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Terms and Conditions

Terms & Conditions for vacation packages

Thank you for choosing Southwest Vacations® for your vacation needs. ALG Vacations Corp. is the tour operator for Southwest Vacations. To ensure that you understand the conditions associated with the purchase of your package, please read the following terms and conditions. All terms and conditions are subject to change at any time at Southwest Vacations' sole discretion and without prior notice.


A. Booking and payments for all package types

  • Bookings must be made at least one (1) day prior to departure.
  • For bookings made 46 days or more prior to departure date, the full air portion plus a hotel deposit are due via credit card by 11:59PM CST on the day the booking is made, or by close of business day if made through our Customer Care Center. Final payment is due at least 45 days prior to departure date.
  • For bookings made 45 - 31 days prior to departure date, full payment is due via credit card by 11:59PM CST on the day the booking is made, or by close of business day if made through our Customer Care Center.
  • For bookings made 30 – 1 day prior to departure date, full payment is due via credit card at time of booking.
  • Some hotels may require an additional deposit up to full payment at time of booking in order to confirm the reservation.
  • Churning is defined as making the same reservation more than once and allowing it to cancel in order to avoid payment. If the same itinerary is booked for the same passenger more than once, any debits received will be passed on to the offending Travel Agent.
  • Duplicate Bookings are defined as several bookings for the same passenger with component variances (i.e. two reservations for the same dates at two different hotels, two reservations with a one day variance, etc.). If duplicate bookings are identified, any debits received will be passed on to the offending Travel Agent.
  • Travel Agents who abuse the Churning and/or Duplicate Bookings guidelines will lose the ability to hold records and full payment will be required at time of booking.
  • If paying by cashier check, travel agency check, or money order, make funds payable and express mail to: Southwest Vacations, Attn: Accounting, 8969 North Port Washington Road, Milwaukee, WI 53217.
  • Standard policies and penalties outlined below may be more restrictive during holidays and special events. No refunds will be made for special events, shows, or attraction passes.
  • Southwest Vacations reserves the right to re-invoice the package should a substantial error be made in computing the package price
  • Items not included in the package price include, but are not limited to excess or overweight baggage or other costs paid at the airport, baggage handling at hotel, resort fees, tips and gratuities, meals, rollaway beds, cribs, and all items of a strictly personal nature. Additional foreign government departure taxes, fees, and tourist cards may be due at the destination by the respective government authority and are not included in your package price. These items are the sole responsibility of the Customer and should be paid directly when the service is received.
  • Southwest Vacations sells leisure vacations. Individuals attending a convention may not use this product for their hotel stay. If this vacation is used for any reason other than leisure travel, the hotel may directly assess an additional surcharge or refuse service during holiday, convention, or special event time periods.
  • Southwest Vacations works with our suppliers to provide you with the best package rates. To pass these values on to our customers, we are prohibited from breaking out individual component prices and will not be able to provide those to you.

 

Hotel/feature taxes and service fees: Southwest Vacations markets hotels under a "prepaid/merchant" model, where Southwest Vacations collects the full amount of the hotel room from you in advance and manages the payments to the hotel/feature on your behalf. The booking is made by Southwest Vacations on the customer’s behalf and includes two components to the reservation, amounts being paid by Southwest Vacations to the hotel/feature on customer’s behalf as well as compensation for services retained by Southwest Vacations. In connection with facilitating your hotel/feature arrangement, the amount you are charged will include tax recovery charges and service fees. This amount includes an estimate to recover the amount we pay to the hotel/feature related to your reservation for taxes owed by the hotel/feature including, without limitation, sales and use tax, occupancy tax, room, tax, excise tax, value added tax, good and services tax, and/or similar taxes. The amount Southwest Vacations pays to the hotel/feature in connection with your reservation for taxes may vary from the amount we estimate and include in the amount charged to you. The amount charged to you also includes an amount to compensate Southwest Vacations for services in connection with handling your reservation. Southwest Vacations is not the vendor collecting and remitting taxes to the applicable taxing authorities. Hotel/feature suppliers, as vendors, include all applicable taxes in the amount billed to Southwest Vacations and Southwest Vacations pays over such amounts directly to the vendors. Southwest Vacations is not a co-vendor associated with the vendor with whom Southwest Vacations books or reserves customer’s travel arrangements. Taxability and the appropriate tax rate and the type of applicable taxes vary greatly by location.

 

In the event your hotel is supplied by Travelscape LLC, the following terms and conditions apply.


Rental car taxes and service fees: Rates for packages including a rental car do not include state/local taxes, gasoline, optional insurance, Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), under age driver charges if under the age of 25, or airport charges, which are payable directly to the rental car company. Alamo and Dollar rental car drivers must be 21 years of age or older. A valid driver's license and major credit card in driver's name are required. 

Uplift: A new monthly payment option for your clients. Your travelers now have a new payment option to finance their vacation with our Pay Monthly option. Uplift, a third party provider, offers affordable payments to fit nicely within your clients' monthly budget. It's a fast and easy way to turn their ideal vacation into a reality. Click here to learn about this monthly payment option.

 

B. Vacation package terms and conditions

B1. Cancellations

  • Cancellations are defined as the following: a complete cancellation of the vacation package; changes to the departure or return date; changes to origin or destination cities; or changes to the vacation package type or a reduction in the size of the traveling party.
  • All cancellations must be communicated to Southwest Vacations prior to departure. Cancellations made within 24 hours of departure must be communicated via phone by calling Southwest Vacations’ 24-hour traveler assistance line at 1-800-775-7105.
  • Southwest Vacations does not charge any cancellation fees for its vacation package products. However, cancellations made at any time after booking may incur supplier penalties up to the full vacation package price.
  • The air portion of the vacation package is nonrefundable once purchased, but is reusable. In case of a cancellation the reusable air value can be redeemed by the same passenger for future air travel. Future travel must be completed by the expiration date. Redemption information will be provided at time of cancellation.
  • Replacing a passenger's name with the name of another passenger is not permitted. Once booked, name changes cannot be made to any of the package components.
  • In accordance with Southwest Airlines’ No Show Policy:
    • If you are not planning to travel on any portion of this itinerary, please cancel your reservation at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure of your flight.
    • Customers who fail to cancel reservations for a Wanna Get Away® fare segment at least 10 minutes prior to travel and who do not board the flight will be considered a no show, and all remaining unused Wanna Get Away® funds will be forfeited.
    • All remaining unused Business Select® and Anytime® funds will be converted to reusable travel funds for the originally ticketed Passenger only.
  • If you need to cancel your travel plans, contact Southwest Vacations by phone as soon as possible and no later than sixty (60) minutes prior to scheduled departure to allow time to process the cancellation and avoid No Show forfeiture of your funds. If flights are not cancelled in advance and you do not travel on your flights, all funds on the unused portion of the reservation will be lost, and the remaining itinerary will be cancelled.
  • Once cancelled, hotel, rental car, and activities are subject to supplier penalties up to the full component price.
  • Supplier penalties are established by each supplier and enforced by Southwest Vacations. Southwest Vacations does not charge any fees or penalties to cancel your vacation package product.
  • You may avoid supplier cancellation fees by purchasing the Southwest Vacations’ Travel Protection option.


B2. Modifications

  • Modifications are defined as changes to the flight time/number on existing travel dates; changes to hotel; or changes to the rental car; or changes to activities.
  • All modifications must be communicated to Southwest Vacations prior to departure. Modifications made within 24 hours of departure must be communicated via phone by calling Southwest Vacations’ 24-hour traveler assistance line at 1-800-775-7105.
  • Southwest Vacations does not charge any modification fees, however customer is subject to any price increase as a result of modification.
  • The air portion of the vacation package is nonrefundable once purchased, but is reusable. In case of a modification, Southwest Vacations will apply the value of the reusable air to the new air on the modified reservation. If the reusable air value cannot be applied to the reservation, it can be redeemed by the same passenger for future air travel. Future travel must be completed by the expiration date. Redemption information will be provided at time of cancellation.
  • If you need to modify your travel plans, contact Southwest Vacations by phone as soon as possible and no later than sixty (60) minutes prior to scheduled departure to allow time to process the modification and avoid No Show forfeiture of your funds. If flights are not modified in advance and you do not travel on your flights, all funds on the unused portion of the reservation will be lost, and the remaining itinerary will be cancelled.
  • Once booked, any modifications to the hotel, rental car, or activities on an existing reservation are subject to supplier penalties up to the full component price.
  • Supplier penalties are established by each supplier and enforced by Southwest Vacations. Southwest Vacations does not charge any fees or penalties to modify your vacation package, but a change to your flight may result in a fare difference that you will need to pay.


B3. Refunds

  • If your travel plans change, the right to a refund is limited and will be determined in conjunction with the terms and conditions listed herein. If your reservation qualifies for a refund (subject to the policies herein), a written refund request must be submitted to Southwest Vacations no later than ninety (90) days after the scheduled departure date, or any payments and deposits shall be forfeited.
  • No refunds will be made for unused or missed flights, hotel days, or rental car days. No refunds will be made for unused, missed, or cancelled lift tickets, show tickets, or theme park passes. Once purchased, the air portion of the vacation package is nonrefundable, but is reusable and can be redeemed by the same passenger for future air travel. Redemption information will be provided at time of cancellation.
  • In accordance with Southwest Airlines’ No Show Policy:
    • If you are not planning to travel on any portion of this itinerary, please cancel your reservation at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure of your flight.
    • Customers who fail to cancel reservations for a Wanna Get Away® fare segment at least 10 minutes prior to travel and who do not board the flight will be considered a no show, and all remaining unused Wanna Get Away® funds will be forfeited.
    • All remaining unused Business Select® and Anytime® funds will be converted to reusable travel funds for the originally ticketed Passenger only.
  • The hotel, rental car, and activity portions of the vacation package are subject to supplier penalties. Any funds remaining after supplier penalties are processed will be refunded to the original form of payment.
  • Some supplier refund policies may be stricter than those of Southwest Vacations, in which case those would supersede Southwest Vacations’ refund policies.
  • Refund requests can be submitted as follows:
    • Email request to: refund@southwestvacations.com.
    • Fax request to: (414) 934-1239, Attention: Refunds.
    • Mail request to: Southwest Vacations, Attention: Refunds, 8969 N. Port Washington Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53217.
  • Acceptance of a refund constitutes a waiver by passenger of all rights and remedies under applicable law.


B4. Travel protection options

Travel protection options: Southwest Vacations offers the Southwest Vacations’ Travel Protection option. If selected, this option must be purchased and paid for at time of booking for all travelers booked on a reservation. Southwest Vacations’ Travel Protection is nonrefundable once purchased. Coverage consists of two distinct sections:

 

Penalty Waiver – non-insurance features provided by Southwest Vacations

  • Cancel for any reason and receive a refund to the original form of payment for the full vacation package price, less the cost of flights and the Southwest Vacations' Travel Protection plan cost. Flights are nonrefundable but exchangeable in the form of an airline credit valid for future travel for up to 1 year from original time of purchase.
  • Hotel, rental car or activity penalties or fees will be waived for the first instance when you make a change to or cancel your vacation at any time prior to departure.
  • The Hurricane Travel Credit applies for vacations departing June through November. While in destination, if your trip is interrupted for 24 hours or more due to a Category One or greater hurricane, you will receive a refund for unused or interrupted vacation nights plus a "Fresh Start" certificate for a future vacation. "Fresh Start" certificate amounts: $100 per adult, $50 per child for Exclusive Nonstop Vacation Flights1 and $25 per person for Scheduled Air Vacations. "Fresh Start" certificates are non-transferable and are not redeemable for cash and can be used on a Southwest Vacation for travel any time (excluding holidays) for one year from the original departure date. A qualifying disruption occurs when your hotel requires you to be displaced from their room for 24 hours or more due to the result of a Category One or greater hurricane and does not apply to hurricane watches, warnings or tropical storms. The Hurricane Travel Credit Plan applies to the nights you are displaced from your hotel if a comparable hotel of equal or greater hotel rating is not provided.
  • The Penalty Waiver does not reimburse:
    • Forfeited air cost due to failure to notify Southwest Vacations of a cancellation by phone at least ten (10) minutes prior to departure (No Show) or any increases in price resulting from a modification to the reservation.
    • Denied boarding situations.
    • If the number of travelers decreases, the remaining travelers will be responsible for additional costs incurred as a result of a change in the per person occupancy rate. Any balance due will be deducted from the refund of the cancelling party unless the remaining Customers provide additional payment.

 

Travel Insurance – Underwritten by Nationwide Insurance Company

  • Includes travel insurance benefits for trip interruption, trip delay, medical expense, emergency evacuation, and baggage protection benefits and takes effect from time of scheduled departure until time of scheduled return.

 

The Post Departure Travel Insurance Benefits are administered by: Trip Mate, Inc.*, (*in CA & UT, dba Trip Mate Insurance Agency) 9225 Ward Parkway, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO, 64114, 1-866-389-5378. Non-Insurance Services: are not insurance benefits. Generali Global Assistance 24-Hour Assistance Services are provided by: Generali Global Assistance and Global Xpi Medical Records Services are provided by Trip Mate. Benefits on this page are described on a general basis only. There are certain restrictions, exclusions and limitations that apply to all insurance coverages and services. This advertisement does not constitute or form any part of the Plan Description or any other contract of any kind. Plan benefits, limits, and provisions may vary by state jurisdiction.

To obtain your state-specific policy details providing details of the terms, conditions and exclusions, visit http://www.tripmate.com/wpN430S.

B5. Flight Disruption Policy

In the event that your flight itinerary has been disrupted by an event that does not qualify as a Force Majeure Event as provided for in the Southwest Airlines Co. Contract of Carriage and as determined by Southwest in its sole discretion (such flight disruption, herein defined as the “Flight Disruption”), you may be eligible for a full or partial refund of your unused accommodation, ground transportation, and activities arrangements booked for the same trip through Southwest Vacations.

Your eligibility to receive a full or partial refund of your unused accommodation, ground transportation, and activities arrangements will be determined in conjunction with the terms and conditions listed herein. Once the Flight Disruption occurs, to receive a full or partial refund of the non-refundable costs you paid for unused accommodation, ground transportation, and activities arrangements, you must submit your refund request to Southwest Vacations Customer care, no later than 90 days after the scheduled departure date, or any payments and deposits shall be forfeited.  Your refund request must contain the following information:  Customer name, Southwest Airlines confirmation number, Southwest Vacations confirmation number, and original scheduled date of departure.

If you booked a trip through Southwest Vacations, please call Southwest Vacations Customer care at 866-ALG-DESK. Business hours are: Monday - Saturday 9:00 am - 9:00 pm EST, Sunday 10:00 am - 2:00 pm EST. Refunds will be processed to the original form of payment.

Rapid Rewards points will only be awarded for the portion of the trip that is paid for and completed by the Customer. Air travel on Southwest Airlines and any cancellations related to such air travel are governed by Southwest Airlines Co. Contract of Carriage. Any add-ons purchased for your trip other than accommodations, activities and/or ground transpiration are not eligible for a refund. 

C. Travel documents for all package types

  • When you confirm an online reservation, we will automatically send an email confirmation to the email address you entered on the Checkout screen.
  • Within three (3) days of online purchase, we will send a Travel Itinerary to the email address provided at time of booking. The Travel Itinerary can include confirmation numbers for air, hotel and car rentals, destination information, dining options, contact information, and our vacation package policies and terms. If you require another Travel Itinerary due to lost email or email address change, please contact us at 1-800-243-8372.

 

D. Notice of incorporated terms

This notice is part of Southwest Airlines’ Passenger Contract of Carriage. If there is inconsistency between the terms described below and those on the customer's ticket, the incorporated terms of the ticket govern. Air transportation by Southwest Airlines is subject to Southwest Airlines’ Passenger Contract of Carriage, the terms of which are herein incorporated by reference. 

Incorporated terms include, but are not restricted to: 

  • Limits of liability for personal injury or death of Passengers. 
  • Limits on liability for loss, damage to, or delayed delivery of passenger baggage, including fragile, perishable, and certain other irreplaceable and/or high value goods or contents, as specified in the Contract of Carriage.  Baggage liability for covered items (except wheelchairs or other assistive devices as provided in 14 CFR §382.131) is limited to $3,500 per fare paying Passenger unless excess valuation coverage is purchased.
  • Claims restrictions, including time periods in which a Passenger must file a claim or bring an action against Southwest for its acts or omissions or those of its agents.
  • Rights of the air carrier to change terms of the Contract of Carriage.
  • Rules on reservations, check-in times, refusal to carry, and smoking.
  • Rights of Southwest and limitations concerning delay or failure to perform service, including schedule changes, substitution of alternate air carrier or aircraft, and rerouting.
  • Overbooking:  If a Passenger is denied boarding due to an oversale, has obtained his/her boarding pass and is present and available for boarding in the departure gate area at least ten (10) minutes before scheduled departure, with few exceptions, such Passenger is entitled to compensation.
  • Southwest Airlines, their employees, and agents do not act as agents for any Southwest Vacations, hotel, rental car agency, or other company. In no event shall the airlines be responsible or liable for any act, omissions, or events occurring during the time passengers are not on board the aircraft.
  • Any reference to tariff shall be deemed to be a reference to the Southwest Airlines' Passenger Contract of Carriage.
  • You may inspect, get further information about, or get a copy of the full Contract of Carriage online at Southwest.com or direct inquiries to: Southwest Airlines Customer Relations Department, P.O. Box 36647, Dallas, Texas 75235-1647.


E
. Responsibilities of Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is responsible only for the air transportation it provides in connection with a package purchase and is not responsible for ground transportation, accommodations, or other activities of the vacation. All passenger air transportation via Southwest Airlines shall be provided under the terms and conditions of Southwest Airlines' Passenger Contract of Carriage. The Contract of Carriage is available for inspection at all Southwest Airlines airport ticket counters or online at Southwest.com.

F. Responsibilities of Southwest Vacations

Southwest Vacations is an independent contractor that arranges travel-related services for individual, tour, and group travel. Southwest Vacations is neither an agent of the Customer nor of those providing travel-related services and does not in any manner directly provide accommodations, transportation, meals, or other travel-related services. Southwest Vacations shall neither be liable for personal injury nor property loss or damage resulting from the acts, omissions, or negligence of any person providing accommodations, transportation, meals, or other travel-related services. Southwest Vacations shall not be liable for any delayed departure, missed carrier connections, substitutions of accommodations, or of common carrier equipment, termination of service, changes in fares and rates, or for cancellation or double booking of reservations or tickets beyond Southwest Vacations’ control and without Southwest Vacations’ prior notice. Southwest Vacations reserves the right to alter the printed itinerary or schedule of any tour or trip as may be necessary with or without notice. Southwest Vacations shall not be responsible for any inconvenience or expense occasioned by such changes. Southwest Vacations reserves the right to decline any Customer at any time for any reason whatsoever.

G. Responsibilities of the passenger

Passengers 18 years of age and older must have a valid, government-issued photo identification. Check-in online, at airline Ticket Counter, Skycap Podium (at select locations), or Departure Gate prior to departure to receive a boarding pass. Minimum check-in time for international travel is at least sixty (60) minutes prior to scheduled departure and at least three (3) hours when departing Aruba. Unless you file any claim you may have with ALG Vacations Corp. / Southwest Vacations within ninety (90) days after the termination of your trip, ALG Vacations Corp. /Southwest Vacations are released from all further liability.

 
H. General information

Due to the special nature of package airfares, tickets may only be used for travel on the ticketed itinerary. Any flight/routing changes requested by the traveler/purchaser will require the purchase of new tickets from Southwest Airlines at the applicable fare. Flight times are tentative and subject to change without notice. Some countries may require aircraft cabin insecticide treatment for in-bound foreign flights. A list of such countries is available at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/spray.

Important notice regarding passport requirements for international travel: All international travelers must present a valid, non-expired government issued passport upon check-in for an international flight and for U.S. Customs re-entry after air, land, or sea travel. For more information please visit the State Department's consular website www.travel.state.gov or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s website www.dhs.gov. Please consult your travel agent or the Destination Consulate for further information. It is the traveler's responsibility to provide proper documentation and to comply with the laws of each country flown from or to, and to contact the appropriate consulate, embassy and/or immigration department for your destinations country for any specific entry requirements and restrictions. Married or divorced customers traveling under names other than what is printed on their travel documents must supply a marriage license and/or divorce decree. Foreign travelers, visit your local consulate for travel requirements (VISA or other written verification).


Any passengers who are denied boarding due to the lack of proper documentation will have their vacation cancelled and their right to a refund will be limited.


Additional Information for passengers traveling to Cuba -The Cuban Assets Control Regulations (“CACR”) administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of Treasury (“OFAC”) authorizes only certain categories of travelers for travel to Cuba. When you book your vacation, you will be asked to certify the reason for your visit. See more details under the Cuba Travel Certification within the checkout process. In addition, you have an obligation to maintain required records regarding your travel for five (5) years. All visitors are required to have health insurance that is accepted in Cuba. The cost of this coverage is included in your air ticket. All customers will need to obtain a Cuban tourist card (entry permit) or Cuban visa before travel. The cost of this documentation is not included in your price. Please see the U.S. Department of the Treasury's OFAC FAQ page for more information.

Important notice: Southwest Vacations occasionally enters into contracts with hotels and air, land, or water transportation companies, but all such entities are owned and operated by independent contractors. Southwest Vacations is not responsible for any negligent or willful act, omission or failure to act on the part of any such entity or its employees, or of any other third party beyond its direct control.  The Southwest Vacations name and logo may appear on posted or hand-held signs at your hotel, at the airport of your departure or destination, in vans, buses, coaches, or elsewhere during your vacation. This use of the Southwest Vacations name and logo is solely intended to help you identify persons or entities who might provide services to you during your trip, but does not indicate, and should not be understood by you to indicate that Southwest Vacations owns, controls or operates any entity displaying such a sign or that Southwest Vacations employs or controls any person holding or displaying such a sign.

 

I. Jurisdiction

It is agreed by and between passenger and Southwest Vacations that all disputes and matters whatsoever arising under or in connection with or incident to the responsibilities of ALG Vacations Corp. shall be litigated, if at all, in and before a court located in the State of Pennsylvania, U.S.A., to the exclusion of the courts of any other state or country. ALG Vacations Corp., Southwest Vacations, 8969 N. Port Washington Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53217.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE CARRIAGE TO ANY PERSON WHO HAS ACQUIRED A TICKET IN VIOLATION OF APPLICABLE LAW OR SOUTHWEST AIRLINES’ TARIFFS, RULES, OR REGULATIONS.

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