No Refund During Unique Times

[elijahbrantley]

@golfeddy1 The efforts here are not to "correct" your post but to let you know your options and the current available policy.  

As customers just like you, we are here to help other customers as best we can. All we can do is point to SW policy, and the only solution is what SW's policy allows: you get to use travel funds for cancelled Wanna Get Away fares up to one year from the original ticket purchase date.  This is their standard policy, and its generosity as an every day rule is why we likely have not seen a major adjustment. Other airlines with strict policies around changes had to relax the rules to closer mirror what SW does every day.

If you need additional resolution, you can contact SW directly via one of the methods at the Contact Us link below. 

[dfwskier]

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@golfeddy1 wrote:

That's unfortunate that that happened but I see your a top contributor on this forum, does that mean you can solve my problem or that you just correct peoples posts all day?  

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I don't work for Southwest, thus I have no ability to fix any problems.

All I can do is provide advice, and correct inaccuracies..

[Slavko]

Southwest doesn’t need a crisis to be rotten to their customers. I have had flights cancelled, changed by them in every possible situation over the years and I hope they go under. That would be a bright spot in this pandemic. Please God.

[chgoflyer]

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@Slavko wrote:

Southwest doesn’t need a crisis to be rotten to their customers. I have had flights cancelled, changed by them in every possible situation over the years and I hope they go under. That would be a bright spot in this pandemic. Please God.

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Southwest is the largest domestic air carrier, serving more customers traveling within the US than any other airline. It also directly employs more than 60,000 people. If they were to "go under" the result would be disastrous and far reaching, including enormous ripple effects throughout suppliers, vendors, airport employees, and numerous others.

Wishing they "go under" as a result of the current pandemic is imbecilic, appalling and offensive.

[Slavko]

But that’s the just result of providing pathetic service and treating customers like cattle. Any business that forgets they rely on customer loyalty to survive doesn’t deserve to survive. Sorry. That’s simple business 101.

[jksobonya]

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@chrishamilton23 wrote:

I called to cancel my flights expecting Southwest to fully refund our purchase price.  I was shocked to find out all they would do was issue a credit for future flights.  We have nearly $1,000 that is now sitting on Southwest's books that we can not use to purchase groceries, pay our mortgage, etc... Southwest prides itself on being loyal to its customers and treating them well.  This is making me rethink my loyalty to this airline.  Most if not all domestic carriers have waved change fees and are fully refunding cancelled travel due to this pandemic. I expected Southwest to be the leader in this area and fully refund its customer's cancelled travel. Boy was I wrong!!!! 

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No, this is incorrect. No airline is offering refunds on non-refundable fares. All they are doing right now is waiving the fees to cancel flights - which Southwest already does. Other airlines are also issuing their own versions of travel vouchers to use towards a future flight - which again, Southwest already does. No one is issuing credit card refunds on non-refundable fares at this time. 

Southwest's Wanna Get Away fares are always non-refundable. If you cancel your flight, what you paid for your flight is issued to you as a travel fund to use within 1 year from the date you purchased your flight. Other airlines charge up to $200 just to cancel your flight - Southwest does not charge any fee to cancel - so Southwest is by far the leader, and ahead of anyone else with their already-established practices. 

--Jessica

[BRAD2525]

While I can appreciate Southwest, or any other air-line, not allowing refunds for "Wanna-get-away" level (non-refundable) tickets, they should understand that during these times most people cancelling trips did not have ANY intentions of cancelling their trips when they purchased the tickets! I am in the same boat right now..nearly $1800 sitting in SW bank account that my family could certainly use for something else right now.  While I am thankful that they are extending the time that I have to use the funds toward future flights, as I explained to customer service and their customer relations dept, I have no idea if/when we will be flying again.  They should allow customers to get full refunds if they want..as this is an unprecedented event..people are not cancelling because they have a sniffle or travel conflict.  What really irritates me is that the CSR that I spoke with told me that if I would have waited until one day before my scheduled trip, I would have likely been able to get a refund!  I love that I am being punished for doing the responsible thing in cancelling my trip as soon as I found out that the event would no longer be held.. due to the current pandemic.  Not to mention that by me cancelling early, it does allow someone else to be able to use the seats if they needed.

[dfwskier]

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@BRAD2525 wrote:

  Not to mention that by me cancelling early, it does allow someone else to be able to use the seats if they needed.

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That might make a difference in regular times, but as you noted, these are not regular times.

Like you, airlines didn't plan on this happening. Like you, airlines didn't prepare for something unprecedented, that had never happened before, and something that NOBODY anticipated happening.

Planes are leaving with 2,3,4 people filling seats. Airlines, including Southwest, are doing everything they can to conserve cash so they can stay in business.. If they fail (any airline), they'll go bankrupt. In Southwest's case, that would mean the 60,000 people would be fired, plus I estimate another 40,000 in companies that support Southwest.

It is dire for everybody. You. Airlines. Everybody.

[BRAD2525]

dfwskier..

Again.. i did not ask for this situation just like SW did not ask for this situation.  If a customer asks for a refund they should be allowed to receive one..or as an alternative..offer the customer up to HALF of their credit back in the form of a refund and the rest stays in their account in the form of a credit towards future flights.  At the very least there should not be ANY term limit on the length of time that a customer has to use the credit amount towards future flights.   In my situation, i have until June 30th of 2021.  While that is great, who knows if we will be able travel by then anyway?

[dfwskier]

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@BRAD2525 wrote:

   In my situation, i have until June 30th of 2021.  While that is great, who knows if we will be able travel by then anyway?

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Who knows if you won't

Give the airlines time to figure out how to survive.