Would you be frustrated with SW response to cancelled flights?

[Kestryl]

The contracts of carriage in the US are heavily stacked against the passenger. The airlines get your money but don’t have to get you to the agreed-on destination in any stipulated number of days. Do we really think this is the best that American carriers can do? The EU has stipulated compensation for delays and cancellations. American carriers flying out of European cities must comply with these rules. I’m still seeing the major American airlines flying in and out of the EU. Why can’t Americans have nice things—like an airline looking to fulfill the terms of a contract of carriage in a reasonable amount of time or pay for defaulting?

Yeah, this. Delta worked really hard to get us on the next flight out of Paris to our intended destination, because at a certain point they would have been required to give us monetary compensation, pay for hotels, provide food, etc.

It’s not enough to just get you from A to B- or at least it shouldn’t be. With that logic, they could just fray your trip a month- hey, it’ll still get you from A to B, right? At a certain point it becomes ridiculous. (And my opinion is that beyond a one day delay is ridiculous, barring major unforeseen circumstances like the blackout of 2003.)

 

[focusondisney]

The contracts of carriage in the US are heavily stacked against the passenger.

Pretty much all businesses are heavily stacked against US consumers.

 

[rwdavis2]

I believe that once SW cancelled your flight they owed you a full refund in the payment method you used. You could have contacted them and demanded that instead of cancelling the tickets yourself.

 

[Boopuff]

My neighbor is a pilot for United. He says that the big issue is that during the pandemic, all the flight schools were closed. It's taking time to re-start the schools, and get people graduated so they can fly. It will be a painful time. I'm hedging my bets, flying the first flight out to hopefully avoid delays/cancellations.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I believe that once SW cancelled your flight they owed you a full refund in the payment method you used. You could have contacted them and demanded that instead of cancelling the tickets yourself.

They did..they got their points back. That's an automatic thing, you paid with points if flight is cancelled you get your points back into your account.

 

[sdoll]

OP here. I truly am not looking for a handout. I guess I was more surprised than anything else. I did speak to an agent before I cancelled our flights and was informed they have zero responsibility for us being displaced 3 nights. Listen I get it, it is absolutely crazy right now. I have worked in some form of customer service the majority of my life and can't imagine what the travel industry is going through right now. Southwest has always just wowed me with their customer service in the multiple years we have flown them (they are my preferred airline) and I was truly a bit put off that there wasn't any thing offered to assist us from the moment that we had our flight cancelled Since I used points to book my flights we had little out of pocket expenses for our travel. The extra $1700 was out of pocket so a bit of a hit to my vacation budget. At the end of the day we had a fantastic trip that we were incredibly fortunate to share with an amazing group of kids. we got home safely and had a good story to tell. Not to mention some great mexican food in South Carolina and amazing pizza in Beckley, WV and some laughs to last a life time. Truly this is a 1st world problem.

 

[Tass]

OP - what was the reason given that the flight was cancelled and why 3 days until they could get you on another flight? Is your travel route particularly unique or was it due to the number of people in your party? DH and I always fly SW and have thankfully never encountered an issue like that. I understand flights get cancelled, but the 3 days to get on another flight has me concerned.

 

[sdoll]

OP - what was the reason given that the flight was cancelled and why 3 days until they could get you on another flight? Is your travel route particularly unique or was it due to the number of people in your party? DH and I always fly SW and have thankfully never encountered an issue like that. I understand flights get cancelled, but the 3 days to get on another flight has me concerned.

We weren't given any reason. We received a text around noon that simple said our flight was cancelled and to log on to reschedule flights. I called because I couldn't believe my eyes when I tried to reschedule online. It was because of the size of our party that we had to wait until Wednesday. We tried to split it up 4 and 4 but still couldn't get us out any sooner. We have flown SW round trip 4 times in the last 12 months and besides a hiccup and delay last year we haven't experienced anything like this. Makes me sad I have always loved SW. I will still fly with them because this is happening across the board, I fly two separate trips in 2 weeks. I hope I don't have any issues.

 

[sam_gordon]

As someone who had cancelled and delayed flights with Delta during the June Travel Armageddon weekend a few weeks ago, I just dont understand this attitude of expecting airlines to compensate you for flights that you decided to cancel. They were giving you options for next flights with them, which you chose not to take, yet you still want the airline to pay you money???
Seriously???

I missed out on the first day of my vacation, instead of sightseeing in Seattle I spend a day in Detroit airport. All I expected of Delta was to get me to my original destination, which they did.

I disagree. Assuming this wasn't a weather cancellation (out of the airlines control), then yes, I think airlines should be on the hook for room/lodging until they can get you to your destination OR other transportation to get you there.

First, yes, I know they're not contracted to give you anything but a refund. I don't think that's right though.
Second, yes, if airlines claim "pilot/crew/worker shortage" as the reason a flight is cancelled, that's in their control. THEY released a schedule knowing they were short of personnel. Did they think the personnel would magically appear?

 

[brockash]

You cancelled the flights, you got your points back and you got compensated, yes you are being greedy.

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/flight-delays-cancellations

There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed. Each airline has its own policies about what it will do for delayed passengers

Oh please...they're not being greedy. They were HUGELY inconvenienced. They did not cancel the flight, SW canceled it and last min. on them. Of course the airlines don't "owe" anyone more than that, however that's the fine print basically in every aspect of life. It doesn't mean it's appropriate to handle it that way.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Oh please...they're not being greedy. They were HUGELY inconvenienced. They did not cancel the flight, SW canceled it and last min. on them. Of course the airlines don't "owe" anyone more than that, however that's the fine print basically in every aspect of life. It doesn't mean it's appropriate to handle it that way.

The OP cancelled the subsequent flights that SWA was able to put them on, not that I don't understand a frustration about not being able to get back sooner but I believe that is what the PP is speaking to.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We weren't given any reason. We received a text around noon that simple said our flight was cancelled and to log on to reschedule flights. I called because I couldn't believe my eyes when I tried to reschedule online. It was because of the size of our party that we had to wait until Wednesday. We tried to split it up 4 and 4 but still couldn't get us out any sooner. We have flown SW round trip 4 times in the last 12 months and besides a hiccup and delay last year we haven't experienced anything like this. Makes me sad I have always loved SW. I will still fly with them because this is happening across the board, I fly two separate trips in 2 weeks. I hope I don't have any issues.

I used to fly standby back when that was allowed when I was growing up. It was hard even back then to get multiple people on the same flight. I distinctly remember us having to split up so 2 of us were on 1 plane and 2 of us were on another plane although those landed not too too much in between still though. That was on either Delta or Midwest Express.

4 seats is really hard to do much less 8 especially last minute because most flights in general get sent out full or nearly full and it's like a cascading of issues, the flight ahead of you cancelled okay well now you have anywhere between 143-175 (IIRC don't quote me on those numbers lol) of passengers having to be accommodated assuming that flight is full.

Having the sheer number of people with you I'm sure was a major factor, it's unfortunate I think in your case that you likely had minors or young enough ones with you. While not ideal if I were to consider traveling with my in-laws when there's 6-8 of us we could easily split up in different flights as we're all adults.

I'd honestly go with they probably tried to do what they could unless you talked with them about splitting it up even further so several of you could get home quicker. I don't know how the conversation went but I'm 100% certain it's easier to have 1 or 2 people to try and find a flight for and adding more starts to really complicate things.

 

[lockets]

Just fyi something similar happened to me with American Airlines. i wrote to customer service that I received a credit and I'm very grateful for it, but that I was travelling with someone and they didn't get the credit. They agreed with me and provided credit to other ticketed passenger. Sometimes it's not coming from greed, but wanting to ensure there's not a clerical error. i.e. They really would help you, but they are working so fast to close out issues and get you out of their way that they credit the main person they are dealing with. They don't automatically provide the other credits unless it's asked for in the moment or brought up later via logging an email to customer service (I went the email route). Agree it's a first world problem, but no harm in trying if it's more of a clerical error. $18 per person doesn't even sound like a number the airline would think sensible.

Logically, if you would have accepted the flight three days later - what $ amount of vouchers or credits would they have had to give to you to help out with food and a hotel for a couple nights? It would have been more than $18 each. I doubt they would have stranded all of you in the airport to sleep on a floor for two nights. So from that perspective I'd just make sure there was nothing missed.

You had a big party and you really did try to work with them to split up, etc. It's not like you just kneejerk refused everything from them and decided to come $1,700 out of pocket + an unexpected road trip lightly and now you're trying to take advantage. Sounds like neither plan was ideal but you've done a good job of making lemons into lemonade with the fun you had on the road trip. Good for you!