ONE GONE. I THINK IT’S GOING TO GO. YOU GOT TO PUT IT OUT IN THE UNIVERSE. KELSEY ARNESON, DID YOU JUST HEAR THAT? CANCELED NOTIFICATION? I DON’T THINK IT WAS OURS. IS LEARNING JUST AS YOU ARE THE FLIGHT DID THE ORIGINAL FLIGHT DID LEAVE TO SAINT LOUIS. OH WELL SO I’M ONE FOR THREE FIVE HAS BEEN CANCELED. I THINK THAT’S LITERALLY OUR FLIGHT. THE NEWS THAT NO CHRISTMAS TRAVELER WANTS TO HEAR. IT’S FRUSTRATING. EVERYONE’S FRUSTRATED. FOR SOUTHWEST FLIGHT TO DENVER, THE ONLY SOUTHWEST FLIGHT LEFT STILL STANDING. NOW KNOCKED OFF THE BOARD WITH THE REST OF THEM TORSO BACK. ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE ON THAT FLIGHT TO DENVER. IS ALSO HEARING THE SAME NEWS AT THE SAME TIME. DISAPPOINTMENT, OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT’LL BE OKAY. ARNESON IS TRYING TO GET HOME TO DENVER. SO BACK TO TAHOE FOR A FRIEND’S BIRTHDAY IN THE MIDDLE OF A TRAVEL HEADACHE LIKE THIS. WHAT SHOULD PASSENGERS DO? A LOT OF TIMES WE CAN GET YOU BOOKED ON A DIFFERENT FLIGHT OUT BEFORE YOU EVER EVEN GET TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. JODI VALENTINE, WEDDING NAVIGATOR FOR ALLIED TRAVEL, SAYS GET HOME OR AS CLOSE TO HOME OR WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AS POSSIBLE. FIGURE OUT THOSE REFUNDS LATER. THEY’RE DEALING WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT DON’T HAVE THEIR LUGGAGE AND DON’T HAVE THEIR MONEY. AND IT’S JUST BETTER TO GET YOUR CELL PHONE OR AS CLOSE TO HOME AS YOU CAN IN THE U.S. AS MOST AIRLINES, INCLUDING SOUTHWEST, WILL GIVE PASSENGERS FOOD AND HOTEL VOUCHERS FOR CONTROLLED FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS, THOUGH THEY’RE NOT REQUIRED TO. VALENTINE ALSO RECOMMENDS TRAVEL INSURANCE. THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD FLIGHTS TO GET TO A CRUISE OR GET TO AN ALL INCLUSIVE RESORT ARE HAVING TO CANCEL THOSE COMPONENTS OF THEIR TRIP. AND IF THEY DON’T HAVE TRIP INSURANCE ON THOSE, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE NONREFUNDABLE. SOUTHWEST IS OFFERING ALL CUSTOMERS FLYING UNTIL JANUARY SECOND THE OFFER TO REBOOK THEIR FLIGHTS FOR FREE. EVEN IF YOU BOOKED A NONREFUNDABLE TICKET IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS, VALENTINE SAYS, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET YOUR TICKET REFUNDED WHEREVER SOUTHWEST PASSENGERS END UP. 1435 47. GOOD. YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO CANCEL. AND HOWEVER MANY TIMES THEY HEAR THAT MESSAGE, WE’LL HAVE FUN. WE ALWAYS HAVE FUN. NO MATTER WHAT. AT LEAST SOME OF THEM WILL HAVE FUN ALONG THE WAY. NOW, SOUTHWEST DOES HAVE A REQUESTING A REFUND OPTION RIGHT NOW ON THE MAIN PAGE OF ITS WEBSITE. IF YOU DON’T FLY WITH THEM AND HAVE AN UNUSED TICKET. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT TRAVELERS CAN GET FROM AIRLINES DURING A SITUATION LIKE THIS, HEAD OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 2,600 flights. The company cites the lingering effects of the winter storm and its flight crew scheduling system for the cancelations.In Des Moines, all Southwest flights were canceled Tuesday.Kelsey Arneson’s Southwest flight to Denver, the only Southwest flight still standing at that time, was canceled as she spoke with a KCCI crew.Jody Valentine, a wedding navigator for Allied travel, tells passengers that during a travel headache like this, travelers should get home, or as close to home as they can, and figure out refunds later.”A lot of times, we can get you booked on a different flight out before you ever even get to the front of the line,” Valentine said. “They’re dealing with tens of thousands of people that don’t have their luggage and don’t have their money. And it’s just better to get yourself home or as close to home as you can.” In the U.S., most airlines, including Southwest, will give passengers food and hotel vouchers for controlled flight cancellations, though they are not required to.Valentine also recommends travel insurance. Southwest is offering all customers flying until Jan 2, to re-book their flights for free. For more information on what travelers can get from airlines during a situation like this, visit the U.S. Department of Transportations website. Some KCCI reporters were among those impacted by the canceled flights:
On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 2,600 flights. The company cites the lingering effects of the winter storm and its flight crew scheduling system for the cancelations.
In Des Moines, all Southwest flights were canceled Tuesday.
Kelsey Arneson’s Southwest flight to Denver, the only Southwest flight still standing at that time, was canceled as she spoke with a KCCI crew.
Jody Valentine, a wedding navigator for Allied travel, tells passengers that during a travel headache like this, travelers should get home, or as close to home as they can, and figure out refunds later.
“A lot of times, we can get you booked on a different flight out before you ever even get to the front of the line,” Valentine said. “They’re dealing with tens of thousands of people that don’t have their luggage and don’t have their money. And it’s just better to get yourself home or as close to home as you can.”
In the U.S., most airlines, including Southwest, will give passengers food and hotel vouchers for controlled flight cancellations, though they are not required to.
Valentine also recommends travel insurance.
Southwest is offering all customers flying until Jan 2, to re-book their flights for free.
For more information on what travelers can get from airlines during a situation like this, visit the U.S. Department of Transportations website.
Some KCCI reporters were among those impacted by the canceled flights:
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