Refundable Air Fare or Travel Insurance ?

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I would book with SWA. Buy your tickets by purchasing their Rapid Rewards points. If you have an emergency you get everything refunded if you have to cancel. The points will be redeposited to your Rapid Rewards acct. that you will have to open for free in order to buy the points. Then you are not locked into using travel funds that will expire in less than a year. The points don't expire so you can reschedule your trip in the future.

 

[Shanti]

But travel insurance has very strict rules about when you can actually get a refund with the policy. SW you don't need to justify anything with them, just change your flight. And it doesn't cost extra to do it.

SWA has strict rules. If the exact same passengers don't plan on taking another trip within one year of the date of booking (you don't even get a year from the originally booked date of travel), you're out your money with Southwest. For infrequent travelers, their policy is not helpful at all.

My mother is 73, and I got travel insurance for her that covers pre-existing conditions for our upcoming trip. I recommend doing that, since refundable tickets are often just as expensive as buying a second set of regular plane tickets.

 

[Shanti]

Yes, Southwest is refundable and there are no change fees, but you're still out the difference of the fare cost.

Southwest is only refundable if you pay (a lot) extra for their refundable fares.