Hi - I was just on Southwest today and on the front page of the app they are announcing a new tier, “wanna get away plus” where you’re able to transfer flight credit to someone else. Interesting - I wonder how much more these fares will cost? I didn’t read all the fine print yet.
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Wait, so… if I cancel my flight, the points no longer return back to my account? Or is this strictly for when you pay via money?
Cause I’m seeing it show in the points-version too. (looks to be an additional $30 for this “service”)
I never seem to have enough points to book using points since I don’t fly very often. I would think the points return to your account if you cancel.
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It looks like by paying a bit extra that the “wanna get away” ticket is still non-refundable. However, by “upgrading” to the “plus” ticket you can transfer it to another person which you currently can not do. It’s almost like trip insurance.
I bought my DD20 a ticket to HHN for Sept. this year. If she can’t make it, then only she could use the refunded flight miles based on the ticket I’ve already bought.
This happened to me before the pandemic. My DW & I were supposed to go to DLR, but like everyone else we had to cancel. There is still about $75 in flight credit I can’t use for my trips to Orlando this year because it’s in “her name” that is going to expire unless I use it on her by this Sept.
I don’t see myself ever paying for this “upgrade”, but I would definitely endorse / use SW more if that kind of flexibility was automatically included in all their tickets.
I’m so over the charge more for what used to be free crap — with everyone everywhere
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But that’s the thing, the ticket IS refundable? At least it is if you do it via points. So I’m not sure why it’s there when booking with points? Which made me think that if you do cancel, it goes into a holding account for those points which will then expire on you. which…is all sorts of bad.
I think you’re correct which really makes me angry.
If you cancel a flight you can transfer flight credits to yourself or someone else
So if you cancel and transfer the credits to yourself I read that as they now expire 12 mos from original booking
My parents travel much more than I do since they are retired and they only fly Southwest. They usually use points to book and have had to cancel in the past and the points go back in their account. If that doesn’t happen going forward that’s super annoying.
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Yes that has always been the biggest perk of booking with SW using points
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I think the benefit here is that say you only fly once every 2 years typically, but are debating if you will really do this trip, now you can book and feel more secure someone will use the credit eventually. Normally if you cancel, you would have to fly again in a year to take advantage of the credit, which you are likely not to do. But with this new flight you could transfer the credit to your parents who you know will take advantage of it since they fly a lot.
We had a booked a quick trip this weekend - I used Amex points to book AA for 4 of us. One couldn’t go due to work - but since the ticket was in his name, he has to be the one to use the credit rather than me despite them being my points to start. Mildly annoying, but not the end of the world - with this SW feature I might have been able to set it up where I got the points back as I knew 2 of the 4 were not 100% definites they’d be able to go…
hmmm… I don’t use points so I’d only be guessing… so…
I’m guessing that enough ppl had issues during the pandemic with flight credits expiring that they are trying a new program. (Plus, it might make them a few $$$) I’d wager that a points user will get their points back on their card since they are refundable.
This program seems, IMHO, to address cash/credit card paying customers.
You may be overthinking it… 
This is funny. They sent a survey about this a while back (maybe even a year ago).
True Fact™: airlines lose oceans of money providing actual transportation. Their current value is, in effect, entirely derived from their loyalty programs.
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I find the tier completely confusing. I was already considering changing cards and this may the final straw.
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