months from the issue date.

Southwest is being proactive and making a policy change that actually helps customers and makes it easier to extend expiring funds. You just contact Southwest and they will extend your funds for another six month, without deducting $100. That’s an additional six months since the date of of re-issuance.

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I spoke to a SW rep by phone 3 weeks ago, and he told me he was extending my and my husbands travel funds, expiring 9/7/22, to 12/29/22, which is 6 months from the date I called. But I was to wait for an email from SW confirming it, which I have not yet received. It is now 3 weeks since that call. Should I call again? I’m trying to be patient but I have a trip planned for a cruise in mid-November, and I need to get this flight on the books.

Confirming this worked!

[…] Hat tip to DDG […]

Not sure if everyone is aware of this memo. I called Southwest since I have Travel Funds expiring June 16. The CS rep said that they couldn’t extend the validity. I mentioned having read about this memo and was told that it’s only valid for funds issued during Covid with an expiry date in September. Will call again later.

The memo references Travel Funds. Do you think this would also apply to LUV vouchers that expire before the end of the year?

Say you have a credit expiring July 1, but don’t call to request until October 1, will the voucher be extended until Jan 1 or April 1?

My read is you’ll have waited until it expired, which may not be covered by this policy. Under the old system, at least, you would receive a voucher-minus-$100 expiring Oct 1.

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Southwest Airlines quietly rolls out a new compensation program for flight delays

Southwest Airlines said it launched a compensation program for  flight delays as part of a $140 million U.S. Department of Transportation settlement over the carrier's meltdown in December 2022 during a busy holiday travel period.

Southwest agreed in December 2023 to provide $90 million in travel vouchers of $75 or more over three years to passengers delayed at least three hours getting to their final destinations because of an airline-caused issue or cancellation and to start the program by April 30.

The airline said Monday it had quietly launched the program on April 16 and has already heard from a few thousand customers seeking vouchers.

The airline agreed to the compensation program after the holiday meltdown that resulted in 16,900 flight cancellations and stranded 2 million passengers. The settlement included a $35 million cash fine.

Will Southwest start assigning seats? CEO says the airline is weighing changes

A massive winter storm in December 2022 and subsequent chaos prompted travel horror stories such as people missing funerals or long-awaited holiday gatherings, passengers with canceled flights forced to make cross-country drives of 17 or more hours and some cancer patients being unable to get treatment.

The delay compensation program is part of the Biden administration's aggressive efforts to get tough on airlines as it aims to require new passenger compensation. Vouchers will be awarded "upon request," Southwest said.

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said in December that, given its operational performance, the $30 million in vouchers annually was "the right number" to commit to.

Asked if Southwest would end the program after three years, Jordan said consumer programs "rarely change or go away."

Rival U.S. airlines have not put in place similar programs and do not yet face a mandate to do so.

Enough with airline hidden fees: DOT rules take aim at 'corporate rip-offs'

President Joe Biden said last May that the DOT would propose new rules requiring airlines to compensate passengers with cash for significant controllable flight delays or cancellations by the end of the year. The DOT has not issued its proposal, and Congress has declined to mandate compensation for delays in a pending aviation reform bill.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said last week Southwest under the delay compensation requirement will "really lead the market and it will be very interesting to see how other airlines respond – not as punishment but by way of competition."

The DOT in 2022 asked carriers if they would pay at least $100  for delays of at least three hours  caused by airlines and none agreed.

Most carriers – including Southwest – voluntarily committed in August 2022 to provide hotels, meals and ground transportation for airline-caused delays or cancellations but resisted providing cash compensation as is required in the European Union .

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Southwest Airlines starts issuing $75 vouchers for delayed, canceled flights

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Southwest Airlines started handing out vouchers Tuesday for passengers whose flights are canceled or delayed more than three hours.

The $75 vouchers will be issued when those cancellations or delays are Southwest's fault, the airline said. It doesn't apply when there is weather.

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Southwest is required to provide the compensation as part of the Department of Transportation's enforcement action to hold the airline accountable for the 2022 holiday meltdown, that stranded millions of passengers nationwide.

READ MORE: Southwest hit by record $140M fine for holiday service meltdown in 2022 that left millions stranded

The vouchers are required when a flight was canceled or delayed within seven days of the departure date, passengers arrived at their destination three or more hours later than planned, and the delay or cancelation was caused by something Southwest could control, like a staffing or maintenance issue.

Passengers must request compensation through Southwest's dedicated website within one year from the date of the delayed or canceled flight. You will receive a response within 30 days.

Vouchers are transferable and are valid for at least one year after the date of issuance.

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Re: travel fund....poor customer service, re: when will sw airlines smarten up travel funds expiring soon, no budge on policy still, re: frustrated, quick links, community champions.

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