southwest airlines apply travel funds

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How to Use Southwest Travel Funds

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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:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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

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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

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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!

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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.

What is a Transferable Flight Credit?

A Transferable Flight Credit™ is a credit from a downgrade in fare or canceled reservation with a Wanna Get Away Plus® , Anytime, and/or Business Select® fare. A Transferable Flight Credit can be used to buy a future flight and can be transferred once between Rapid Rewards® Members.

Watch the video below to see how Transferable Flight Credit works.

Still have questions? Read more about Transferable Flight Credits .

Related Articles

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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 Vacations ® package travel credit

If you are holding a Southwest Vacations package travel credit, refer to this page at any time to check your balance, learn how to redeem your credit and get other important information about your Southwest Vacations package travel credit.

• A Southwest Vacations package travel credit is valid on vacation packages or activities purchased through Southwest Vacations.
• Southwest Vacations package travel credits are not valid for Southwest air fare only purchases and cannot be redeemed through Southwest Airlines directly.
• Check your Southwest Vacations package travel credit balance by using our self-service travel credit lookup here .
• For assistance with redeeming a Southwest Vacation package travel credit, email [email protected].

Terms & conditions for Southwest Vacations package travel credit

General information.

• A Southwest Vacations package travel credit is valid for travel commencing within 13 months (395 days) from original departure date and must be used by expiration date, and is issued in the name of the passengers on the original reservation.
• A Southwest Vacations package travel credit is nonrefundable, nontransferable, has no cash value, and is not replaceable if lost, stolen, or destroyed.
• A Southwest Vacations package travel credit is VOID if altered or obtained fraudulently.
• A Southwest Vacations package travel credit is not a credit or debit card and has no implied warranties.
• Southwest Vacations reserves the right, and holder of the card agrees, that Southwest Vacations may at any time change the terms of the program or contract with another third party to administer the Southwest Vacations package travel credit program.
• A Southwest Vacations package travel credit may not be resold by any unlicensed vendor under penalty of law; unlawful resale or attempted resale is grounds for seizure and cancellation without compensation.

Redeeming your Southwest Vacations package travel credit

• Southwest Vacations package travel credits may only be redeemed at www.southwestvacations.com , by emailing Southwest Vacations at [email protected], or via a travel agent.
• A Southwest Vacations package travel credit is not valid for the purchase of flights, hotels or rental cars not booked as a package, or Cargo, group tickets, pet fares, Southwest gift cards, Southwest Vacations package travel credits, EarlyBird Check-In®, international baggage fees, or inflight purchases.
• A Southwest Vacations package travel credit may not be used for domestic oversized and excess baggage, or unaccompanied minor service charge.
• Each purchase is deducted from the balance of the card. If the package price is greater than the value of the Southwest Vacations package travel credit, the difference may be paid with an additional Southwest Vacations package Travel Credit, a credit card and/or a Southwest Vacations package gift card. If the package price is less than the value of the Southwest Vacations package travel credit, the balance will remain on the card until it is decreased to zero or until the card expiration date, at which time the card will be deactivated.
• A Southwest Vacations package travel credit will not be redeemed or exchanged for cash, check, or credit except where required by federal or applicable state law.
• A Southwest Vacations package travel credit redeemed for travel is nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. If travel is not taken, any funds originally associated with a Southwest Vacations package travel credit will be considered used and will not be refunded.

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Southwest Gift Cards, Flight Credits & LUV Vouchers [Everything You Need To Know]

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Where To Buy Southwest Gift Cards

How to purchase a southwest gift card on southwest.com, purchasing a large volume of gift cards online, how to earn tons of points buying gift cards, how to use a southwest gift card online, what can you buy with a southwest gift card, how to check your gift card balance, how to use a southwest flight credit on southwest.com, how to check the balance of your southwest flight credits, how to use a southwest luv voucher on southwest.com, how to check the balance of your luv voucher, final thoughts.

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Southwest Airlines offers lots of customer-friendly policies, including free checked baggage and the ability to change your flight with no fee. Plus, Southwest’s frequent flyer program, Rapid Rewards, is straightforward and simple to use.

However, one thing that can get a little confusing with Southwest is all the different forms of payment — there are gift cards, Flight Credits (formerly called Travel Funds), and LUV Vouchers.

While these might all seem similar, they have very different rules. Specifically, Flight Credits and LUV Vouchers can get a little tricky to use if you aren’t sure how.

In this post, we’ll go over each of these so you know exactly how to use Southwest gift cards, Flight Credits, and LUV Vouchers successfully!

Southwest Gift Cards

Southwest gift cards can be purchased online and at many retailers including:

• Giant Eagle

• On the next page, click Buy a gift card .
• Fill in the amount and quantity you would like to purchase. Gift cards can be purchased in any amount from $25 to $1,000. If you’re purchasing multiple cards, they will all have the same value, however, the total value of the purchase can’t exceed $1,000.

• Fill in either the recipient’s email or physical address, depending on your shipping method. You can add a gift message or leave this area blank.
• Click the yellow Payment button at the bottom right-hand side of the screen to continue to payment options.
• Verify your details, enter your payment information, and click the yellow Purchase button to complete the transaction.

Hot Tip: Buying a gift card through Southwest.com counts as a travel purchase , so be sure to use a credit card that offers bonus points on travel. The Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card earns 2x points on travel, while the Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card earns 3x points! Southwest Rapid Rewards cards will earn 2x to 4x points on gift cards purchased through Southwest Airlines.

Purchases of gift cards on Southwest.com are limited to $1,000 per transaction . If you would like to purchase multiple gift cards and will exceed the $1,000 limit, you can use the Corporate & Volume Sales order form .

• Go to Southwest.com and scroll to the very bottom of the page. Under Southwest Products , click on Southwest gift card .

Whether buying a gift card for yourself or as a gift for someone else, they can be a great way to rack up tons of Southwest Rapid Rewards points ! The key is using the right credit card at the right retailer.

Here are a couple of strategies that will help you maximize your points-earning when purchasing Southwest gift cards:

• Use the Ink Business Cash ® Credit Card  at office supply stores to earn 5x points.
• Use the Chase Freedom Flex℠ at Sam’s Club during a warehouse store bonus period — you’ll earn 5x points , and will be purchasing the gift cards at a slight discount. Watch for other Freedom Flex card bonus categories that include stores that sell gift cards.
• Use your  Chase Sapphire Reserve ® to purchase gift cards through Southwest.com for 3x points.
• Keep an eye on Amex Offers and Chase Offers . You can often find discounts or offers for bonus points on stores that sell gift cards.

Using Southwest Gift Cards

Southwest gift cards can only be used for flights (including taxes and fees) purchased directly through Southwest Airlines — either online, by phone at 800-435-9792 (800-I-FLY-SWA), or at a Southwest ticket counter.

Hot Tip: There are no fees to purchase Southwest gift cards. They never expire and are fully transferable.

Flights purchased with Southwest gift cards are non-refundable . If your travel is not taken or the flight is canceled, the funds will be held as a Flight Credit to be used on a future flight. Thankfully, Flight Credits don’t have an expiration date.

Using a gift card to purchase a flight online doesn’t really differ much from purchasing a flight with a credit card.

• Go to Southwest.com and search for a flight as you normally would.
• Once you get to the Passenger and Payment Info page, scroll to the middle of the page where you’ll see Payment Method .

Hot Tip: You can use 3 forms of payment, including Southwest gift cards, LUV Vouchers, and Flight Credits, per person on each reservation.

Southwest gift cards are good for the purchase of flights booked directly with Southwest . You can use gift cards online, over the phone, or in person at a Southwest ticket counter. Gift cards can also be applied to taxes and fees associated with your ticket.

The list of things you can’t use gift cards on is a little longer! The following are items you can not pay for with a Southwest gift card :

• Additional Southwest gift cards
• EarlyBird Check-In
• Inflight purchases
• Oversized and excess baggage fees
• Partner hotel and rental cars
• Purchases through a travel agent
• Southwest Airlines group desk purchases
• Southwest Airlines group tickets
• Southwest Airlines merchandise
• Southwest Airlines vacation packages
• Unaccompanied minor service charge
• Upgraded boarding at the airport

Bottom Line: Southwest gift cards can be applied to your flight cost plus any taxes and fees associated with your flight.

Southwest Flight Credits

Southwest Flight Credits, formerly called Travel Funds, are what you get if you cancel a flight or change a flight to a lower-priced itinerary . Flight Credits only exist digitally — you won’t get a card, certificate, or voucher for these funds.

They can be redeemed through Southwest.com , over the phone, and at Southwest Airlines ticket counter locations.

Flight Credits are tied to your original itinerary. For example, let’s say you cancel flight #1212 and receive a Flight Credit for the price you paid. When you go to book a new flight, you will need to pull up your Flight Credit using the confirmation number from flight #1212.

Hot Tip: As of July 28, 2022, Southwest Flight Credits no longer expire . Any Flight Credits issued on or after this date and any Flight Credits that were set to expire on or after this date now do not expire at all.

• Once you get to the Passenger and Payment Info page, scroll to the middle of the page, where you will see Payment Method .
• Look for the section that says Apply Flight Credits, LUV Vouchers, and Southwest gift cards .

Hot Tip: Southwest Flight Credits that are created from a Wanna Get Away fare are not transferable. Southwest Flight Credits that are created from a Wanna Get Away Plus fare are transferable.

You can easily see what Flight Credits you have in your Rapid Rewards account. After logging into your Southwest account, click on My Account in the upper right-hand corner. Then you’ll see an at-a-glance look at the total Flight Credits you have (they are labeled as Travel Funds here).

To see the details of your available Flight Credits, click on View Details . You’ll see a list of your available Flight Credits along with the confirmation number that you’ll need to redeem them.

Bottom Line: Flight Credits are what you’ll get if you cancel a flight or change a flight to a lower-priced itinerary. These credits don’t expire.

Southwest LUV Vouchers

So now that you’re up to speed on Southwest gift cards and Flight Credits, let’s talk about LUV Vouchers!

What’s a LUV Voucher, you ask? It’s a voucher you’ll get as compensation for a delayed flight, missing baggage, or volunteering to get bumped from a flight.

If you receive your LUV Voucher at the airport you may still get a paper copy.

However, you’re more likely to receive an email with your LUV Voucher information.

Southwest LUV Vouchers are valid at Southwest.com , by calling 800-I-FLY-SWA, or at any Southwest Airlines ticket counter. You’ll need the voucher number and security code (confirmation) to complete a purchase.

Your travel must be completed by the voucher’s expiration date (usually 6 months to 1 year from the date of issue). The LUV Voucher can be applied toward your flight cost, but NOT any taxes or fees associated with your ticket.

Hot Tip: If you have a physical Southwest LUV Voucher, take a photo of it! This ensures you’ll still be able to use it even if you lose the paper voucher.

• Look for the section that says Apply Flight Credits, LUV Vouchers, and Southwest gift cards . Then all you need to do is enter your LUV Voucher number and security code.

Hot Tip: You can use up to 3 forms of payment per person per reservation. This can include any combination of gift cards, Flight Credits, and LUV Vouchers plus 1 credit card or PayPal account per transaction. 

Checking your LUV Voucher balance on Southwest.com is easy, but it’s a bit tricky to find. You can click here or follow the instructions below.

Hot Tip: If you cancel a flight that you paid for with a LUV Voucher, that balance will be refunded in the form of a Flight Credit.

Southwest Airlines offers 3 distinct forms of payment that require a little know-how to use: gift cards, Flight Credits, and LUV Vouchers. All 3 can be used to purchase Southwest flights online, over the phone, or at a ticket counter . However, they all have different rules as far as expiration dates, what they can be applied to, and who can use them.

Luckily, these rules stem from Southwest’s customer-friendly policies — including holding Flight Credits from a canceled flight for future use, and even occasionally rewarding you with LUV Vouchers if something goes wrong. Thankfully, once you know the basics, you will be the master of your Rapid Rewards account in no time!

The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can i buy a southwest gift card.

Southwest gift cards can be purchased on Southwest.com and at many other retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, grocery stores, Sam’s Club, Staples, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

How many Southwest gift cards can be used at once?

Southwest accepts up to 3 forms of payment per person on a reservation, including gift cards. For a 2-person reservation, you could use up to 6 gift cards.

Do Southwest gift cards expire?

No, Southwest gift cards do not have expiration dates nor will they devalue over time. However, LUV Vouchers do carry expiration dates.

LUV Vouchers generally expire 6 to 12 months from the date of issue. The expiration date will be printed on the voucher or included in the email.

Can I buy a Southwest gift card with points?

Yes, you can purchase a Southwest gift card using Rapid Rewards points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards website , however, it’s not a great way to get the most value from your points. A $50 gift card costs 9,400 Rapid Rewards points.

Can my Southwest gift card be replaced?

No, a Southwest gift card cannot be replaced if lost, stolen, or damaged.

What are Southwest Flight Credits?

Flight Credits (formerly Travel Funds) are credits that are issued to you if you cancel a flight or change your flight to a less expensive itinerary. They are held digitally, so you won’t receive a physical voucher. You need to know the confirmation number from your original flight to access Flight Credits.

What is a Southwest LUV Voucher?

A LUV Voucher is what you might receive if Southwest is offering compensation for a disrupted flight, lost baggage, or volunteering to take a later flight. You’ll receive a paper voucher or an email with the voucher number and security code.

Are LUV Vouchers transferable?

Yes, LUV Vouchers can be used to purchase a flight for anyone, not just the person who owns the voucher.

Are Soutwhest Flight Credits transferable?

If your Flight Credits were generated from a Wanna Get Away Plus fare, they are transferable. If they were generated from a Wanna Get Away fare, they are not transferable.

What's the difference between Flight Credits and Travel Funds?

There’s no difference between Southwest Flight Credits and Travel Funds. Flight Credits is the new name for Travel Funds.

When do Southwest Flight Credits expire?

As of July 28, 2022, Southwest Flight Credits don’t expire. Any Flight Credits created on or after this day and any Flight Credits that had an original expiration date on or after this day will not expire.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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Don't fly alone. Here's how Southwest's Companion Pass lets you bring a buddy for free.

Southwest Airlines is running a promotion to let Rapid Rewards members earn a Companion Pass more easily.

With the pass, qualifying travelers can bring a designated buddy with them for free on any trip between Aug. 5 and Oct. 2.

Normally, to earn a Companion Pass, Southwest frequent flyers need to fly 100 one-way flights in a year or earn 135,000 qualifying points. These points can be accumulated through flight purchases or eligible spending on Southwest-branded credit cards or with program partners.

Under the promotion, all travelers have to do to qualify is register on Southwest’s website and purchase one round-trip or two one-way flights.

“We know the Companion Pass is a favorite perk of our Rapid Rewards program, and we’re thrilled to bring back this promotion for a limited time so that customers can experience why this popular benefit is so meaningful,” Jonathan Clarkson, Vice President Marketing at Southwest Airlines said in a statement. “We invite our customers to take advantage of this offer because traveling with your favorite companion supports sharing of adventures and creating memories that can last a lifetime.”

Cruising Altitude: Listening to music on a plane without headphones? Jail time!

To earn the promotional Companion Pass, travelers must purchase their qualifying flights by Wednesday, and travel must take place by May 22 after registering for the deal. 

Promotional Companion Pass holders can change their designated companion up to three times during the eligibility period. Full terms and conditions of the deal are available here on Southwest’s website . 

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected]

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SOUTHWEST AIRLINES' COVETED COMPANION PASS PROMOTION IS BACK!

March 25, 2024

Rapid Rewards Members should act fast to take advantage of this limited-time  promotional offer

DALLAS , March 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co.  (NYSE: LUV) today announced the return of its Companion Pass ® promotion. The airline's Companion Pass allows Rapid Rewards ® Members to designate one person to fly with them for free 1 every time the Customer purchases or redeems points for a flight.

"We know the Companion Pass is a favorite perk of our Rapid Rewards program, and we're thrilled to bring back this promotion for a limited time so that Customers can experience why this popular benefit is so meaningful," said  Jonathan Clarkson , Vice President Marketing at Southwest Airlines. "We invite our Customers to take advantage of this offer because traveling with your favorite Companion supports sharing of adventures and creating memories that can last a lifetime."

To qualify, Rapid Rewards Members must: 2

• Register for the promotion  and purchase  a qualifying Southwest ® revenue flight (one round trip or two one-way flights), starting today through March 27, 2024;
• Travel by May 22, 2024; and
• Designate a Companion to fly for free 1 with them from Aug. 5, through Oct. 2, 2024.

To benefit from this promotional offer and learn more, Customers may visit Southwest.com  for the full list of terms and conditions.

Join Rapid Rewards The Southwest Rapid Rewards™ program is designed around a simple concept—make earning reward flights faster and easier. With Rapid Rewards, every seat is a reward seat, there are no blackout dates, and points don't expire. Customers can create an account to become a Rapid Rewards Member at  Southwest.com .

1 COMPANION PASS DISCLAIMER Doesn't include taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way.

2   PROMOTIONAL OFFER TERMS & CONDITIONS Customers must register for this promotion, then book one round trip or two one-way qualifying Southwest flights between 8:00 a.m . Central Time ("CT") on March 25, 2024, and 11:59 p.m . CT on March 27, 2024 (the "Promotion Period"), for travel from March 25, 2024, to May 22, 2024 (the "Travel Period"), and fly during the Travel Period to earn a promotional Companion Pass valid for use between Aug . 5, 2024, and Oct. 2, 2024.

To register for this promotion, Customers will need to provide their Southwest Rapid Rewards account number at the time of registration. If a Customer doesn't have a Rapid Rewards account number, then they may register for an account by going online to Southwest.com/rapidrewards  to become a Member. Rapid Rewards accounts are free. Member must register for this promotion, book one round trip or two one-way qualifying Southwest flights during the Promotion Period for travel during the Travel Period, and fly during the Travel Period. Registration must be completed prior to booking and commencement of travel. The promotion is valid on new qualifying revenue flights booked during the Promotion Period for travel during the Travel Period and flown within the Travel Period. The Member's qualifying flight must be booked through Southwest Airlines ® during the Promotion Period for travel that must be completed during the Travel Period. The Member's Rapid Rewards account number must be entered at the time of booking the Member's qualifying flight to earn a promotional Companion Pass valid for use between Aug. 5, 2024, and Oct. 2, 2024. A qualifying one-way flight for this promotion is a one-way revenue flight on Southwest Airlines from an origin city to a destination city, including any intermediate stops and/or connections on Southwest Airlines. A qualifying round trip flight for this promotion is a round trip revenue flight on Southwest Airlines from an origin city to a destination city and back to the originating airport or carrier-recognized co-terminal. The promotion is valid on new reservations booked within the Promotion Period for travel during the Travel Period only. Travel booked or flown prior to registration for this promotion is not eligible for this promotional Companion Pass offer. Companion Pass, charter flights, reward and group travel, and Southwest Vacations ® packages do not qualify as one-way or round trip revenue flights for this promotion. Changes made to any itinerary after purchase of a one-way or round trip revenue flight may eliminate qualification for this promotion. The promotional Companion Pass is valid from Aug. 5, 2024, and Oct. 2, 2024, and allows the Member to designate one person to fly with them, free of airline charges ( does not include taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way ) on flights purchased by the Member, booked through Southwest, and completed between Aug. 5, 2024, and Oct. 2, 2024. No Rapid Rewards points or tier or Companion Pass qualifying points will be awarded for flights taken by the Companion when flying on a promotional Companion Pass or Companion Pass reservation. Members may change their designated Companion up to three times while they have the promotional Companion Pass. If the Member earns a Companion Pass in 2024 by earning 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or flying 100 qualifying flights, any changes to their designated Companion during the time they have a promotional Companion Pass will reduce the number of changes they can make to their designated Companion in the 2024 calendar year. For example, if the Member earns a promotional Companion Pass through this promotion, changes their designated Companion twice during the validity period for the promotional Companion Pass, and later in 2024 earns Companion Pass, they would only be able to change their designated Companion one more time in 2024. Companion Pass is nontransferable. All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply and can be found at Southwest.com/rrterms . Southwest reserves the right to amend, suspend, or change the Rapid Rewards program and/or Rapid Rewards program rules at any time without notice. Rapid Rewards Members don't acquire property rights in accrued points. The number of points needed for a particular Southwest flight is set by Southwest and will vary depending on destination, time, day of travel, demand, fare type, point redemption rate, and other factors, and is subject to change at any time until the booking is confirmed.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. Southwest Airlines Co.  operates one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline 3 . Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its nearly 75,000 4 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 137 million Customers carried in 2023. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years 5  of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV ). Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship . As the airline with Heart, Southwest has set a goal to work toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Southwest has also set near-term targets and a three-pillar strategy to achieve its environmental goals. Learn more by visiting  Southwest.com/planet . 

3  Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey since Q1 2021 4  Fulltime-equivalent active Employees 5  1973-2019 annual profitability  

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.

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Southwest companion pass available after making one round trip flight.

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Southwest Airlines is giving travelers a chance to earn a promotional Companion Pass® after flying one round-trip flight. This pass is essentially a buy one ticket, get one ticket free, allowing two companions to travel together. However, this promotion is only available until March 27, 2024.

People attach wish notes for the Year of the Dragon on the wish trees at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, ... [+] in Escondido, California, the United States, on Feb. 17, 2024. San Diego Zoo Safari Park held a special event over the weekend to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua via Getty Images)

How To Earn The Promotional Companion Pass

Getting the promotional pass is pretty simple. First, travelers must register for this promotion and provide their Southwest Rapid Rewards® account number. Travelers can register for free at Southwest.com/rapidrewards if they don't have an account.

Once registered, travelers must book either one round-trip flight or two one-way qualifying flights by 11:59 p.m. CST on March 27, 2024, for travel between March 25, 2024, through May 22, 2024. If travel is completed during that time and the user is registered, they will earn the promotional Companion Pass, which will be valid for use between August 05, 2024, and October 02, 2024.

Note that charter flights, flights booked for reward and group travel, flights used with the Companion Pass, and Southwest Vacations packages do not qualify for this promotion. The designated travel companion can be changed up to three times with the promotional Companion Pass.

What Does The Companion Pass Include?

Earning the Companion Pass lets travelers pick one lucky person to travel with them for nearly free on Southwest Airlines. They only need to pay for their flight ticket’s taxes and fees, which start at $5.60 per one-way flight. So, for less than $12, someone can travel along with the person who earned the Companion Pass.

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Usually, the Companion Pass is earned after flying 100 qualifying flights or after earning 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points. Once it is earned, it is good for the remaining year in which it is earned, plus the following year. For example, if the Companion Pass is earned in May 2024, the Pass will be good for the rest of 2024 and in 2025.

The promotional Companion Pass doesn’t last as long but doesn’t require as much travel.

Southwest Airlines has a limited-time promotion that allows travelers to earn a promotional Companion Pass that is good for travel between August 05 and October 02, 2024. The pass will enable travelers to bring one companion for nearly free (they only need to pay for the taxes and fees of the flight, which start at $5.60 one-way).

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Refund policies on the largest airlines in the US

Travellers queue at a Delta Airlines desk at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport.

In 2023, almost 196,000 flights from U.S. airports were canceled, and even more were late. 

According to the Department of Transportation, that number represents the lowest rate of scheduled flight cancelations in 10 years. Still, refund policies for flight cancelations, delays, or schedule changes are more important than ever.  

The coronavirus pandemic highlighted airline issues bubbling beneath the surface. Planes were parked or retired in response to low travel demand, leaving them unprepared for the era of revenge travel years later. Pilots were hard to come by, and jet fuel shortages began cropping up. Other staffing shortages, outdated technology and infrastructure, plus surging demand when COVID-19 restrictions eased meant airlines couldn’t meet their schedules without cascading problems. When problems happen, long holds on phone calls, offers for flight credits instead of cash, and a host of other obstacles further add to a frustrating situation.

The Biden-Harris administration is trying to solve the problem, and the Department of Transportation outlines general refund policies for tickets and fees. Foremost among them is the ability of consumers to cancel purchases within 24 hours or hold itineraries for that same period as long as the tickets are purchased at least seven days before a scheduled departure.

To help air travelers sort through the fine print, Airalo compiled a list of the five largest airlines in the United States–using data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics —and researched their refund policies. Airlines were selected based on domestic market share from December 2022 to November 2023.

Delta Air Lines

A woman checks in for her flight as a family celebrates at a Delta Airlines check-in counter.

Delta Air Lines clearly outlines its steps to cancel refundable and nonrefundable tickets and apply for a refund. Cancellation fees start at $99, though some “main cabin and above” tickets are exempt.

Travelers will be rebooked or credited for future travel if a flight is canceled or delayed for more than two hours. Nonrefundable tickets for flights that have not been canceled or delayed do not qualify, nor do tickets purchased from third parties.

Delta encourages customers to cancel or change tickets if their plans change. Failure to do so prior to departure will result in the cancellation of all remaining flights on the itinerary. Basic economy tickets are not changeable.

American Airlines

Passengers check-in for their flights on American Airlines at Long Island MacArthur Airport.

American Airlines generally does not refund nonrefundable tickets, but it does make exceptions for death, schedule changes by the airline, and illness if international travel is involved.

An unused or partially used ticket must be canceled before the first stated departure time, or it becomes valueless. The remaining value of the ticket may be used toward purchasing another nonrefundable ticket, though the trip must be completed within a year of the original travel date.

American, per federal guidelines, will refund tickets purchased by credit card within seven business days and tickets purchased by cash or check within 20 days—excluding fare adjustments, international tickets, and tickets purchased in international currencies.

Southwest Airlines

A Southwest Airlines airplane taxies from a gate at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Southwest Airlines “ will consider reasonable requests for reimbursement of meals, hotel stays, and ground transportation to/from the hotel” in the case of cancellations and significant delays within its control, naming mechanical problems and plane swaps as examples.

When Southwest cancels a flight, customers are entitled to ticket, bag fee, and extras refunds, including for nonrefundable fares. When customers cancel, the tickets may or may not be refundable . Depending on the fare, funds from tickets not canceled at least 10 minutes before departure will be credited or forfeited.

Southwest flight credits do not expire, and most can be transferred once between Rapid Rewards members.

United Airlines

United Airlines planes sit on the runway at Newark Liberty International Airport.

United Airlines customers who book at least a week in advance can change their flights within 24 hours of purchase.

In the case of canceled or significantly delayed flights, travelers are eligible for credits or refunds if the cause is weather, air traffic control, or mechanical problems. Change fees are waived, and you can request a return to your departure city—in addition to your credit or refund—if you’re stuck in a connecting city without available flights.

Customers can also request refunds with documentation of an unplanned event—death, illness, jury duty, or military order. Flexible booking offers unlimited fee-free changes, though fare differences apply. Basic economy tickets can’t be changed.

Alaska Airlines

An Alaska Airlines plane takes off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Alaska Airlines lists several requirements to determine refund or credit eligibility.

The reservation must have been made from its website, call center, or Alaska ticket counter and not contain a “saver” or government fare. It has to be within a year of purchase or, for a partially used ticket, within a year of the original outbound travel date. Group or vacation package bookings, fares that include an unaccompanied minor on another carrier, and tickets not bought with U.S. dollars are also excluded from eligibility.

Nonrefundable tickets that meet these terms can be credited after the initial 24-hour purchase window, plus change fees.

Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.

This story originally appeared on Airalo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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The Easiest Way To Save $50 on Southwest Airlines Flights

L ast year, Costco offered $50 off Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights if you purchased a $500 gift card for $449.99. You have to be a Costco member to purchase it. RELATED: Taylor Swift's Clever Tip for Keeping the Seat Next to You Empty on Southwest Airlines

Then Costco offered the same deal for Southwest Airlines, while supplies last. They ran out but in Sunday's Costco newsletter (see screenshot below), they just brought it back. So, if you’re looking for a great gift for loved ones, or if you fly Southwest Airlines often, it’s an easy way to save 10% on flights. Here are the details:

First and foremost, there’s no expiration date and there’s a limit of five (5) per member. A maximum of three (3) gift cards can be applied per passenger on each reservation (If your purchase exceeds the amount available on the three gift cards, you can pay the additional amount). The gift card is not replaceable if lost, stolen, or destroyed so protect it like cash. For balance check, call 1-866-393-2081

WATCH: A Feel-Good Story Aboard Southwest Airlines When Pilot Surprises Passenger

Here’s How to Redeem:

• A Southwest Gift Card may only be redeemed at southwest.com, on the Southwest Airlines Mobile Apps and Mobile Website (only for initial flight booking), by calling Southwest Airlines at 1-800-435-9792 (1-800 I FLY SWA), or at Southwest Airlines ticket counter locations
• Print the page with the Gift card number and security code (PIN) and bring to any Southwest Airlines® ticket counter, or by calling Reservations at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA
• For online redemption, after you have selected your flights and input Passenger information, use the Gift Card as a form of payment
• Click on 'Apply Travel Funds' under the 'Do you want to apply travel funds?' section
• Input Gift Card number and security code (PIN) in the designated location and click the button 'Apply Funds', this will deduct the amount on the Gift Card from the total
• If a balance is left you will need to use another form of payment to pay the remaining balance

Purchase here on Costco.com .

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Love to save money when you travel? Sign up to  Johnny Jet’s free newsletter  and check out these popular posts: 10 ways to find cheap flights  and  12 ways to save money on baggage fees . Follow Johnny Jet on MSN ,  Facebook, Instagram ,  Pinterest , and  YouTube  for all of my travel posts.