southwest travel reimbursement

Is Southwest Still Canceling Flights? (And How to Make Sure You Get a Refund If Your Flight Was Canceled)

After scrapping more than 15,000 flights during the holidays, the airline addresses its current state of operations and what it’s doing to make things right for affected customers..

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Southwest Airlines experienced a total operational meltdown over the holiday travel season. Now, it wants to earn back travelers’ trust.

Last month, Northern California resident Joanne Marzan and her seven-year-old son took a short trip to Southern California to spend Christmas with Marzan’s family. Their return flight from Orange County to the Bay Area on Southwest Airlines was scheduled for Monday, December 26. That’s when their travel fiasco began.

“We got to the kiosk at John Wayne Airport, and it said our flight was canceled and to talk to an agent. The line was wrapped around the terminal and the customer-service phone line was a constant busy signal. So I immediately booked a rental car as backup in case I couldn’t rebook our flight. And I’m so glad I did. I never got through to Southwest. The rental company said I got lucky I got a car reservation since they were turning people away,” says Marzan.

Southwest was not the only airline affected by delays and cancellations this past holiday season. Disruptions swept the country in the lead-up to and over the December 25 holiday weekend due to severe winter storms and colder-than-average weather across much of the United States. But even as operations recovered at other major U.S. carriers, Southwest struggled to normalize operations and continued to cancel flights in the days following Christmas.

Ultimately, Southwest canceled more than 15,000 flights between Thursday, December 22, and Thursday, December 29, or more than half of its scheduled flights during that time frame, according to flight data tracking service FlightAware.

“We were one of the lucky ones having the option to drive back. I haven’t yet been able to connect with their customer-service team,” says Marzan, who is still hoping to get a reimbursement from Southwest for the car rental, which set her back $400 (the airline has promised refunds for canceled flights and reimbursements for travel expenses).

Marzan is not the only one who found themselves in a holiday travel “flightmare” after Southwest’s operations experienced a complete meltdown over Christmas weekend and in the days after.

Mae Hamilton, an assistant editor at AFAR and a self-proclaimed “loyal Southwest customer,” also endured holiday flight disruptions when she and her husband attempted to fly from Los Angeles to Dallas for Christmas.

They flew out of Los Angeles International Airport on December 22, when the first signs of trouble arose. “An announcement was made on the overhead speaker that the ground crew was having trouble locating one last flight attendant. Their scheduling program was malfunctioning and they were forced to use the much slower method of calling the company to locate the last crew member,” recalls Hamilton.

The flight ended up taking off only 30 minutes after its originally scheduled departure time, and Hamilton said she “figured that would probably be the end of it.”

But a few days before their flight home on December 28, when they started to see headlines about the massive Southwest disruptions that were leaving countless customers stranded, “We realized we would probably not be leaving Dallas on Southwest at all and quickly tried to book another flight home. We managed to find another on American Airlines, but it was a few days out from when we had originally intended to leave, and [the flights] were very pricey. Thankfully, we were staying with family so it was not a problem to stay a few extra days longer than we had intended,” says Hamilton.

Hamilton has submitted the additional expenses for the American flights to Southwest for reimbursement and is awaiting correspondence regarding any recompense from the airline.

Federal regulators have vowed a rigorous review of what happened at Southwest, with all eyes on outdated crew-scheduling technology that left flight crews out of place after storms hit, essentially shutting down almost all of the carrier’s operations.

“Here’s why this giant puzzle is taking us several days to solve,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement issued on December 27. “Our network is highly complex and the operation of the airline counts on all the pieces, especially aircraft and crews remaining in motion to where they’re planned to go.”

Jordan added that the carrier has been focused on getting “all of the pieces back into position to end this rolling struggle …. The tools we use to recover from disruption serve us well, 99 percent of the time; but clearly, we need to double down on our already existing plans to upgrade systems for these extreme circumstances so that we never again face what’s happening right now.”

Is Southwest still canceling flights?

Thankfully, Southwest returned to a relatively normal flight schedule on Friday, December 30, and the carrier states on its website that it has currently resumed its “full schedule of flights with minimal interruptions.”

Southwest only canceled about 1 percent of its flights over the New Year’s weekend, according to data provided by FlightAware.

How to make sure you get a refund

With its operations normalized, Southwest is now focused on making things right for the more than 1 million travelers estimated to have been affected by last week’s disruptions.

The company said in a statement that it is working on a “multi-faceted plan to win back trust and repair relationships with those who count on Southwest to come through.”

Here are some of the avenues for obtaining refunds, reimbursements, and other methods of recourse established by the carrier.

A dedicated website

Southwest has set up a dedicated website with information about the holiday flight disruptions: southwest.com/traveldisruption .

Flight refunds

For those whose flights were 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 an online form .

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 (for example: rental cars and tickets on other airlines).”

Tracking lost luggage

Those 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.

“We intend nearly all baggage delayed during the recent holiday travel week to be shipped or delivered by midweek,” Southwest said in a statement issued on January 3.

Improving customer relations

Starting January 3, Southwest is reaching out via email “to every ticketed customer significantly impacted last week,” the carrier stated in its latest update.

“Our teams are focused on returning baggage, processing requests for refunds, and reimbursing certain incidental expenses related to the disruption in travel in a round-the-clock effort,” Southwest stated.

The plan to “make sure that this never happens again”

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is currently investigating what happened at Southwest. A Senate committee promises to investigate, too. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has criticized airlines for previous disruptions, said that “meltdown” was the only word he could think of to describe last week’s events at Southwest.

For its part, Southwest stated that “the urgent work continues on planned improvements to processes and systems that will bolster the ability of Southwest to recover effectively in large-scale disruptions of our operational plans.”

In an interview on Good Morning America on December 30, Southwest CEO Jordan acknowledged the challenges ahead for the carrier in order to recover from the holiday travel collapse.

“This has impacted so many people, so many customers over the holidays. It’s impacted our employees. And I’m extremely sorry for that. There’s just no way almost to apologize enough,” said Jordan, adding, that “there’ll be a lot of lessons learned in terms of what we can do to make sure that this never happens again, because this needs to never happen again.”

Associated Press contributed reporting.

How to get a refund from Southwest after the 2022 holiday travel disruption

Editor's Note

Were your big holiday travel plans canceled, delayed or otherwise disrupted due to Southwest's operational meltdown ? If so, you're not alone.

Dec. 30, 2022, marked the first day since Christmas that Southwest Airlines didn't cancel a double-digit percentage of its flights, a number that CEO Bob Jordan attributed to "an unprecedented storm for all airlines" in an interview with "Good Morning America." More than 15,000 Southwest flights were canceled, leaving thousands more travelers in the lurch during the year's busiest travel season.

Even so, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg disputed this, tweeting that the Southwest cancellations were "not weather related," and as such, the company is required to cover not only the cost of airfare but of meals, transportation and hotels if you were stranded away from home.

Despite its original statement, the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline has pledged to refund its customers for canceled flights and expenses such as rental cars, hotels and airfare booked through other airlines. Other costs will be handled on a case-by-case basis, per the airline.

If you were one of the thousands stranded, here's how you can get your money back.

How do I get a refund from Southwest Airlines?

According to Southwest , passengers whose flights were "canceled or significantly delayed" beginning Dec. 24, 2022, through Jan. 2, 2023, are eligible to request a refund of their unused ticket to the original form of payment.

To do so, complete an online form with your name and reservation confirmation number, after which you should expect to promptly receive your refund.

"Under the law, Southwest must provide prompt refunds when a carrier cancels a passenger's flight or makes a significant change in the flight, regardless of the reason, unless the passenger accepts rebooking," Buttigieg said in a Dec. 29 letter to Southwest . "This means Southwest must provide refunds within seven business days if a passenger paid by credit card, and within 20 days if a passenger paid by cash, check, or other means."

After Southwest canceled a Dec. 30 flight from Kahului Airport (OGG) to Kona International Airport (KOA), TPG senior aviation reporter Zach Griff submitted a reimbursement form to the airline for the $149 ticket he bought on a new flight.

Less than three hours later, Southwest refunded his alternate fare and also provided him with a $250 voucher to use for a future flight.

If you were separated from your luggage or other belongings during travel, you can also fill out a separate form to address that.

Additionally, Southwest is sending 25,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points to travelers affected by the meltdown. These points are included in an apology email with the subject line "A message from Southwest CEO Bob Jordan."

Be sure to monitor your email for your codes.

Request reimbursement for expenses

Southwest will also honor "reasonable requests for reimbursement for meals, hotel accommodations, and alternate transportation (for example: rental cars and tickets on other airlines)" incurred by cancellations, per its website. For those costs, email Southwest directly with your request and attach copies of your expenses for review.

How long for a Southwest refund?

We don't yet know how long it will take Southwest to process all the refunds, but we will update the story as we get more information.

If you've filed your complaint and are still waiting after a few weeks, you might consider filing a consumer complaint with the Department of Transportation. The DOT requires airlines to acknowledge consumer complaints within 30 days of receiving them and send consumers written responses within 60 days.

Check your credit card for travel protections

After you've communicated your issues to the airline directly, remember that several credit cards also offer travel insurance protections for trip delays , baggage delays , trip cancellations and trip interruptions for just these types of situations.

Should you run into issues receiving reimbursement for your expenses from Southwest, check to see if the credit card you used to book your flight offers any travel insurance protections.

Bottom line

If you were one of the thousands stranded by Southwest this holiday season, follow the above steps to ensure you get your money back.

After that: Sit tight. Southwest has said it's experiencing a backlog of complaints, and it unfortunately could take a while for all issues to get sorted out.

For more advice on handling flight delays and cancelations, read:

• What you can ask from an airline after a delayed or canceled flight
• Winter is here: Your flight is canceled or delayed – here's what you should do next
• Flight delayed or canceled? Here are the best credit cards with trip delay reimbursement
• Can I get flight delay compensation? These are the ways you qualify
• Flight delayed? Remember these 4 things if you want trip delay reimbursement from your credit card
• All the airlines' flight delay and compensation policies from DOT's customer service dashboard

Additional reporting by Caroline Tanner.

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Southwest is (quietly) doling out 'we're sorry' vouchers to travelers caught in cancellation chaos. Here's how to get one

• Southwest has been quietly doling out goodwill vouchers in varying amounts to passengers it stranded last weekend.
• The vouchers for future travel are in addition to refunds for canceled flights. The airline is not disclosing specifics on how it decides the amount per passenger, but travelers so far have seen vouchers from $100 to $250.
• Southwest decides reimbursement for other expenses on a case-by-case basis, said Southwest spokesperson Brandy King.

The customer emails from Southwest Airlines struck an apologetic tone this week.

"You matter to us," one began. "We hope this LUV Voucher will allow our paths to cross again soon so we can have a better experience."

Inside: a travel voucher for $250.

"We know things didn't go as planned when traveling," began another. "We're so sorry for the disappointment this disruption caused and want a chance to make it up to you."

Inside: the promise of a $100 voucher.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Southwest has been quietly doling out vouchers in varying amounts to passengers it stranded last weekend when it canceled as many as 30% of its flights .

The LUV vouchers – Southwest's stock ticker symbol is LUV and it's based at Love Field in Texas – are a goodwill gesture. They are in addition to the refunds or flight credits airlines are required to pay when they cancel flights and passengers reject the airline's rebooking options or none is available. (Southwest told many passengers it would take a couple days to get them on another flight.)

What happened: Southwest president says nothing nefarious behind flight cancellations, airline eyes holiday travel cuts

Southwest cancel or delay your flight?: Here's what airlines owe you (and how to get it)

The airline is not broadcasting the availability of the vouchers or specifying who gets how much and when, with travelers initially only hearing about them if they appealed to Southwest on Twitter.

Late Wednesday, Southwest sent its first batch of emails notifying travelers vouchers are on the way for their troubles. (I received one for a canceled Saturday flight.)

Southwest spokesperson Brandy King said affected passengers should automatically get the LUV voucher but notes the timetable "might be slower than usual due to the number of customers we are processing."

The airline isn't saying much on how it's determining the vouchers' value, but the amounts appear to range from $100 to $250 per passenger based on USA TODAY interviews with affected travelers. 

"We review each situation individually to determine the compensation based on level of inconvenience," King said via email. "The level of inconvenience is a mix of length of delay, quality of reaccommodation options and flight cancellations."

Frequent flyer status and persistence also appear to play a role.

Asim Raza received an email about a $250 voucher late Tuesday. His son's Southwest flight from St. Louis to Washington, D.C., on Sunday was canceled and the family had to cash in American Airlines miles to get him back to college in time for a meeting. Raza, who has Southwest's highest frequent flier status, A-List Preferred, reached out to the airline through Twitter right away. 

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'There's always some amount of uncertainty or risk':  How travel insurance could protect your next trip

Similarly, Becky Nelson, a strategic communications consultant in Washington, D.C.,  was stuck in Austin, Texas, on Sunday when Southwest canceled her flight home. She and a friend, both new mothers, were on a girls' trip that had been scratched four times because of the pandemic.

Southwest couldn't get them home for a couple of days so they cashed in a bundle of United miles for a last-minute flight out of Houston. The going price for those twice tickets? About $2,000 one-way, she said.

They also paid $275 for an Uber ride from Austin to Houston and made it home.

Nelson tried everything to get a refund for their flights and reimbursement for other expenses: She sent an email to customer service  and filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation, all with receipts and a detailed accounting of their travel troubles that she calls a case file. (She initially tried to reach Southwest by phone but was on hold for more than an hour.)

She didn't get anywhere until Wednesday when a Southwest representative on Twitter instantly refunded her money for the flights and promised a $200 voucher.  Nelson then received a letter from Southwest Wednesday saying you would be receiving a $250 voucher.

"This was not without what I would consider somewhat significant effort and proactive communication on my part," she said.

Nelson said she was pleased with Southwest's relatively speedy social media response but is unhappy she is out of money for the added travel costs.

In denying the expenses, Southwest told her via Twitter message that it understands you "can't put a price tag on a customer's inconvenience."

"I said, right, but you can put a price on what I spent to get home Sunday," Nelson said.

Erika Ouellette is in the same situation. The North Carolina paralegal and her boyfriend paid $500 for a hotel room and rental car after Southwest canceled their flight from Orlando to  Raleigh on Saturday. Southwest couldn't find a flight home for them until Tuesday.

"We couldn't stay until Tuesday because we have kids and pets and jobs," she said.

Southwest initially offered a refund and a $150 per person voucher. They increased the vouchers to $250 per person when she pressed her case via Twitter.

"I don't even care about the voucher," Ouellette she said. "I just really want the out-of-pocket money back. It just seems so ridiculous that they would force all these people to pay for an extra night in hotels and car rentals. It's ridiculous."

Spirit Airlines meltdown : Passengers want more than apology, $50 voucher  

There is a disconnect between what passengers think they are owed and what airlines owe them when flight plans go haywire thanks to a patchwork of federal regulations and airline policies .  

Some rules, like those covering refunds for cancellations and significant flight delays by the airline, are dictated by the DOT. Others, like 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.

King said Southwest decides reimbursement for other expenses on a case-by-case basis.

Southwest flight canceled? How to get a refund and travel voucher

• Check your email for details on your goodwill voucher . Southwest just began sending them out. Don't think it's enough? Press your case via customer service or social media.
• Reach out to the airline via Twitter for the fastest service. Have your confirmation number handy and other relevant details but don't post that on Twitter. The airline will direct you to talk to them via direct message, including a link to do so in their initial response. You might get an automated response initially but they will eventually respond.
• Be persistent but patient and polite . Don't demand anything or get into a political debate about the causes for the mass cancellations .
• Lower your expectations for any payout beyond a flight refund and the travel voucher. 
• Not satisfied? File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation. The agency cracked down on airlines during the pandemic after receiving a flood of complaints about trouble getting refunds and other customer service issues.

How to request Southwest Airlines refunds, reimbursements for disrupted flights

• Updated: Jan. 04, 2023, 4:10 p.m.
• | Published: Jan. 02, 2023, 10:26 a.m.

Baggage stacked up waiting to be claimed at the Southwest Airlines baggage claim Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, at Salt Lake City International Airport. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) AP

• wire reports

In the wake of Southwest Airlines scrapping thousands of flights over the holidays, inconvenienced travelers across the country are looking to get their money back for expenses they’ve incurred, including flights on other airlines, clothing, hotels and meals.

According to federal law, airline passengers are entitled to a refund if a flight is canceled for any reason. But navigating the reimbursement process can get complicated when it comes to determining what other expenses qualify for a refund, according to travelers who have had their vacations upended.

In order to request a refund, the company says passengers whose flights were canceled from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 should fill out a form and submit receipts online .

The form asks for a reservation number and name, noting that passengers need to complete the form just once for all travelers in their reservation.

For additional expenses, the company says it will “honor reasonable requests for reimbursement.” However, it does not specify what that entails.

Southwest will refund tickets on canceled flights, and executives repeated a promise to reimburse travelers who were forced to pay for hotel rooms, meals and flights on other airlines. The airline’s chief commercial officer said that process will take several weeks. Executives said the airline also will pay to ship baggage that has piled up at airports around the country.

On its website, Southwest told customers affected by canceled or delayed flights between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2 to submit receipts. The airline said, “We will honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for meals, hotel, and alternate transportation.”

Southwest lost $75 million during a much smaller disruption in October 2021 that resulted in about 2,000 canceled flights over a four-day stretch.

CEO Robert Jordan said it was too early to say how much the company will lose in revenue and incur in extra costs because of the current crisis. “This has been an incredible disruption, and we can’t have this again,” he said.

Robert Mann, an aviation consultant and former airline executive, said the Transportation Department could force Southwest to pay refunds for all flights that were canceled for reasons within the airline’s control, such as lack of crews. He estimated that could total 6,000 cancellations affecting 1 million customers and adding up to $300 million.

Fred Barber, whose daughter’s and son-in-law’s flights were canceled Christmas Day, said he plans to seek reimbursement for their rebooked, next-day American Airline tickets, which cost about $290 each. His family also plans to submit expenses they wouldn’t have incurred had their flight left as scheduled, including some basic clothing items, prescription medicine and gas mileage.

Barber, who lives in Argyle, drove back and forth to Dallas Love Field during the rebooking process, approximately 40 miles each way. He estimates their request totals about $1,000, and said he hopes to recover the full amount.

“I can’t think of anything we are asking for that is unreasonable,” he said. “All of these are things that they should not have had to pay for.”

But Barber said he is privileged to absorb the extra costs in the meantime.

“From our family’s standpoint, this is a first-world problem,” he said.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said his department would hold Southwest accountable. “They need to make sure that those stranded passengers get to where they need to go and that they are provided adequate compensation,” including for missed flights, hotels and meals, he said Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

David Gail, whose flight also was canceled over the holiday, said he hopes to get a full refund for his rebooked, same-day flight on JSX for himself, his wife and their three children.

Gail also submitted expenses for his rental car. His family had plans to rent a car, but had to drive three hours to a different airport to catch a flight back to Dallas.

He said his reimbursement request totals around $2,400, and considers those expenses to fall under Southwest’s definition of “reasonable.”

“It would have been much more expensive for Southwest had we booked two hotel rooms for three days and had a rental car for three days,” he said.

Gail received an automated email from the airline Thursday that acknowledged receipt of the request and provided a case number. The email says the passenger will receive a “personalized response” from a member of Southwest’s customer service team but does not disclose exactly when the airline will process the request.

Meanwhile, Imani Stewart said she received a full refund for her canceled Southwest flight from Dallas to Salt Lake City by talking to a ticketing agent at Love Field. The conversation took about an hour, she said.

Stewart also asked the agent for a refund on the $95 pet fee she was charged for her small dog. The airline representative told her she wasn’t sure whether that qualified for reimbursement.

The Mansfield resident, who flies Southwest in part because of how well they typically handle pets, said she doesn’t see why this wouldn’t be considered reasonable.

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“You’re buying your pet a seat or the ability for them to fly on the plane, and he didn’t fly on the plane, so the service at the end of the day wasn’t met,” she said.

Stewart plans to submit her pet fee expense along with receipts for her rescheduled flights on United Airlines. She hopes to see some money refunded to her credit card by mid-January, which she thinks is a “reasonable timeframe” for the airline to process her request.

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Southwest Still on the Hook for 2022 Holiday Meltdown — and Will Now Provide New Vouchers for Delayed, Canceled Flights

The compensation program is part of the airline's settlement with Department of Transportation.

Southwest Airlines' settlement terms with the Department of Transportation (DOT) are kicking in — leading to future customers receiving compensation if they experience a significant flight delay. As part of the settlement sparked from the airline’s 2022 holiday meltdown, Southwest has agreed to award $75 or more in transferrable vouchers to travelers who reach their destination at least three hours late due to an airline-caused disruption or cancellation, according to the DOT .

The airline quietly launched the compensation program on April 16, and has already heard from a few thousand customers, Reuters reported. The effort is part of the airline’s agreement to establish a $90 million reserve fund for future flight delays and cancellations.

“After the 2022 holiday meltdown, our department held Southwest Airlines accountable — and now the airline is required to compensate passengers for lengthy delays and cancellations that they cause,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “We're pleased to bring these benefits to passengers, and further show the flying public that the Biden-Harris Administration has their back.”

Going forward, Southwest is required to award the vouchers when a flight is canceled or delayed within seven days of the scheduled departure date.

Travelers are not entitled to a voucher if the delay is caused by something like weather.

To request a voucher, passengers must fill out an online form . Travelers must submit their request within one year of their delayed or canceled flight. The vouchers will be transferable and valid for at least one year after the date of issuance, according to the DOT.

A representative for Southwest did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the program from Travel + Leisure .

The program is required to last for three years, Reuters noted, but Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told the wire service consumer programs "rarely change or go away."

In December, the DOT issued a record $140 million fine against Southwest following the 2022 holiday travel meltdown , which saw thousands of flights canceled and passengers stranded. The DOT also said Southwest was financially responsible for at least $750 million, including refunds and future compensation.

The start of the program comes as the DOT issued a new rule detailing when airlines owe travelers a refund.

Related Articles

Southwest Airlines refunds: How to submit a reimbursement claim due to impacted travel

Southwest cancellations, delays frustrate oia travelers.

Most airlines are averaging about a 5% cancellation rate right now. Southwest Airlines is sitting at 70%, and for those who are dealing with Southwest, they aren’t up against an annoying or inconvenient but short delay. Some, like Loretta Moore, could be stranded for up to a week.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said he was "truly sorry" for the flight delays and cancelations that have stranded passengers – and Southwest employees – at airports across the country, including at Orlando International Airport, following a winter storm over the Christmas holiday.

"I want everyone who is dealing with the problems we've been facing, whether you haven't been able to get to where you need to go or you’re one of our heroic Employees caught up in a massive effort to stabilize the airline, to know is that we're doing everything we can to return to a normal operation," he said in a video posted Tuesday night to Southwest's website.

"And please also hear that I'm truly sorry," he said.

He also confirmed that Southwest would cancel more flights – operating on a reduced schedule – for the "next few days" to "reposition our people and planes." He's hopeful that Southwest would be "back on track before next week."

Still, for many passengers stranded at airports, many have had to extend hotel stays, buy flights on other airlines, or rent a car to get back home – all added expenses.

'We're stuck': Family with wheelchair-bound son stuck in Florida after Southwest flight canceled

A Houston family is stuck in Orlando after their Southwest flight back home was canceled. They are now facing additional mobility issues because they're traveling with and 80-year-old grandfather and their quadriplegic son.

On its website , Southwest said it would "honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for meals, hotel, and alternate transportation" for those who incurred additional expenses as a result of impacted travel.

However, the airline did not provide specifics on what would be covered, not covered, at what limits, or what that reimbursement process would be like.

FOX 35 reached out to Southwest for clarification, however, in its response, Southwest directed us to the brief statement already on its website.

How to submit a flight refund request to Southwest

Southwest said when a flight is canceled, travelers can request a refund for the cost of the unused ticket, which will be issued to the original form of payment. To request a flight refund, travelers can visit Southwest.com , and submit their confirmation number, first name, and last name.

How to submit a reimbursement claim to Southwest

Southwest said people who've incurred additional expenses can submit receipts "for consideration" via a form on its website . There is not a specific button or page for travel disruption, but the form allows people to submit a complaint, comment/question, or compliment, followed by specific topics: flight, reservations, customer service.

People should be prepared with images of receipts for expenses, flight information, and contact information:

• Flight and event date
• Flight number
• Confirmation number
• Origin city
• Destination city

"We're sorry if you were inconvenienced by a flight cancellation. Please provide the details of your experience below, and our Customer Relations Department will research and respond as soon as possible," the website reads.

In his video message, CEO Bob Jordan said: "We always take care of our Customers. And we will lean in and go above and beyond as they would expect us to. Teams are working on all of that: processing refunds, proactively reaching out and taking care of Customers who are dealing with costly detours and reroutes, as just a few examples."

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Southwest notifies you of delays longer than 30 minutes

Few laws protect you in this scenario, you may be entitled to compensation, including vouchers for lodging and food, you can request compensation after the flight, your travel card may include travel insurance benefits, travel insurance can also protect you from expensive delays, if your southwest flight is delayed.

These days, it’s common to see posts about flight delays on social media or in the news. And if you fly often, it’s only a matter of time until you’re one of the unlucky ones trying to figure out how to handle a delayed flight. If you flew (or tried to fly) with Southwest during the 2022 holidays , flight delays were practically inevitable. During that meltdown, Southwest was fairly generous about its approach to compensating passengers , including offering out Rapid Rewards points and even promising to reimburse some non-Southwest expenses.

But what about other delayed flights? Whether it's due to inclement weather, staff shortages or mechanical problems, are you entitled to compensation from Southwest for other delays?

Here's how Southwest handles delays and how to get refunded or receive additional compensation for a delayed flight on Southwest:

If your flight is delayed by 30 minutes or more, you’ll be notified by email, phone or text within half an hour of Southwest being aware of the delay.

If your flight happens to be delayed on the tarmac because of gate-space limitations, mechanical problems or air traffic control requirements, Southwest will provide snacks and drinking water for delays nearing two hours. You’ll also have access to restrooms.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any U.S. laws or Department of Transportation rules that protect flyers against flight delays, except when they’re involuntarily denied boarding.

Additionally, Southwest doesn’t fly to Europe, so its routes don’t qualify for Europe-specific regulations such as Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004 , more commonly known as EC261.

» Learn more: How to get paid for airline delays

Southwest might provide you with some compensation if, as the carrier, it is responsible for the delay.

Weather delays are considered outside of the airline’s control.

There’s no guarantee, but depending on how long the delay is and the reason, Southwest could rebook you on the next flight or offer a LUV voucher that you can use toward future Southwest flight purchases. If you miss a connection because of a plane swap and must stay overnight, you can request a hotel voucher and transportation to your accommodation.

You can also ask for a refund of the unused portion of the ticket, but be aware that you’ll have to find an alternative flight to your destination on your own.

To request Southwest flight delay compensation or provide other feedback after the flight, you can contact the airline by phone or email.

» Learn more: How to book a flight that (likely) won’t get canceled

Many travel rewards cards — such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express — come with trip protections for cardholders. Terms apply. If you pay for all or a portion of your delayed Southwest flight with a travel card that offers trip delay insurance, you can claim reimbursement on some of your expenses.

Trip delay insurance typically covers meals, lodging and transportation costs incurred due to a delayed flight, so make sure to save your receipts to submit a claim later.

For example, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® both offer trip delay protection for delays of at least six hours or delays that require an overnight stay. You’re covered for up to $500 per ticket whether you pay for all or a portion of the flight with the card. Equipment failure, inclement weather, labor strikes and hijacking are covered.

The Platinum Card® from American Express also reimburses up to $500 per covered trip that’s delayed six hours or more. But the coverage extends to loss of passport or other travel documents, as well as inclement weather, terrorism and equipment failure. Terms apply.

Note that all of these cards offer supplemental coverage. So, if Southwest covered your expenses or you had purchased a separate trip insurance policy, you can claim only what hasn’t already been reimbursed.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

If you need more trip delay coverage than what’s provided by your credit card, you can also look into purchasing a travel insurance policy. More often than not, a comprehensive plan will offer higher coverage limits than travel credit cards.

We recommend Squaremouth, a travel insurance marketplace, to search for plans and compare policy quotes. More than a dozen travel insurance providers are listed on Squaremouth, and you can filter results by the coverage features you need most.

On top of trip delay, a comprehensive travel insurance plan will include several other protections, such as trip cancellation and interruption coverage, baggage delay, emergency medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation coverage.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

Even though there aren’t official regulations protecting passengers in case of flight delays, you can still request compensation from Southwest, especially if the delay is several hours long or overnight.

And if your efforts come up short, you may be eligible for coverage through the credit card you used to pay for the flight or your travel insurance provider.

Insurance Benefit: Baggage Insurance Plan

Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Covered Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier Vehicle (e.g., plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an Eligible Card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked Baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per Covered Trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each Covered Person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.

Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Southwest flight canceled or delayed? Here's how you can get refunded or reimbursed

Southwest airlines offering to reimburse travel expenses for stranded passengers.

Between hotel rooms, rental cars, and finding a place to eat, costs are mounting for travelers left stranded by the Southwest Airlines meltdown. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas explains how the airline plans to reimburse flyers and whether it's going to be enough.

PHOENIX - Between hotel rooms, rental cars, and finding a place to eat, costs are mounting for travelers left stranded by the Southwest Airlines meltdown.

Here's how the airline says they'll reimburse affected flyers.

Refunds and reimbursements

Southwest updated their website Thursday saying they will offer refunds for anyone whose flight was canceled.

"In the event your flight is canceled during the travel period beginning on December 24, 2022 through January 2, 2023, you may request a refund of your unused ticket to the original form of payment," the website stated.

They will also honor "reasonable" reimbursement requests for meals, hotel and alternate transportation, according to the site. It's unclear how they define a "reasonable" expense.

"If you have been impacted by a flight cancellation or significant flight delay between December 24, 2022, and January 2, 2023, you may submit receipts for consideration via Email Us on Southwest.com," reads the site. "We will honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for meals, hotel, and alternate transportation."

To request a refund, travelers can visit their website and enter their name and confirmation number. Receipts can also be submitted via email.

Visit: www.southwest.com/traveldisruption/

According to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, you do not have to settle for a flight voucher if your flight was canceled. You are entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight, regardless of the reason.

You are also entitled to a refund if the airline made a significant schedule delay - but there's a catch.

What's a ‘significant’ delay?

"Right now there are very few rights about if your flight is delayed," said Teresa Murray with the Arizona Public Interest Research Group. "What is the definition of a delay - is it an hour, is it ten hours, is it two days? There's not a really clear definition on that, but it's going to change.

"You don't have the right to reimbursement necessarily if you have a flight that's delayed overnight, and you have to stay in a hotel or if like a lot of folks did this week, you choose to rent a car and drive wherever you were going," Murray explained. "You don't necessarily have a right to get reimbursed for that rental car or for the extra food."

According to the DOT, they have not defined what constitutes a significant delay. The department determines whether people are entitled to a refund following a delay on a case-by-case basis. 

The Arizona Public Interest Research Group says they have been advocating for stronger consumer protections for passengers for years, focusing on refunds, reimbursements and holding airlines accountable.

Tips for travelers

• Don't check a bag if possible
• Book flights with a credit card, not a debit card
• File a complaint with the DOT if the issue is not resolved with the airline

Learn more about filing a complaint here.

Continued Coverage

• Southwest cancels another 2,300 flights, expects normal operations to resume Friday
• Southwest Airlines cancels thousands of flights, stranding Phoenix Sky Harbor travelers
• Southwest flight cancellations continue to snowball as Congress vows investigation
• Flight canceled? Can you get a refund? Here's how to find out if you're owed money

Thousands remain stuck as Southwest cancels more flights

In Phoenix, a majority of flights that were cancelled were Southwest Airline flights, as a multi-day air travel disruption continues. Airline officials say they won't be back to full capacity until Dec. 30, at the earliest. FOX 10's Marissa Sarbak reports.

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