Travel policies are often frustrating for everyday flyers. While opinions on airline services vary greatly just like how I politely think their flight snacks are actually decent while others strongly disagree recent policy changes are stirring debate. Passengers recently uncovered an interesting gift card method to bypass a strict refund rule.
Southwest Policies Are Frustrating Many Loyal Customers Lately
Southwest used to be the absolute best when it came to super friendly customer service and keeping things simple for travelers. A lot of people feel that recent policy changes and extra bag fees have really changed how they view the airline these days.
One Customer Shared A Very Annoying Booking Experience Online
Someone on Reddit explained how they bought a new flight and used a forty dollar flight credit that was expiring soon. They just wanted to save a little cash but it ended up causing a massive headache when they needed to change their flight dates.
The Expiring Credit Ruined The Entire New Ticket Value
The airline told the customer that because they used that tiny expiring credit their whole new ticket was now tied to that exact same early expiration date. The flyer was really upset because they felt the checkout screen did not clearly warn them about losing almost five hundred dollars of new money.
People Online Agreed The Rule Feels A Bit Unfair
Many people reading the story totally agreed that a tiny old credit should not ruin the value of brand new funds you just spent. It is definitely understandable why travelers get mad when confusing rules make them lose out on their own hard earned money.
A Clever Gift Card Trick Came To The Rescue
Some very smart passengers jumped into the comments to share a neat little trick they use to get around this exact expiration problem. They said all you really need is a simple gift card to completely save your vouchers from disappearing into thin air.
Step One Is To Purchase A Regular Airline Gift Card
The very first thing you need to do is go ahead and buy a Southwest Airlines gift card to use for your purchase. You just need to make sure you have it ready before you start looking for your new flight on their website.
Step Two Is Finding The Right Type Of Refundable Ticket
You have to find a Choice Preferred or Choice Extra flight that costs enough to cover both your expiring credit and your new gift card. It is super important that the fare you pick is fully refundable otherwise this whole trick will not work for you at all.
Step Three Means Entering The Gift Card Payment First
When you go to checkout you must put your gift card information in first before you apply any of your expiring flight credits. People say the order you enter the payments makes a huge difference so you really have to pay attention to this part.
Step Four Involves Canceling The Flight For New Credits
After you book that refundable ticket you just go back in and cancel it to receive brand new transferable flight credits. Because you booked a refundable fare with a gift card those new credits will not have any expiration date tied to them anymore.
The Airline Actually Allows This Specific Refund Loophole
Some flyers were worried that talking about this out loud would make the airline close the loophole but it is actually written right in their official policy. The help center rules clearly state that transferable flight credits do not expire if they come from a refundable fare bought with a gift card.
Customers Still Want Better Communication From The Airline
Even though this trick is awesome for saving your money a lot of travelers still feel their brand loyalty has completely shifted away from the company recently. The airline says they are working to refine the experience but they definitely have a long way to go to make everyone happy again.
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