Southwest Airlines Community

In response to my DOT complaint, Southwest reached out to me and asked me to file the paperwork AGAIN including the receipts, numbers, dates of flights etc. which I did.   Hope is what keeps us humans going 🙂   ... View more

As a last resort, I have now filed a complaint with DOT.   ... View more

@Jenni Correct, they are calling the customers unethical without giving any reason. Please note that we asked where the discrepancies where and the reason for outright denial. We also asked if we could correct the discrepancies and refile the claim or at least approve the claim where there were no discrepancies. Southwest customer service said that they cannot reveal the reasons because they were legally protected and we would have to go to court to get the reason AND closed the claim. Here is the exact letter from them.   Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns regarding your lost bag. We have completed our evaluation of your claim and regret that our efforts to locate your property have not been successful. We understand how difficult the waiting period during this process can sometimes be and we want to again express our sincere appreciation for your patience and your efforts to cooperate with all of our requests. When processing a baggage claim there are guidelines that we must follow for a variety of reasons. Each case presents a different and unique set of circumstances requiring personal attention, careful research, and often the use of outside resources, such as other airlines, merchants, and law enforcement entities. Unfortunately, the results of our investigation have revealed substantial discrepancies in the information provided in your claim, which has given us reason to doubt its validity. Because of these concerns, we are unable to ethically determine a proper settlement and are, regrettably, denying the same.  ... View more

I finally wrote to the CEOs office asking for a reason for complete denial of the claim. After a few days, I got this reply with a denial again giving no explanation for denial quoting “established guidelines“. Thank you for your patience while I researched your concerns. I appreciate the opportunity to follow-up with you. I regret any frustration over the process of settling your son’s claim with our Customer and Baggage Services Department (CBS). It is important to note that we have established guidelines for our personnel responsible for evaluating claims when a Customer reports missing luggage or items.  Nobody likes to lean in the Customer’s favor more than Southwest Airlines. Although we are unable to alter CBS’s decision regarding your son’s claim, we appreciate the time you took to make us aware of your concerns. I apologize for any added stress this situation has caused. We are committed to delivering safe, dependable, and enjoyable air transportation. We would welcome the chance to serve your family onboard. ... View more

Thank you for posting this. As of now I don't see that your problem has been addressed. Please post any updates on this.   My son has had a near identical experience to yours. He flew Southwest on a direct flight from San Diego to San Jose on October 30, 2022. He checked in two bags of which only one arrived. He immediately reported it to the Southwest baggage handling department. They told him not to worry and that they would trace it and have it to him the next day. The bag did not arrive the next day either. Southwest asked him to wait for 5 days before filing a lost baggage claim which we did on Nov 7, 2022.   The lost baggage claim document was very detailed. It contained passenger details/baggage questionnaire/Claim Documents/Contents/Expenses/Certification. He compiled with every part of it. He included receipts for many of the lost items.  He did not include any Interim Expenses which are expenses while the bag is lost.    On December 2, 2022, Southwest replied in a formal communication that they were actively tracing the property through an industry tracing system and asked him to file a police report with the local police which he did the same day. He then sent them the pending report from the police including the report number.   On December 5, 2022, Southwest replied in a formal communication that they were unable to locate the bag. They denied the claim stating that their "investigation had revealed substantial discrepancies in the information provided in your claim, which has given us reason to doubt its validity. Because of these concerns, we are unable to ethically determine a proper settlement and are, regrettably, denying the same."   My son wrote back to them asking for the claim being denied outright as he had complied with every step of their long process and provided his phone number. He then called the agent who told him that they were legally protected from telling him the reason and that he would have to court in order for them to disclose the reason.   They then sent another PDF which says that this is their final decision and closed the claim.   Please understand that we have always loved Southwest and always chose them even when alternate airlines are available. This is the first time Southwest Customer and Baggage Services treating us so badly as if we were criminals in filing the claim for a bag they acknowledge they lost. We have never been to court and would hate to go to court in spite of Southwest baggage services telling us that this is the only way out.   My son suffers from serious anxiety and panic disorders and this is causing him a lot of issues. His confidence has been affected badly which is forcing me to write on behalf of him.    What do you guys think? Any suggestions on how to resolve this matter other than going to small claims court? Thank you.     ... View more