Southwest Airlines

Travel Chaos Continues as Passengers Prepare for Another Busy Weekend

NBC Universal, Inc.

Travel chaos continued Thursday at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport as some passengers searched for lost luggage and others rebooked flights.

According to the online flight tracking website, FlightAware, there were 84 canceled flights Thursday with 80 of the cancellations were among Southwest Airlines. At Miami International Airport, the online tracker showed 29 total cancellations with 28 among Southwest.

Passenger Jonathan Fields was at the airport hoping to find his lost luggage.

“We got here with no luggage, we got two bags on Christmas Day, and the third bag never arrived,” Fields said.

Another passenger had a similar experience.

“So we came back on Monday, then we came back that Tuesday, today, we still don’t have our luggage,” Tawanna Johnson said.

Southwest Airlines is instructing passengers to file a baggage report online or in person.

"If you're still waiting on a bag, you can submit information on how to retrieve that bag at no cost to you,” Southwest Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Green said.

The Department of Transportation does require airlines to compensate passengers for damaged, delayed, or lost bags for contents up to $3800.

Travel expert Katy Nastro with Scott’s Cheap Flights says passengers should keep in mind when they are and aren’t entitled to refunds.

“When it is a significant delay, when you missed your connection or flight, you are entitled to get rebooked or a cash refund, and that goes for cancelations as well,” Nastro said.

Keep in mind – each airline has its own policies on when you are entitled to reimbursements for things like hotels, food, and clothing expenses.

“That’s for a significant delay or lost bag, and what lost means varies by airline, that definition is nuanced. Is it one day… is it two days, there are different policies,” Nastro said.

You can find more information about refund and reimbursement policies at the U.S. Department of Transportation website.

Contact Us