How to Get Paid for Surviving the Southwest Meltdown

After Southwest Airways canceled 1000’s of flights round Christmas, quite a few vacation vacationers have been stranded. Now they need their a refund.

Many vacationers paid out-of-pocket to rebook on different airways or to get to their vacation spot by way of different means, akin to a rental automobile or prepare. Different pay as you go, non-refundable reservations akin to present tickets, cruises, excursions and lodge rooms would possibly appear to be misplaced prices.

Genna Scisci, a public relations govt from Chicago, was planning to fly to Albany, New York, for the vacations, however she gave up after 4 canceled Southwest flights. Since she made a number of journeys to the airport, she is searching for reimbursement for about $150 value of rideshares. Scisci says she hasn’t acquired that cash again, although she did get a refund for her authentic round-trip flight.

For those who have been affected by the cancellations tied to the Nice Southwest Meltdown, it’s not too late to attempt to recoup a number of the prices.

Southwest despatched promo codes for 25,000 Fast Rewards bonus factors per flight by way of e mail to many vacationers who had flights canceled or considerably delayed between Dec. 24, 2022, and Jan. 2, 2023. Southwest instructed NerdWallet that solely these with flights between that interval that have been canceled or delayed significantly — and who elected to not rebook — acquired codes. Nevertheless, some flyers have reported getting codes even after touring on a rebooked Southwest flight.

To redeem these codes, Southwest vacationers should go to a separate Fast Rewards factors web site earlier than March 31, 2023. The web site usually requires a wait to entry it. Normally, the wait instances are only a few minutes — a fraction of the hours-long customer support maintain instances folks have been reporting throughout the Southwest meltdown.

Southwest guarantees that 25,000 factors equate to a base fare redemption of greater than $300. Although based mostly on NerdWallet’s evaluation, Southwest factors are normally value about 1.5 cents every, making 25,000 factors valued at an even-higher $375 when redeemed for a future flight. For those who acquired two codes, that’s value $750, by NerdWallet’s estimates.

For those who held Southwest elite standing that was set to run out, you might get a small extension. Southwest emailed some affected vacationers who held 2022 Companion Passes or had A-Listing or A-Listing Most well-liked standing, promising to increase their standing by way of Jan. 31, 2023.

Southwest says clients with flights canceled or considerably delayed between Dec. 24, 2022, and Jan. 2, 2023, can submit receipts for “affordable” bills akin to rental vehicles, different airline tickets and meals by way of this webpage for consideration.

Southwest wouldn’t present specifics on the precise objects that may be reimbursed, merely stating in an e mail to NerdWallet that clients “are inspired to submit objects for consideration.”

For instance, journey author Brittany Mendez is attempting to get reimbursed for an additional sort of expense. She and her fiancé flew Southwest to California to spend the week of Christmas together with her household. Their canines stayed behind with a dogsitter. When their flight dwelling was canceled, they could not get rebooked on one other flight till per week later. 

Mendez and her fiancé stayed with household for his or her unanticipated further week in California, so that they didn’t face extra journey prices. However she’s hoping Southwest can pay for the second week of canine sitting. She hasn’t heard something again but.

Whereas Southwest instructed NerdWallet that no deadline for reimbursement requests had been set but, it’s finest to submit receipts as quickly as attainable to maximise reimbursement odds. Southwest additionally didn’t say how lengthy these reimbursements would take, nevertheless it may very well be some time because the airline is prioritizing flight refunds first.

Below Division of Transportation laws, clients are entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight and the client chooses to not journey. This is applicable to all passengers with U.S. airfares, irrespective of the explanation. 

The federal government additionally mandates that refunds are issued inside seven enterprise days of the airline receiving the request with correct documentation if a passenger paid by bank card and inside 20 days if a passenger paid by money or test.

“That’s presently our high precedence to help our clients,” mentioned Chris Perry, a Southwest spokesperson, in an e mail to NerdWallet.

From there, Southwest will flip to different out-of-pocket refunds. As soon as the reimbursement is authorized, Southwest mentioned it might seemingly ship a paper test to the mailing handle supplied with the flight reservations.

Journey insurance coverage corporations would possibly transfer sooner and could also be prepared to cowl bills that Southwest won’t. For those who bought it, contact your supplier instantly. 

Even for those who didn’t buy journey insurance coverage, your journey would possibly’ve been insured anyway. Many journey bank cards insure journeys bought on that card, so test along with your issuer to see if they provide the profit and ask in case your journey is eligible for reimbursement.

Many shoppers are nonetheless irritated by the chaos, and lots of luggage are nonetheless lacking. Nevertheless, Southwest says it intends to have most separated luggage delivered or shipped within the first week of 2023. 

And to stop future points, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan promised to prioritize constructing higher instruments, applied sciences and processes.

“There’s simply no approach nearly to apologize sufficient as a result of we love our clients, we love our folks, and we actually impacted their plans,” he mentioned in a press release. “There will be a number of classes discovered by way of what we are able to do to make it possible for this by no means occurs once more as a result of this must by no means occur once more.”

(Picture courtesy of Southwest Airways)