Southwest Airlines, known for its flexible policies, now allows booking flights through the Chase Travel portal. This integration raises several questions, especially concerning cancellations and travel funds. Can You Cancel A Southwest Flight Booked With Travel Funds? What happens to those funds? Let’s dive into the details.
Southwest Airlines airplane taking off at sunset
Booking Southwest Flights via Chase Travel: The Promise
Initially, the idea of booking Southwest flights through Chase Travel seemed promising. It offered the potential to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a good value, earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points on “paid” fares, and enjoy the flexibility of Wanna Get Away Plus fares. This meant that Sapphire Reserve cardholders may no longer need to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest, since booking tickets at 1.5c per point is more valuable than booking award tickets with Southwest.
The Downsides: Minimum Pricing and Limited Flexibility
However, there are some drawbacks to consider.
Minimum Pricing
For very cheap flights, booking through Chase might not be the best deal. Chase appears to have a minimum ticket cost, meaning you could overpay when booking the cheapest flights. For example, if a Wanna Get Away fare is $39 when booked directly through Southwest, it might cost $79 when booked through Chase Travel. However, for flights with a Wanna Get Away fare of $79 or more, the price through Chase will match the Southwest website.
Comparison of Southwest Airlines flight prices via Southwest and Chase Travel
Cancellation Woes: Travel Funds Held Hostage
One of the biggest disadvantages of booking Southwest flights via Chase Travel is the cancellation process. If you cancel a Wanna Get Away Plus fare (or higher) booked through Chase, the resulting travel funds are held by Chase Travel. This means you can only use those funds for future bookings made through the Chase Travel portal.
Screenshot of Chase Travel indicating travel funds are held by Chase
This significantly reduces the flexibility that comes with Wanna Get Away Plus fares. Normally, a Southwest travel credit from a Wanna Get Away Plus fare is transferable, allowing you to gift it to someone else. However, with Chase-held travel funds, that option is unavailable.
Can You Change Your Flight? Prepare for a Phone Call
Changing flights booked through Chase Travel is also more complicated. You can’t make self-service changes online. Instead, you’ll need to call Chase Travel and speak to a representative, which can be time-consuming and inconvenient.
Companion Pass Perk: Still Intact
Despite the downsides, there’s one piece of good news: If you have a Southwest Companion Pass, you can still add your companion to a ticket booked via Chase Travel. Simply include your Rapid Rewards number during the booking process, and you’ll be able to add your companion as usual.
Adding a companion to a Southwest Airlines flight booked via Chase Travel
In Conclusion: Proceed with Caution
While booking Southwest flights through Chase Travel might seem appealing at first glance, the limitations on changes and cancellations can be a significant drawback. The inability to easily change a flight booked via Chase combined with the inability to easily cancel and receive a transferable Southwest flight credit (when booking Wanna Get Away Plus or higher) significantly devalues booking via Chase. If flexibility is a priority, booking directly through Southwest might be the better option. However, if you’re primarily focused on maximizing your Chase Ultimate Rewards points and don’t anticipate needing to change or cancel your flight, Chase Travel could be a viable option. Just be aware of the potential limitations.
