How Can I Get A Credit Card Refund For My Canceled Southwest Flight?

Michael Ciaglo/Stringer/Getty Images

If you are one of the 1000’s of travellers still left stranded by Southwest Airlines’ flight cancellations throughout the hectic getaway travel year, you might be questioning how you can get your credit history card reimbursed for the cash you shelled out on your ticket.

You may possibly have also incurred extra, sudden bills having to pay for food stuff or resort stays for the reason that of your disrupted itinerary.

The Southwest cancellations of much more than 15,000 flights stemmed from lousy climate as nicely as operational difficulties brought on by Southwest’s legacy programs.

At minimum a single class action lawsuit has been submitted by an impacted passenger from the airline alleging that Southwest breached its contract with travellers.

The passenger filing the lawsuit says that he was not given a refund for his canceled flight. The airline in its place available him a credit rating towards long term journey.

Southwest Airways refund policy

In accordance to Southwest Airlines, you are qualified for a refund to your unique variety of payment for the flights that were being canceled or “significantly delayed” through the holiday getaway year fiasco.

The airline’s standard refund plan also states that if Southwest cancels a flight, you are “entitled to a refund for the unused transportation — even for non-refundable tickets.” As properly, you can place in for a refund on any bag cost or other added expenses you compensated for extras this sort of as “upgraded boarding.”

Southwest says that its refund plan is to method credit card refunds inside of seven times of getting a passenger’s request for a refund. Just after that, how long it will acquire for the refund to seem on your card statement relies upon on your card issuer’s procedures.

The airline also advises travellers impacted by the new cancellations to get in touch with it for reimbursements for revenue they may well have put in on incidental bills these types of as foods and inns. Southwest is also well prepared to reimburse you for funds put in on alternate transportation such as rental automobiles and tickets obtained on other airways. The airline says it will honor “reasonable requests for reimbursement.”

In accordance to Ted Rossman, Bankrate’s senior market analyst: “It’s not fully crystal clear what counts as ‘reasonable.’ It’s murky, in my watch. My best suggestions to an individual afflicted by these delays/cancellations would be to start off with what ever Southwest is presenting and then pull in their credit rating card as a backup (if the card offers journey protections).”

Credit history card journey insurance plan

Some credit rating cards offer you credit history card vacation insurance policy as a gain that kicks in if there are unforeseen functions that disrupt your vacation programs. If your vacation (both equally domestic and worldwide vacation) is interrupted by weather-connected issues, for instance, or you (or your rapid family members associates) slide ill in the course of a trip, credit card vacation insurance policies could kick in.

The card would reimburse you the travel-connected bills you charged to the card presenting the travel insurance policies. If you incur health-related fees that your well being coverage doesn’t deal with, you could also glance to travel coverage.

If you had to remain at a lodge due to journey delays, the insurance policy could get care of individuals costs far too. If your baggage is lacking and you need to have to change dropped objects, credit history card vacation coverage could be a supplement to any coverage available by your airline or home owners policy.

If your credit card provides journey insurance plan, you really should look at with your card issuer to discover out exactly what protections it presents.

DOT protections

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) also gives protections to airline passengers for journey-connected concerns. Airline insurance policies need to be in tune with government protections.

In a media job interview relating to the the latest Southwest flight cancellations, Pete Buttigieg, secretary of transportation, mentioned Southwest instructed him it would go earlier mentioned and past what’s demanded of it. In circumstance the airline does not abide by up on this assure, Buttigieg is well prepared to fine the airline great amounts of cash.

Southwest Airways CEO Bob Jordan famous that he is “aligned” with Buttigieg on this purpose of covering buyer bills and not just refunds. In a further conciliatory gesture, the airline is featuring impacted consumers 25,000 Rapid Benefits factors, which Jordan values at $300.

You should really test to solve any issues you have with the airline. In situation you really feel the airline is not responsive to you, you could also file a complaint with the DOT as a very last resort.

The base line

Tourists impacted by Southwest Airlines flight cancellations during the the latest holiday time will be on the lookout to get refunds for their ticket charges. You could also have incurred extra charges on food items and resort stays. You need to make contact with the airline to get a refund to your credit rating card.

In case you have credit card vacation insurance policies, that might also deliver some supplementary insurance policies for expenses that Southwest may not protect. And if you come to feel your make a difference was not satisfactorily settled, you could file a complaint with the DOT as a previous vacation resort.