Booking a flight to only later discover the airline itself cancelled it is no laughing matter because trying to rebook can be just as much of a hassle. Although the Department of Transportation does advise that passengers who have their flights cancelled are entitled to a refund does not necessarily mean that the airlines will go that route first. The airlines know that you want to go somewhere and they want to be the ones to get you to your destination. The best option in this case is to be prepared as much as possible. Sign up for flight updates and have the alerts texted to you whenever possible. Also, don't be afraid to call up customer service and ask them about their policies and if they have an estimated timeframe in the event you do get a reassigned flight.
You booked your flight with Southwest Airlines and received your confirmation, everything's good, right? Not so fast, there are times when an airline like Southwest cancels flights and it's more than an inconvenience when it happens. The question remains, what do you do when this unlikely event happens to you? First, it's recommended to set up alerts ahead of time.
Rapid Rewards Customers can set up flight update alerts
Current Policy Industry-wide
If the airline cancels your flight before you do, you are owed a refund and that is policy from the Department of Transportation itself. The best time to call them directly is about 3 days before your flight would've taken place, this normally cuts down on the length of time you are on hold.
Southwest's main customer service line can be reached here.
Of course, if you are a member of Rapid Rewards, then it might be better to call the dedicated line for your reward tier. Bear in mind that airlines will try to resolve the problem by rebooking you first because they want to keep you as a customer, so trying to obtain a refund can be a battle in itself. You may need to decide if it's worth it to get it back or if you will allow Southwest to rebook you.
Rebooking as an option
Some airlines will also try to automatically rebook you for a new flight but keep in mind that this new procedure was implemented sometime in 2018 for Southwest. There have been some reports of passengers trying to check on their previous booking, only to have it disappear from the system and then later, the computer located a new flight to book. Signing up for flight alerts could be helpful in checking the status of your flight and if you need to find your own way to where you need to go, or if Southwest can help you see this through. Waiting a day might also help give the system time to do what it needs to do, which can be hard if you're upset. It's always a good idea to call customer service and just ask them, what is the normal procedure when the airline cancels a flight, and how long does it take to add the updated flight to a passenger's account? If they have an estimated time, they will tell you if you ask.
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