Funviralpark Friday marked the first day since Christmas that Southwest Airlines did not have a double-digit percentage of canceled flights. In an interview with Good Morning America, CEO Bob Jordan attributed it to an “unprecedented storm for all airlines.” More than 15,000 of his Southwest Airlines flights were canceled, making it the busiest of the year. Thousands of travelers were stranded in a hurry during the travel season.
However, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said: Tweet Cancellations in the Southwest are “not weather related,” so the company has to cover not only airfare, but also meals, transportation, and hotel costs if you’re stranded away from home.
Southwest has pledged to refund customers for canceled flights as well as costs such as car rentals, hotels and airfare booked through other airlines. Other costs will be handled on a case-by-case basis, officials said.
If you were one of the thousands left behind, here’s how to get your money back.
Request a refund from Southwest
You should receive your refund immediately.
In a letter to Southwest Airlines earlier this week, Buttigieg said, “Southwest Airlines will not allow passengers to cancel their flights for any reason whatsoever if the airline cancels or makes substantial changes to their flights. Unless we accept the rebooking, we will have to issue a refund as soon as possible.” “This means that Southwest Airlines must issue a refund within 7 business days if the passenger paid by credit card and within 20 days if he paid by cash, check or other means. means that.”
You can also fill out a separate form if your luggage or other belongings were left unattended during your trip.
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request a cost reimbursement
Southwest Airlines says it will honor “reasonable requests for refunds of meals, hotels and alternative transportation (such as car rentals and other airline tickets)” caused by cancellations, according to its website.For that you need to do the following Please email your request directly to the Southwest Helpline and attach a copy of the expense for review.
After: Sit tight. Southwest says it has a backlog of complaints, and unfortunately it may take some time before all issues are resolved.
Long wait times?file a consumer complaint
If you are still waiting after the designated time frame, Buttigieg recommends travelers File a consumer complaint with the Department of Transportation. The DOT requires that the airline confirms the consumer’s complaint within 30 days and sends a written response to the consumer within 60 days.
Check your credit card for travel protection
Some credit cards also offer travel insurance protection, including: Travel delays, baggage delays, trip cancellations, and trip interruptions address exactly these situations.
If you’re having trouble getting your expenses reimbursed from Southwest, check to see if the credit card you used to book your flight offers travel insurance protection and see our list of the best credit cards with travel insurance. please confirm. Mitigate future disasters.
Conclusion
If you’re one of the thousands stranded in the Southwest this holiday season, follow the steps above to ensure your refund.
