Biden administration Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is reminding holiday travelers affected by mass flight cancelations by Southwest Airlines in December to file for reimbursements if they qualify.
Secretary Buttigieg said his department will "continue to hold Southwest to its responsibility to take care of customers affected by holiday travel disruptions."
In a tweet on Tuesday Buttigieg said "we will enforce their responsibility to refund flight tickets and reimburse for alternate & ground transport, baggage costs, meals & hotels."
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) confirmed that Southwest created a website for passengers to file for reimbursements where travelers can claim money lost for Amtrak, rental cars, flight tickets and expenses due to delayed baggage — similar to coverage by standard travel insurance if passengers had purchased that before their flights, as is often offered.
Southwest asks that reasonable requests be made and said the airline is willing cover costs of up to $3,800, according to the U.S. DOT.
Affected passengers seeking refunds and reimbursements from Southwest should start here: https://t.co/1UROtgssjm
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) January 10, 2023
You can receive reimbursements for other airline tickets, Amtrak, or rental cars. For expenses due to delayed baggage, you can receive up to $3,800.
Southwest said that travelers who had their flights canceled or delayed significantly between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2 are eligible for reimbursements.
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