TAMPA, Fla. — Right now, travel is back to normal after a stressful holiday storm and system meltdowns left thousands of travelers stranded across the country. For many, it's a waiting game on refunds and reimbursements from Southwest Airlines.
According to the Department of Transportation, air travel disruptions from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 are not weather relations. If you experienced significant delays or cancellations, you're entitled to refunds and/or reimbursements.
For some, it took hours upon hours before getting their travel plans resolved.
"Yeah, so I was on the phone with customer service for nine and a half hours including being on the phone with them while I was standing in line at Tampa International," Austin Arias said.
After waiting in line for five hours in TPA, he was able to get his travel rebooked.
"I did put in for a refund from Southwest about a week ago and I'm waiting for that," Arias said. "But they did, within an hour or two, give me about 25,000 points which is about $300 worth of travel."
Arias said his refund has not yet come through.
If you booked your holiday flights with a credit card, by DOT regulation, the airline is required to issue a refund for your canceled or significantly delayed flight within seven business days.
"A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airline made a significant schedule change and/or significantly delays a flight and the consumer chooses not to travel," the DOT website reads. "DOT has not specifically defined what constitutes a “significant delay.” Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on many factors – including the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances.
"DOT determines whether you are entitled to a refund following a significant delay on a case-by-case basis."
10 Tampa Bay reached out to Southwest Airlines and received the following statement in response:
"There are several high-priority efforts underway to do right by our Customers, including processing refunds from canceled and significantly delayed flights and reimbursing Customers for expenses incurred as a result of the irregular operations. We have a long and proud 51-year history of delivering on our Customers’ expectations, and we are committed to the all-important imperative of taking care of them during operational disruptions. In fact, on December 26, we launched a website to assist Customers with requesting refunds and reimbursements, and those requests are being processed and issued."
Southwest's travel disruption website enables customers to rebook canceled flights, request a refund and learn more about reimbursement options.
Customers who dealt with cancelations or significant delays between Dec.24 and Jan. 2 also received an email offering 25,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points.
"I know that no amount of apologies can undo your experience," the email stated, in part. "For those who have requested refunds, reimbursements, and/or are waiting to be reunited with lost bag(s), those processes are being handled with great urgency and we appreciate your patience.
"Additionally, please accept this gesture of goodwill of 25,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points."
Some travelers received additional vouchers to make up for the headaches caused over the holidays.
"She gave me two vouchers," Sebastian Caleros said. "Each voucher was worth $200. Essentially $400 that can be used towards another flight."
Caleros' flight from Houston to Tampa was canceled. He drove instead, spending roughly $500 on a rental car, gas and food.
"I drove 18 hours," he said.
Caleros explained he submitted a claim for reimbursement and is still waiting to see if he'll get one.
If your luggage was lost or delayed, airlines can be held liable for up to $3,800 under DOT regulations. To read more on those policies, click here.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.