How do you know the reason for your cancellation? ► Good luck on American: American Airlines reduces options for passengers with delayed, canceled flights
(Many airlines do offer discounted hotel rates for those affected by weather cancellations, so be sure to ask.)
#Southwest rebook free#
Weather and air traffic control issues are outside airlines' control, so passengers whose flights are scrubbed for those reasons generally aren't given free hotel stays. The earlier you request one, the better, as airport hotels sell out quickly when there's flight cancellation mayhem. Airline policies generally state that they pay for a hotel only if the flight cancellation or overnight delay is their fault and only if you don't live in the city you're stranded in. Here's where things get trickier and involve those contracts of carriage. The airline can't get me on another flight until tomorrow (or later). American offers refunds for delays exceeding 90 minutes Delta, Spirit and Alaska for two hours, for example. The only wrinkle is that airlines' definitions of "significant delay" vary. The same DOT rules apply to significant delays, meaning passengers are eligible for a refund regardless of the cause of the airline's delay. ►25,000 passenger complaints later: DOT warns airlines – again – to issue refunds for canceled flights My flight delay is too long.
#Southwest rebook how to#
►I snagged an airline refund: Here's how to get one if you're eligible Southwest and Delta typically automatically issue travel credit, so travelers who want their money back have to request it. Airlines are quickest to offer those, so travelers who want their money back often have to take extra steps.
If you opt for a refund, you are eligible to get your money back, not just a travel credit or voucher. Keep in mind, though, that a refund a) might not be instant and b) probably won't cover the cost of a new last-minute ticket unless your original ticket was pricey, so the next-available flight might be the least-expensive option for getting to your destination or back home when things go awry last minute. And it doesn't matter what kind of ticket was bought, including nonrefundable tickets or basic economy tickets.Īirlines prefer to automatically rebook you on their next available flight, but you are under no obligation to take it. It doesn't matter if the reason for the cancellation was outside their control, such as weather, or within their control, such as maintenance issues or flight crew shortages. The Department of Transportation requires airlines to offer a refund when they cancel a flight. Can I get a refund if my flight is canceled? Unclaimed baggage wells up between carousels for passengers arriving on Southwest Airlines flights at Denver International Airport Oct. What's a stranded traveler to do? Know your rights and persistently pursue them, including taking airlines to task on social media. "In the past 20 years, those contracts have gotten much harder to read, they've gotten lengthier, and they've gotten much weaker from a consumer standpoint." Over the summer, he joined other consumer advocates taking their case to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. In the United States, you are at the mercy of the contract of carriage," said William McGee, an aviation adviser to Consumer Reports who has pushed for an air passenger bill of rights for years. Hotel and meal vouchers and expense reimbursement are up to individual airline policies spelled out in dozens of pages of legalese known as a contract of carriage. Rules covering refunds for cancellations and significant flight delays by the airline are dictated by the U.S. There is a disconnect between what passengers think they are owed and what airlines owe them when flight plans go haywire due to a patchwork of federal regulations and airline policies. ►Southwest flight canceled? Here's why the airline won't put you on another carrier ►Southwest apologizes for cancellations: Five-hour wait times, flight shopping and a rental car rush amid weekend woes Southwest offered stranded travelers an array of refunds, flight credits and travel vouchers, but for customers who had to book flights on other airlines, stay extra hotel nights, rent cars to drive home or miss out on time-sensitive plans, that may not be enough, and it can be confusing to figure out what they are owed. EDT, according to FlightAware, which tracks cancellations and delays worldwide in real time. One in 10 Southwest flights was canceled Monday, and more than 1,000 flights were delayed as of 3:30 p.m. Many Southwest passengers weren't where they wanted to be when they woke up Monday morning after a weekend of flight cancellations that stretched into a third day.
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