How to Get Your Southwest Airlines Refund or Reimbursement for Travel Expenses
After canceling more than 15,000 flights during the holidays and dealing with a continuing luggage fiasco, Southwest Airlines is offering some customers affected by its Christmas travel debacle that they would receive 25,000 frequent flier bonus points as a “gesture of goodwill.”
The gift points are worth about $300, but this is in addition to the reimbursements and refunds, according to CNN. The offer is being extended to travelers with flights canceled or delayed more than three hours between Christmas Eve and January 2.
If you haven’t bothered to request a refund or a reimbursement for travel expenses yet, then here’s what you should know. First, Southwest has set up a dedicated website with information about the holiday flight disruptions here: https://www.southwest.com/traveldisruption/.
Requesting a Flight Refund
If your flight was canceled or significantly delayed for travel that was scheduled to take place between December 24, 2022, and January 2, 2023, you may request a refund (not just a future flight credit) through this online form located in the middle of the Southwest’s travel disruption website.
Reimbursement for Travel Expenses
To submit a reimbursement request for expenses incurred due to a flight cancellation or significant flight delay for travel that was scheduled to take place between December 24, 2022, and January 2, 2023, Southwest is asking customers to fill out an email form (make sure to select “Expense Reimbursement Request”). Travelers should attach copies of their expenses to the email form for review. Southwest stated that it will honor “reasonable requests for meals, hotel accommodations, and alternate transportation, such as rental cars and tickets on other airlines.”
Tracking Lost Luggage
If you’re trying to locate lost luggage should fill out a dedicated online form, which includes the option to have the baggage delivered to a designated address. In a statement issued on January 3, Southwest said, “We intend nearly all baggage delayed during the recent holiday travel week to be shipped or delivered by midweek.”
