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No refund - very disappointed

Titanium89
Explorer C

I also requested a refund from Southwest Airlines, for tickets I bought in February for a trip in April that was cancelled in March due to Covid-19.   Southwest Airlines sent me an automated reply “ In this case, because you purchased a nonrefundable ticket, we are unable to honor your request for a refund.”   I’m not going to go into detail about the hardship Covid-19 has had on my family because there are so MANY people that have been harshly affected by this Pandemic, but I’m disappointed that Southwest Airlines thinks that this Pandemic is just “Business as usual” when it’s something like we’ve never seen before, and this is a time for thinking with compassion instead of greed!  Shame on you Southwest Airlines!   By the way.... how many millions of $$ has Southwest and other airlines received from the federal government to help them during this time?  I guess they are more than happy to receive help, but no way in .... will give refunds BACK to people that have paid for flights before the world as we knew it changed.   Tricia

20 REPLIES 20

Re: No refund - very disappointed

dfwskier
Aviator A

@Titanium89 wrote:

   By the way.... how many millions of $$ has Southwest and other airlines received from the federal government to help them during this time?  I guess they are more than happy to receive help, but no way in .... will give refunds BACK to people that have paid for flights before the world as we knew it changed.   Tricia


Well Tricia, actually Airlines (Southwest included) have received billions of dollars from the government -- ALL OF IT to be used to pay tens of thousands s airline workers thru September instead of firing them..

 

No airline is doing anything different than Southwest when it comes to NOT refunding non refundable tickets. None of them have the cash to do so.

 

Would you prefer that airlines use some of that government money to issue refunds - and than start firing people as a result?

Re: No refund - very disappointed

Titanium89
Explorer C

Well, I lost my job as a result of the Pandemic, and my family could really use the money that I have paid Southwest Airlines back in February.  I stated ALL airlines, and forgive me for not throwing a pity party to them because they have received (Billions) according to you so that they can keep paying their employees.  So Southwest Airlines has my money AND billions from the government, receiving a refund for my little tiny 2 tickets is obviously asking for way too much when I’m unemployed and things are looking bleak.  Got it!

Re: No refund - very disappointed

dfwskier
Aviator A

Look, I am sorry that you are going thru this. You are in a tough spot You are in the same boat with millions of others.

 

Airlines are in a tough spot too.

 

The reality is that if all airlines are required to refund all non refundable tickets tickets, that they will all go bankrupt  - resulting in the loss of 100s of thousands of jobs. There are rumors that congress wants  to pass a law that mandates refunds of non-refundable tickets. I predict that if that law is passed that every airline will file for bankruptcy  within days. The end result would be no refunds and those vouchers/travel funds held by many would be worthless.

 

Oh, and to correct one thing you said -- Southwest doesn't have the billons of dollars from the government - Southwest's employees do - at least til Spetember.

Re: No refund - very disappointed

Titanium89
Explorer C

The government will never let the major airlines go bankrupt.  I don’t think you can correct me on this.

 

Southwest is greedy in how they are handling this.  

Re: No refund - very disappointed

bwallet
Frequent Flyer A

Pan Am went bankrupt. Gone. No longer there.

 

The fact of the matter is that Southwest is being very reasonable. They are giving credit if you cancel, and they are extending the validity of the credit to two years. If they cancel, from my experience, they are giving refunds in 3 days. The guidelines are 7 business days. Delta won't tell me when they will give me a refund. United will only say more than a month.

 

I'm sorry that you lost your job, but you entered into a contract. None of this is your fault, but it isn't Southwest's fault either, and they are trying to stay in business while playing by the rules (unlike the other airlines).

Re: No refund - very disappointed

dfwskier
Aviator A

@bwallet wrote:

Pan Am went bankrupt. Gone. No longer there.

 

 Add Eastern, Braniff, and a whole bunch of smaller carriers to your list.

Re: No refund - very disappointed

gecko911
Explorer C

I also am very disappointed in SW Vacations.  Our trip to Cancun on May 2nd was cancelled by SW.  We re-scheduled for May 23rd.  Our flight was cancelled, SW didn't notify us.  Just happened to check.  We then decided to cancel all together.

 

So NO vacation NO refund.  60 or 90 days is unreasonable for flights SW cancelled.  Not their fault, but not my fault either.

 

We had another flight on Delta, they refunded our airfare in 2 days!!!

 

They maybe should have to take out a loan, as any other business would have to do.  

 

SW spent 2 Billion on stock buy backs in 2019.  Maybe they could have saved some of that back for an emergency fund???

Re: No refund - very disappointed

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@dfwskier wrote:

@bwallet wrote:

Pan Am went bankrupt. Gone. No longer there.

 

 Add Eastern, Braniff, and a whole bunch of smaller carriers to your list.


And some big ones...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airline_bankruptcies_in_the_United_States

 

It's a little hyperbole to say every single employee would be out of a job at all major airlines - they would bounce back in some form just like United and American have done.

 

However the travel funds out there would be one of the first things they are absolved from if they had to file for bankruptcy, among other commitments.

 

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: No refund - very disappointed

Lynneg
Explorer C

Elaine Chao, USDOT, stated on a FOX news May 9 or 10, 2020 that ANY airline flight that was cancelled by said airline, was refundable.  Our flight from FLL to GCM on July 1, 2020 was cancelled and we were told that there were no other seats available for at least 2 days and that our monies were placed in an ecredit account.  Are you not refunding to the credit card as Ms Chao stated?