Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

Contract of Carriage - Limits

ehsptc
Explorer C

Hello.

 

In section 4C4 of the Contract of Carriage, does the verbiage presented (intentional or unintentional) prevent Southwest from cancelling and automatically rebooking a direct flight into a series of flights between source and destination ?

 

"... Carrier will either transport the Passenger at no additional charge on another of Carrier’s flights, refund the fare for the unused transportation in accordance with the form of payment  utilized for the Ticket, or provide a credit for such amount toward the purchase of future travel."

In this context, 'another' is singular implying just one flight.  For example, "I watched another of Netflix's movies".  Is it not written as, "another one or more of Carrier's flights".

The word flight requires some interpretation:

Flight could refer to a single tail number.
Flight could refer to a single flight number.


Again, the word 'another' cannot refer to more than one of the above.

Southwest would say 'flight' refers to a any number of take offs and landings between source and destination, but I would argue this is not what delivered intent of the phrase above implies.


Therefore, if one is rebooked from a direct flight to a trip with two different flight numbers between source and destination, it seems like 4C4 could be violated; unless of course there is an official definition of flight that supports Southwest.  Since flight numbers are controlled, I would assume flight number to be the definition of a flight.  Two flight numbers would be two flights.

Thoughts?

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Contract of Carriage - Limits

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

An airline's job is to get you to your destination, or somewhere close. Whether that takes one leg or multiple legs to do it does not matter. 

 

You certainly can request a refund if you do not like the new itinerary. 

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: Contract of Carriage - Limits

ehsptc
Explorer C

While I agree with you, I am asking if their method of doing so violates their very specific terms in their contract of carriage agreement.  Its a very subtle nuance that probably should be corrected as a singular 'flights' is not necessarily defined as one or more 'legs'.  I'm just being a stickler for the detail.

Re: Contract of Carriage - Limits

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

You don't think they have a large team of lawyers reviewing things like this?  I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I don't see an issue here.

 

--TheMiddleSeat