I just live chatted with Alaska Air to keep them from closing my mileage account due to inactivity (and losing existing points, which otherwise wouldn’t expire). They added one mile and now I’m good until September 2023. Whew!
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I assume the same - which is why I don’t feel the need to try to protect those who don’t care to be protecting themselves. Plus I’m relying on vaccine data and our odds of not having a rough go of it if we were to catch it from them is still high.
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Flying is like shopping at WalMart. It’s good until I reach the checkout. Then I’m suddenly reminded of why I hate going there.
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Thank you, I just chatted with Alaska Air, too, forgot all about that!
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They sent an email last night or I would have forgotten too!
I begged United to extend my e-certs because my docs didn’t want me to fly. They said nope, it was already extended 2 years and people are flying but you can try writing to CustSvc and including letter from your docs. That worked. They canceled my ecert and issued me a new one, got for another 24 months!
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I’m also holding on to $950 worth of United vouchers from a cancelled wedding in 2020. The wedding is rescheduled for 2022…a week after my vouchers expire. I’m going to try to call United…but I don’t have a lot of hope.
Delta, OTOH, gave us a full refund which appeared on our credit card three days after we requested it.
What’s the matter with United??
Delta isn’t always so generous. Both I and DD had same flights, near the same time that were cancelled or severly re-routed due to early Covid. I called, explained I was now due for a full refund, and had no issues. DD called, and could not convince them she too was entiteld to full refund. So, she finally accepted vouchers. When she later used a portion of the voucher, they again severly re-routed her flight. That time they gave her a refund for the second flight, but not for the remainder of the first.
Same thing happened w/ Alaska. One of our flights was significantly reduced (when they were still allowing ‘free’ changes due to Covid). I couldn’t figure how to change the tickets, and receive a credit for the difference. So, I used the Chat feature. Service rep. did it for me, and all was well. Explained procedure to DD. She tried the same, and they wouldn’t grant a voucher for hers! They would only allow her to use the same $$ for a higher priced seat.
DD flies more than I, so it is not a membership or FF level. Luck of the draw, I assume.
Sorry if this is a repeat, but may interest some. We had a guided biking trip planned to Italy last year. I canceled in time to get most of my money back for the trip, but they said all they could do for the trip insurance was apply it to the same trip this year if we were interested. We were too nervous about that idea, so figured the trip insurance was lost. A couple of months ago I called the company and asked if they would apply the insurance to the same trip next year. She said no, but they would issue me a refund! I figured “I’ll believe it when I see it,” and checked on it a time or two. Well, it took about 6 weeks, which is what she told me it might, but the insurance amount was refunded. SO, all we “lost” was about 300 bucks, which we could use if we take another trip this year. They may let us apply them next year - I will call and ask. (They actually may have already extended until next year).
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Overall, Southwest is the way to go. It’s just so worth it to be able to cancel or change and get the full credit. It’s fairly easy to get priority status if you fly at all regularly, and that is a big perk. I lived in another city for a number of years and was tied into another carrier enough to get super elite status, but I don’t fly them unless necessary because I find Southwest works better- even with connections.
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Don’t you just have to book the flight before the vouchers expire? do you actually have to finish travel before?
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You have to finish the travel before the vouchers expire.
Other major airlines have all matched, and bettered Southwest’s refund policy in some cases, unless your ticket is in basic economy (some airlines allow refund of its basic economy tickets too). It’s one of the few positive consequences of the pandemic. With Southwest, your refund (if you paid cash for your ticket) is in the form of its travel fund, which expires in a year just like the other airlines. If you paid with points, you get your points back but the taxes you paid will still be in travel fund. Other major airlines (except JetBlue) would refund your ticket fully (including taxes) if you paid for your ticket with their miles).
I’ve tried twice with United and they will not issue me a refund. Last time I contacted them, they also wouldn’t bump the voucher expiration date to 10 days later.
United has changed its refund policy multiple times since the pandemic began. The applicable refund policy depends when your ticket was purchased. For tickets purchased more recently, United will either issue vouchers (if you paid cash) or refund fully (if you paid with miles).
My MD wrote me a letter for United, pointing out she was ordering me not to fly due to Delta surge and my very bad lungs and caring for me 92 year old mom and elderly asthmatic husband.
I sent my request to customer service. They transferred my request to Disability, who has a lot more latitude. They said they couldn’t give me a refund but could and would combine and cancel the voucher and reissue it so it was good for 24 more months.
They did tell me I could transfer it and have a family member or friend use it, and just book prior to expiration and could fly after expiration.
Mine was purchased December 2019 for an August 2020 wedding. United has been pretty clear with me…they gave me a voucher. It expires August 15, 2022. Period.
Shaking my head… two in one day!!
I just got back from driving to Springfield MO for an event there. It went very well. I mainly avoided crowded areas unless I had my mask on and then was only in them briefly. The even was indoors with about 300 people all at their own 8 foot tables. It was well done and I felt safe. Stopped in KS on my way back which was also nice. Campus required masks while indoors.
Next big trip will be our son’s not ours. He will be going to Belgium with his school for a couple of weeks in late May - early June. I know they will plan most of it for him but he plans to say after the trip for several days, fly his gf there and get engaged while they are there! I hope things are a bit better by then!
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H just got back from his first business trip since before Covid. He said it felt weird to be traveling - for a guy who used to travel 3-4 times a month, this was a long break. He was in Houston and all restaurants, buffets etc were open. Flights were full (even in first class). He said service wasn’t great - both in the hotels and the flights.
I am going to Virginia next weekend with my high school friends. And San Diego shortly after for a wedding. Will be interesting to see how these trips go. A bit anxious, but also a bit excited to be getting out again. Planning on masks everywhere, not eating at all on the flights(if I can manage that).