Southwest Gift Cards, Travel Funds, and LUV Vouchers — Everything You Need to Know
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Southwest is my favorite airline for domestic travel (including Hawaii) and Caribbean travel (including these lesser known international destinations that Southwest flies to).
I love how simple everything is with Southwest — it’s easy to earn points and use them for flights with no blackout dates!
However, one thing that can get a little confusing with Southwest is all the different forms of payment: Gift Cards, Travel Funds, and LUV Vouchers.
While these might all seem similar, they have very different rules. Specifically, Travel Funds and LUV Vouchers can get a little tricky to use if you aren’t sure how.
Since I fly Southwest a lot, I’ve come across all 3 of these and have figured out the ins and outs of each. Here is everything you need to know to use Southwest gift cards, Travel Funds, and LUV Vouchers successfully!
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Buying Southwest Gift Cards
Where to Buy Southwest Gift Cards
Southwest gift cards can be purchased online and at many retailers including:
Hot Tip: Sam’s Club sells Southwest gift cards at a slight discount. This is a great opportunity to use your Chase Freedom 5x points bonus when warehouse stores are one of the bonus categories, otherwise use one of these credit cards for Sam’s Club purchases!
How to Purchase a Southwest Gift Card on Southwest.com
- Go to Southwest.com and scroll to the very bottom of the page. Under Southwest Products, click on Southwest gift card.
Image Credit: Southwest - On the next page, click Get one now.
Image Credit: Southwest - Fill in the amount and quantity you would like to purchase. Gift cards can be purchased in any amount from $10-$1,000. If you are purchasing multiple cards, they will all have the same value.
- Choose your delivery method. Your gift card can be emailed to you for free, or you can choose to have it delivered by UPS ($2.95, 4-7 business days) or FedEx ($9.95, overnight delivery). Any orders over $500 will be delivered by FedEx overnight free of charge.
- Fill in either the recipient’s email address or physical address, depending on your shipping method. You can add a gift message or leave this area blank.
- Click the yellow Continue button at the bottom right-hand side of the screen to continue to payment options.
Image Credit: Southwest - Verify your details and enter your payment information.
- Click the yellow Purchase button to complete the transaction.
Image Credit: Southwest
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® earns 2x points on travel, while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns 3x points! Any Southwest Rapid Rewards card will earn 2x points on gift cards purchased through Southwest Airlines.
Purchasing a Large Volume of Gift Cards Online
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.
- Click on the Corporate & Volume Sales tab.
- Then click on Southwest gift card order form highlighted in blue. This will bring up the order form to fill out and send in.
Image Credit: Southwest
How to Earn Tons of Points Buying Gift Cards
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® at Sam’s Club during a warehouse store bonus period — you will earn 5x points, and will be purchasing the gift cards at a slight discount. Watch for other Chase Freedom bonus categories that include stores that sell gift cards.
- Look out for Chase Pay promos — in the past we have seen a 10x point bonus at Wal-Mart and Best Buy.
- Use your Chase Sapphire Reserve® to purchase gift cards through Southwest.com for 3x points.
- Keep an eye on American Express Offers. Stores like Staples often offer bonus points or cash-back.
Image Credit: American Express
Using Southwest Gift Cards
Southwest gift cards can only be used for flights (plus taxes and fees) purchased directly through Southwest Airlines — either online, by phone at 1-800-435-9792 (1-800-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 Travel Funds to use on a future flight. The earliest expiration date of all funds used will be applied.
For example, let’s say you paid for your flight with a gift card (with no expiration date) and travel funds that expire in 3 months. If you have to cancel your flight, the funds from both the gift card and travel funds will be held as Southwest Travel Funds with an expiration date 3 months in the future.
If you cancel your flight within 24 hours of takeoff, you need to contact customer relations at 1-855-234-4654 to receive your Travel Funds.
How to Use a Southwest Gift Card Online
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 will find Payment Method.
- Here you will see a very small drop-down arrow at the top of the payment box that says Southwest gift card, Travel Funds, or Southwest LUV Voucher.
Image Credit: Southwest - Once you click on the drop-down arrow, you will see the box where you can input your gift card information. According to the website, you can enter up to 3 gift cards per passenger per reservation. However, in the past I have only been able to use 3 gift cards per reservation, regardless of how many people were on the reservation. Since you can only use 3 forms of payment in total, if your gift cards won’t cover the whole cost of the ticket, you would need to use 2 gift cards and a separate method of payment to cover the remainder.
Image Credit: Southwest
What Can You Buy With a Southwest Gift Card?
Southwest gift cards are good toward 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:
- Southwest Airlines vacation packages
- Southwest Airlines group desk purchases
- Partner hotel and rental cars
- Southwest Airlines merchandise
- Southwest Airlines group tickets
- EarlyBird Check-In
- Oversized and excess baggage fees
- Upgraded boarding at the airport
- Pet fare
- Cargo
- Unaccompanied minor service charge
- Additional Southwest gift cards
- Inflight purchases
- Purchases through a travel agent
Bottom Line: Southwest gift cards can be applied to your flight cost plus any taxes and fees associated with your flight.
How to Check Your Gift Card Balance
- Go to Southwest.com and scroll to the very bottom of the page. Under Southwest Products, click on Southwest gift card.
Image Credit: Southwest - Then click on the Check Your Balance tab.
- Fill in your card number and security code. Click the reCAPTCHA and then the yellow Check Now box.
Image Credit: Southwest
Southwest Travel Funds
Southwest Travel Funds are what you get if you cancel a flight or change a flight to a lower priced itinerary. Travel Funds 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.
Bottom Line: Travel Funds are good for 1 year from the date you purchased the original ticket (not from the date of your flight) and are only available to the person who was on the original ticket. You cannot use your Travel Funds to purchase a ticket for someone else.
Travel Funds are tied to your original itinerary.
For example, let’s say you cancel flight #1212 and receive Travel Funds for the price you paid. When you go to book a new flight, you will need to pull up your Travel Funds credit using the confirmation number from flight #1212.
Hot Tip: Southwest Travel Funds expire 1 year from the date the original flight was purchased. You need to use them by the expiration date, not just book a flight by the expiration date! If you learned this the hard way (like me), have no fear: you can call to have your expired funds reinstated, but it will cost you $100.
How to Use Southwest Travel Funds on Southwest.com
- 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 will find Payment Method.
- Here you will see a very small drop-down arrow at the top of the payment box that says Southwest gift card, Travel Funds, or Southwest LUV Voucher.
Image Credit: Southwest - Click on the Travel funds tab, then enter the confirmation number from the original flight plus your first and last name, then click Apply funds.
Image Credit: Southwest
How to Check the Balance of Your Southwest Travel Funds
Southwest has recently added a fantastic feature that lets you easily keep track of your Travel Funds online. After logging into your Southwest account, click on My Account in the upper right hand corner.
You’ll see your Travel Funds listed right above your Rapid Rewards info.
You can also still look up your Travel Funds manually by clicking here or following the instructions below.
- To check the balance of your Southwest Travel Funds, click on Flight in the top menu, then click Manage Reservations.
Image Credit: Southwest - Click View Travel Funds.
Image Credit: Southwest - Input your first and last name, plus the confirmation number for the flight that the Travel Funds are associated with. Click the reCAPTCHA box and then Check Now.
Image Credit: Southwest
Travel Funds Updates due to COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions in regular travel, Southwest has implemented some updates to help you extend the life of your Travel Funds.
For Travel Funds that are set to expire or are created between March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020, the new expiration date will be September 7, 2022.
If you use your Travel Funds to purchase a flight and then you need to cancel that flight, the Travel Funds will convert to the standard expiration policy (12 months from booking date).
In addition, you will soon have the option to convert those Travel Funds into Rapid Rewards points. If you choose this option, your Travel Funds will be converted into Rapid Rewards points at the same rate you that would be able to purchase a ticket with points.
For updates about Southwest’s COIVD-19 policies, click here.
Southwest LUV Vouchers
So now that you’re up to speed on Southwest gift cards and Travel Funds, let’s talk about LUV Vouchers!
What’s a LUV Voucher, you ask? It’s a voucher you will get if you re-instate expired Travel Funds or receive compensation for a delayed flight, missing baggage, or volunteering to get bumped from a flight.
Southwest LUV Vouchers are valid at Southwest.com, by calling 1-800-I-FLY-SWA, or at any Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter. You will 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 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 Southwest LUV Voucher, take a photo of it! This ensures you can still use it even if you lose the paper voucher.
How to Use a Southwest LUV Voucher on Southwest.com
- 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 will find Payment Method.
- Here you will see a very small drop-down arrow at the top of the payment box that says Southwest gift card, Travel Funds, or Southwest LUV Voucher.
Image Credit: Southwest - Enter the voucher number and security code (sometimes referred to as the confirmation number), then select Apply vouchers to continue.
Image Credit: Southwest
Hot Tip: You can use up to 3 forms of payment for a single transaction. This can include any combination of credit card, gift card, travel funds, and/or LUV Vouchers.
How to Check the Balance of Your LUV Voucher
Checking your LUV Voucher balance on Soutwest.com is easy, but it’s a bit tricky to find. You can click here or follow the instructions below.
- To check the balance on your Southwest LUV Voucher, click on Flight in the top menu, then click Manage Reservations.
Image Credit: Southwest - Click View Travel Funds.
Image Credit: Southwest - This screen will default to the input for Travel Funds — just click on Check Southwest LUV Voucher right underneath to bring up the correct box.
Image Credit: Southwest - Fill in the voucher number and security (or confirmation) number, then click Check Now.
Image Credit: Southwest
Final Thoughts
Southwest Airlines offers 3 distinct forms of payment that require a little know-how to use: gift cards, Travel Funds, 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 Travel Funds 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!
![Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card — Full Review [2021]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/themes/upgp/img/cards/191x120/da55c6b0-f76a-11ea-b568-e36303e248dc.png)
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One issue to be aware of is if you use travel funds to book a trip and then cancel that trip, the expiration date will be that of the first trip, not the most recent.
Hi Kirk
Yes, you are correct! The expiration date of your travel funds is set in stone and won’t reset if you cancel your flight.
Great article- lots of useful information. One thing I found to be contradicting is regarding gift cards.
HOT TIP:
There are no fees to purchase Southwest gift cards. >>>>>They never expire and are fully transferable.
For example, let’s say you paid for your flight with 2 gift cards: >>>>>>one that expires in 3 months and another that expires in 6 months. If you have to cancel your flight, the funds from both gift cards will be held as Southwest Travel Funds with an expiration date 3 months in the future.
So, do gift cards expire? Or not expire? Does it vary by state law? I’m aware CA does have a no expiration date for store credits/gift cards.
Thanks!
Hi Claudia,
I’m so happy you found the article helpful.
Southwest Gift Cards do NOT expire. Thanks for pointing out that discrepancy (oops!) I have corrected the post so hopefully it’s more clear now.
So helpful – I have been trying to figure out how to redeem a refund on a reduced fare. Thank you for step by step instructions.
You got it, Terri! 🙂
How does one combine the use of a LUV voucher and Rapid Rewards points when purchasing a flight?
Hi Scott and thanks for your question. You cannot use a LUV voucher for the fees/charges that are charged on Rapid Rewards-purchased award flights. According to the Southwest web site “Southwest LUV Vouchers are not redeemable as payment toward Government-imposed segment fees, excise taxes, Passenger Facility Charges, or September 11th Security Fees or as payment toward miscellaneous charges, Southwest Airlines Group tickets, Southwest Airlines Vacations packages, or travel either wholly or in part on other air carriers.”
I am waiting for a voucher that was supposed to be delivered by email for unused and partial refund. They told me 30 days and that was 35 days ago. How do I follow up on this voucher? I want to use it to make a flight purchase.
Hello Lisa. You can always contact Southwest (1-855-234-4654) directly. You can also follow the steps mentioned in the article and check your Southwest account to see if you have digital travel funds available there.
Once you purchase a gift card, can you add additional funds onto it?
Hi Jaime,
No, you can’t add additional funds to a Southwest gift card once it is purchased.
Your FAQ says you can’t buy SW gift cards with points, but you can. A $50 GC is 6750 points.
Reference was your own tutorial:
https://upgradedpoints.com/unique-ways-to-use-southwest-points/
Hi Chris,
Thanks for highlighting this to us. We’ve amended the FAQ to reflect that you can purchase a SW gift card using points. Thank you!
In the drop down menu can more than one voucher be used? I have 3-$100 vouchers I want to use at once
Up to 3 forms of payment can be used. So, if your 3 vouchers will cover your flight cost you can use all 3. If your flight costs more than $300 you could use 2 vouchers but you would have to pay for the rest on a credit card.
If I use LUV Vouchers to purchase a flight and the flight price decreases, do they “refund” me the difference if I contact them? For example, I’m using 3 vouchers totaling $400, but the flight is $450. If the price drops and is only $400, will they reimburse me the $50?
I’m currently in the 71min customer service queue to ask the same thing.
Hi Veronica,
If the price of your flight changes, you can get a price adjustment however, they money would be refunded as a travel funds not cash. Also, fyi you can only use 3 forms of payment on a single transaction, so in this example, you would need to use 2 LUV Vouchers and put the rest on a credit card. Hope that helps.
How can I apply a LUV voucher at southwestvacations.com check-out? There is no drop-down option that includes voucher. It only provides the option to pay with “gift, travel credit or promotion” and the LUV voucher number is not accepted, despite it is still valid (expires in 2 months). I am using a desktop computer, not a mobile device.
Thanks!
Hi Ivelina,
Unfortunately, you can’t use a LUV Voucher to pay for a vacation booked through Southwest Vacations. These can only be used for flights booked through Southwest.com, through Southwest Airlines Reservations, and at Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter locations.
Hi. I had the unfortunate experience of my luggage being lost/delayed by SWA, at no fault of my own. When it finally arrived, I was able to arrange for my friend to pick it up and bring it to me from 3 hrs away so they naturally compensated me with this $100 LUV Voucher. However, neither myself, no anyone I know is planning on flying any time in the next year. Not to mention, I, of course, had to pay the person for gas and their time. (I had absolutely no money and had a hard time coming up with it.)
I am now stuck with this UNUSABLE $100 voucher — how is THAT compensation considering the overall troubles of my luggage being delayed and the fact that I paid out of pocket for it to be returned to me? I think it totally defeats the purpose of a genuine compensation if one cannot use it. Is there ANY way to maybe get this “compensation” in the form of cash or a gift card to reimburse the said “travel expenses” I had incurred? Not everybody has the luxury of being able to just pick up and fly whenever they want. If not, I think it’s totally unfair of Southwest to only offer a credit towards a flight in this respect.
I’m hoping they will be able to turn this “LUV Voucher” into something I can use.
Hi Katheryn,
I’m sorry you didn’t have a great experience with Southwest. One thing you might want to keep in mind in the future is that if the airline is responsible for delayed luggage, they will usually return it to you at their expense.
I would suggest calling Southwest to explain your situation and ask for compensation in cash vs a LUV Voucher. They might not do it, but it can’t hurt to ask. If you happen to have a Twitter or Facebook account, you can also try reaching out through those avenues — I have had better luck getting responses from airlines through social media than just by calling.
Good luck!
Due to illness my wife and I have travel funds expiring June 14 totaling $581.60 and travel funds expiring June 26th totaling $603.92.Can I call prior to June 14th to have expired funds reinstated and would we have to pay $100 x (4)?
Hi Tim,
Please be aware that we are not Southwest Airlines, we are UpgradedPoints.com. We advise you to contact Southwest directly in regards to your query.
Thanks
Catherine
Hey there,
I have a LUV voucher for $600 and a flight I’d like to purchase is only about $430. Will a balance remain on my voucher of about $170 or is it a use it or lose it scenario?
Thanks!
Hi Nathan!
A balance will remain on the voucher for any unused funds. Just make sure you hang on to the voucher number so that you can apply the remaining funds towards a future flight!
Southwest canceled our flight and provided us 6 LUV Vouchers, each with a $100 balance on them (for a total of $600). Given I am limited to three items of payment when I look to purchase future travel, it appears I am unable to utilize all 6 vouchers to pay for my family’s travel. Is it possible to have Southwest “consolidate” the 6 vouchers to 1 voucher?
Hi Jim,
You are correct that you can only use three items of payment per purchase. However, one potential solution would be to break up a future trip into two separate one-way itineraries. This way, you could use three LUV vouchers for the initial trip, and the other three for the return leg. Traditionally, combining multiple vouchers into one is not something that Southwest will do, but it never hurts to ask!
Can you book a trip using two travel funds if you do and have one expiring this Oct and one expiring a year from today? If you use up the one expiring in Oct and part of the one expiring in a year, will the remainder of that fund still expire in a year or does it expire earlier?
Hi Joe,
Since your travel funds have not expired yet, you can definitely use both for an upcoming flight. If you only use part of the travel fund for one that expires next year, the unused amount will remain attached to the travel fund until you use it or until it reaches its expiration date.
FYI – You can convert your travel funds into a LUV voucher which makes it transferable, but the fee is $100.
Enjoy!! 🙂
Thanks for the very informative post! Was curious on something. If you use a LUV voucher to purchase a ticket, does the flight you purchased still count towards your preferred status?
Hi Kekoa,
We’re glad you enjoyed the article. Yes – flights purchased with LUV vouchers do count towards your status.
I have three LUV vouchers, how can I use them all for 1 trip?
Hi Carmel,
You can use up to 3 forms of payment with a Southwest purchase. So you can use all three LUV vouchers for your trip!
I think you can only use two – and the third will be the credit card for the fees and taxes. But you can split your flight into one-way trips and that might work.
Hi Nancy,
You can use three LUV vouchers, and no credit card, provided that the three LUV vouchers cover the entire cost of the ticket.
I am currently on a trip. This week Southwest canceled my flight and gave me LUV vouchers. Can I re-book my return flight first (just to make sure I can get on) and use the LUV vouchers and then cancel my original flight?
Hi Daryl,
I’m sorry your flight was cancelled. Yes, you could re-book the return flight with the LUV vouchers then cancel your original flight. However, if you booked a Wanna Get Away fare, you will get travel funds which are actually more restrictive than LUV Vouchers (you can purchase a flight for anyone with a LUV Voucher, but you’re the only one that can use a Travel Fund.) So, you’re probably better off just saving the LUV Voucher for your next flight.
Thank you! You’ve made it so much easier to use my Travel Funds.:)
That’s great to hear, Lydia!
Is the $100 fee to get travel fund reinstated a person cost? So say that one reservation has 4 people on it, would be $100 per person?
Hi Sean
Yes, the charge to get a travel fund reinstated is per person.
I purchased an airline ticket for my grand daughter and had to cancel it. I used a luv voucher which was due to expire in a few days and I paid 36 dollars on my credit card for the rest. When I cancelled the flight I was told that my 36 I paid with credit card was not refundable and that I would not get a travel fund either. Why is that? I was upset and confused!
Hi Evelyn,
Just because you use a LUV Voucher on a flight and then cancel it doesn’t mean you’ll get the voucher back. It will still expire according to the original expiration date. Thanks for reading.
I have a Luv voucher that expires 3/3/20. I want to book a flight for 3/20/20. Can I book a flight for, say, January, then cancel it. Thereby being reissued the Luv voucher with an extended expiration date? Thank you.
Hi Tamara,
That’s actually a really good question. My instinct tells me that that wouldn’t work but there’s a small chance it could.
If you use a LUV Voucher to purchase a ticket then cancel it, that would turn your LUV Voucher into Travel Funds. The expiration date of Travel Funds are tied to the day you originally purchased the ticket. But, if you used a LUV Voucher then it’s not clear which expiration date would be applied (the LUV Voucher expiration date or the new expiration date based on when you bought the ticket).
Sorry I can’t be of more help on this one. If it works out, please come back and let us know!
Can I somehow load my gift card into my account so that I don’t have to keep track of multiple codes in my email and have a consolidated balance just like Amazon gift card?
Hi Steve,
Unfortunately, Southwest does not allow you to combine gift card balances.
This is the biggest pile of baloney! I have paid cash when I have a little extra in my pockets. $25, $50…what flight can I get using $75 of the $1200+ I have in gift cards? I want my cash back. Your practices are irresponsible and bring me to the brink of cursing. I will never fly with you or recommend you, and I am a tour guide.
Bon chance.
Hi Jake,
Sorry to hear about your frustrating experience, but just to be clear, we do not represent Southwest Airlines. We are Upgraded Points, a travel blog that specializes in providing educational resources centered around credit card points and airline miles.
If you want to speak to someone at Southwest about your issue, I recommend you contact them directly at 1 (800) 435-9792.
If I cancel my flight and get travel credits, can I convert them into the luv voucher?
Hi Stephanie,
No, you can’t convert travel funds to a luv voucher.
Southwest changed my flight and I needed to cancel it and book on another airline in order to get to my destination on time. Now I have $1,250.00 in credit (2 tickets) that I need to use before November. Is there anyway I can get that as a voucher and have that available to use for my children?
Hi Stacy,
Travel funds can’t be transferred to Luv Vouchers and can only be used for the person on the original ticket that was canceled. How much of a schedule change did Southwest make which caused you to have to book on another airline? If it was significant, you may have some luck with calling them to explain your situation. Maybe they can do something with your credit so you can use it for your children. Good luck!
Hi Stacy and Katie,
I’m in a similar situation as Stacy, and I hope you didn’t cancel your flight yet. I paid for flights for myself and my wife using SW giftcards purchased on 3rd party sites back in November of 2019. Mid January 2020, SW changed my flight, from an arrival of 2000 to an arrival time of 0000. Any flights that arrive closer to my original time of 2000 require multiple transfers and a lot of wasted time in the airport system. Naturally, I gave them a call and this is their response.
Since SW changed the flight, they would be willing to refund the cost of the ticket since no other times worked, if my original payment method was a credit card, or with SW points. Unfortunately, my brilliant idea to purchase discounted SW gift cards prevents me from getting anything BUT travel funds, which still have an expiration date tied to November 2019. When asked for a one time extension of these travel funds, I was told no after the agent spoke with her “IT department.”
So Stacy, it sounds like if you paid with a credit card, you may be able to get a FULL refund since SW caused the change. But if you paid with a gift card, you’re SOL.
I have travel funds (credit for canceled flight) getting ready to expire in early March. How long do I have to call to request the LUV voucher without having the travel funds expire? Is there a specific deadline for how soon I must call for the LUV voucher, upon expiration of the travel funds/credit, to ensure that I don’t lose out on the LUV voucher? Thank you!
Hi Andrea,
The sooner you can call the better. Ideally, before the funds expire.
Thanks for reading!
Thank you Jarrod. 🙂
Andrea
I have travel funds that expired in December 2019 ($147) and another one expiring in March for $103. So could I still get reinstated for the expired one and the one expiring? Do they deduct $100 from both?
Hi Prashu,
Yes, it cost $100 each time you have the funds reinstated. So if you let your funds for March expire, it will cost another $100.
Great review of the different Southwest options for Travel Funds, LUV Vouchers and Gift Cards!
Hi Lisa,
I’m so glad you found the post helpful! Thanks for reading.
Can you sell LUV Vouchers on Ebay
Hi Linda,
According to the Southwest terms and conditions, Southwest LUV Vouchers are VOID if sold, altered, purchased, brokered, and/or bartered. So you cannot sell them on eBay.
My family and I have travel funds worth $700 and travel vouchers worth $300 and all are set to expire in the month of Nov’2020. I’m leaving the United States in a few weeks and will be working outside for a year then coming back. I reached out to SW customer care to convert all my travel funds and travel vouchers into Rapid Rewards, however, they didn’t honor my request. I see your blog and you mentioned you reinstated you travel funds after they expired, is it still an option? And can I rent a car or reserve hotel accommodations using travel funds available?
Hi Uday,
You can reinstate travel funds by paying a $100 fee. However, if the funds are spread out over multiple Rapid Rewards accounts, you’ll need to pay a fee for each one, so it might not be worth it. Travel Funds and LUV Vouchers can only be used for flights.
You may want to keep checking back with Southwest in case they extend their new policies regarding Travel Funds. Right now the new policy only applies to funds that expire before September 7, but that could be extended at some point.
All my travel funds are tied to one RR account and I keep filing several complaints but they simply reject it. I filed yet another complaint to extend my travel funds to a year more, not sure if they would honor my request. Thanks for your response though!
Are there any exceptions with the LUV Vouchers during the COVID19 pandemic? My family cannot travel during the pandemic and we have $600 of vouchers expiring in July.
Hi Nicole,
According to Southwest’s website, there aren’t any special exceptions for LUV Vouchers like there are for travel funds. However, it may be worth a call or email to see if they can extend them for you. Good luck!
If I cancel my flight and receive travel funds will I be able to turn it into a LUV voucher?
Hi Rose,
Yes, you are able to convert them but keep in mind that Southwest charges $100 to do so.
Hi,
I recently bought a second hand Southwest gift card of $400. After the purchase, I don’t feel safe since the seller also knows the card number and pin. I don’t plan to travel until Dec 2021 so if I book a trip now and cancel, I would have to use my fund by next Sept, which is not in my plan. What are my options? I tried to ask Southwest if I can convert the gift cards amount into points or get a new card reissued but they rejected the ideas. Hoping for some good ideas, as southwest literally said no to everything I asked. Thanks
Hi Rain,
How did you purchase the gift card? Most marketplaces like eBay offer protections to buyers in the event the seller would use the gift card. Other than that I don’t think there is much you can do since gift cards can’t be converted to points or travel funds.
Great article. I just experienced a difficult time working with SW customer relations. My concern was escalated up to the option 5 button that is only available during normal business hours (option 5 is not available after 5 pm and not on the weekends). My concern was that I waited too long (2 weeks) to use my travel funds by the deadline (September 15) and kept forgetting to call about it until 2 weeks later. I was not successful in my plea (original flight canceled 3 times due to a family member with cancer, no travel during the past year due to Covid) which was that the first CR I spoke to said they would “fix it for me” and that I would get a voucher for the full amount and that it would not expire and that I would receive the voucher by email soon. All information was supposedly wrong I found out when I spoke to another CR about the status of the voucher. And also found out that it can take up to 60 days to receive the voucher. That CR referred me to another CR because I didn’t know who to believe. That CR heard my story and escalated to the option 5 CR. I also found out that if you purchased a Wanna Get Away fare, the voucher would only be good for 6 months. So, I blew it. My original funds were $399.96. That got dinged the $100. I only have 6 months to use during which time I don’t feel comfortable flying. Even if I were to visit my dad, in Chattanooga, SW doesn’t fly into Chatty, and even if so, you can’t use the Luv voucher for fees, taxes. So, basically, even though I tried to book a trip to Nashville, and then drive 2 hours to Chatty, I still would have owed $70 after applying my voucher (because it can’t be used for Early Bird Check in). Guess I’ll just have to spend $400 to fly Delta, AA, or United to Chatty instead. Sigh, what a mess.
They haven’t let you cash in your points for anything but flights for over 8 months now. If you have Rapid Rewards points and aren’t flying, you’re completely screwed. There is going to be a massive class-action lawsuit over this.
Can you use your travel funds for in flight purchases?
Hi Rebeca,
No, travel funds can only be used for flights.
I booked a round trip flight and used a Luv Voucher to pay for part of it. If I cancel (or change) the return flight, is the money that I paid out of the Luv Voucher credited back to the Luv Voucher? Or is that money I paid from the Luv Voucher just gone? The Luv Voucher expires about 10 months from now.
Hi George,
The funds should be credited back to the Luv Voucher. Safe travels!
If I can use 3 forms of payment, can I use 3 LUV vouchers for a ticket? If so, and if LUV vouchers don’t cover taxes/fees, how do I pay that? or is it only 2 vouchers + 1 CC to cover the taxes/fees.
Can I use travel funds to pay taxes/fees?
Hi Kayexelate,
If you are using multiple travel funds or LUV vouchers to book a flight, you’ll need to ensure they cover the full cost (airfare plus any government fees, taxes, or charges). Otherwise, the maximum number of travel funds or vouchers you can use per booking is two.
How long does it take for LUV vouchers to be refunded to your LUV balance if you cancel a reservation made with them?
Hi Heather,
In my experience, it should be almost immediately after canceling your flight. If they haven’t been credited back then I would give them a call to see what the issue is.
Hi, I have travel funds expiring in November 2021. Can I use them now to purchase a flight after November 2021, understanding that if I were to cancel that flight after the expiration date I would not receive the funds back?
Hi Lucy,
No, you need to fly by the expiration date if you want to use your travel funds.