Southwest meltdown: How to get reimbursed for hotels and meals, and find lost luggage

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Southwest Airlines pilots union VP on ‘incredibly frustrating’ flight cancellations: ‘We were left in the dark’

Vice president of Southwest Airlines Pilots Association Captain Mike Santoro provides insight on the ongoing Southwest flight cancellations and what the company can do to improve the situation.

Southwest Airlines vowed to return to normal operations on Friday after thousands of flights were canceled, and customers were left stranded this week in what has been described as a "meltdown" following severe winter weather nationwide. 

But while fewer than 50 flights were canceled Friday, many customers who were forced to pay for unplanned meals and hotel stays, and who lost their luggage, may be wondering how the airline plans to compensate them with refunds and reimbursements. If you are one of those customers who experienced travel disruptions, Southwest has provided a landing page on its website for you to rebook your flight or request a refund for an unused ticket. 

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A traveler waits outside the Southwest Airlines baggage office at Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Canceled Southwest Airlines flights are seen in red on the flight schedules at the Southwest terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport, on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes / AP Newsroom)

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Any customers traveling through Jan. 2, 2023, are being permitted to rebook their flight in the same class of service or travel standby without paying additional charges. The offer is good within 30 days of your original date of travel between the original city-pairs, in accordance with Southwest accommodation procedures. The company advised that available inventory is limited during the holidays.

If your flight was canceled or significantly delayed between the dates of Dec. 24, 2022, and Jan. 2, 2023, you may fill out and submit a form to request a refund for your unused ticket. Customers only need to fill out the form once for all travelers on their reservation. 

SOUTHWEST PILOTS ASSOC. VP EXPOSES AIRLINE'S CHAOTIC CANCELLATIONS AS PILOTS REMAIN ‘IN THE DARK’

Baggage waits to be claimed after canceled flights at the Southwest Airlines terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, Dec. 26, 2022, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia / AP Images)

For anyone who has lost luggage, Southwest says it is working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. The company has provided a form that customers can fill out to expedite reunification with their belongings. 

Additionally, Southwest is providing reimbursements for hotel stays, other airline tickets, rental cars, meals and other expenses incurred by the travel disruptions. Any customer who was impacted by a flight cancelation or significant delay between Dec. 24, 2022, and Jan. 2, 2023, may submit receipts at Email Us on Southwest.com. The Email Us link takes you to a support page where you may click on Complaint, then select Flight, choose Cancellation, and follow the Next prompt to submit a description of what happened and to file receipts of expenses for review.  

The company has pledged to honor "reasonable requests" for reimbursements for meals, lodging and alternate transportation. 

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"We know even our deepest apologies – to our Customers, to our Employees, and to all affected through this disruption – only go so far," Southwest said in a statement. 

"We have much work ahead of us, including investing in new solutions to manage wide-scale disruptions," the airline added. "We aim to serve our Customers and Employees with our legendary levels of Southwest Hospitality and reliability again very soon." 

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