Southwest Airlines Is Giving Out Vouchers for Passengers Caught in Cancellation Chaos If Southwest canceled your flight recently, you might qualify.

By Chloe Arrojado

Kevin Dietsch |Getty Images

The past weekend was a disaster of sorts for Southwest Airlines. The Dallas-based airline has canceled more than 2,000 flights since Saturday, disrupting travel plans for thousands of customers. Now, the airline is addressing customer complaints by handing out vouchers to disgruntled customers — on top of the required refunds.

The exact range of voucher amounts isn't clear, but USA Today reports travelers have seen vouchers from $100 to $250. The company started emailing customers vouchers on Wednesday, but Southwest Airlines spokesperson Brandy King says getting a voucher might take longer than usual due to the number of passengers affected.

Related: Disgruntled Customers Sound Off on Southwest Airlines Amid Cancellations, Claim No Refunds or Answers: 'This Is Entirely Self-Inflicted'

For those still waiting for a voucher email, airline representatives seem quick to respond to customers' tweets.

"We review each situation individually to determine the compensation based on level of inconvenience," King said in an email. "The level of inconvenience is a mix of length of delay, quality of reaccommodation options and flight cancellations."

The airline initially blamed air traffic control issues and disruptive weather for the cancellations. However, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said that was not the case in a Tuesday interview with Good Morning America.

Kelly said although there were no air traffic control issues over the weekend, the problems were due to a number of Federal Aviation Administration delay programs in Florida on Friday. After a hectic few days for the airline, he says operations are now "back to normal."

"I want to apologize to all of our customers, this is not what we want," Kelly said in the interview. "Unfortunately, it just takes a couple of days to get things back on track."

Related: Southwest Airlines CEO Speaks Out on Cancellation Chaos and Vaccine Mandate: 'We're Not Going to Fire Any Employees Over This'

Wavy Line
Chloe Arrojado

Entrepreneur Staff

Editorial Assistant

Editor's Pick

A Father Decided to Change When He Was in Prison on His Son's Birthday. Now His Nonprofit Helps Formerly Incarcerated Applicants Land 6-Figure Jobs.
Lock
A Teen Turned His Roblox Side Hustle Into a Multimillion-Dollar Company — Now He's Working With Karlie Kloss and Elton John
Lock
3 Mundane Tasks You Should Automate to Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff
Lock
The Next Time Someone Intimidates You, Here's What You Should Do
5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Health and Regulate Your Nervous System for Sustainable Success

Related Topics

Business News

'Do You Hate Me?': High School Teacher Shares Wild Emails He Receives From Students

Jordan Baechler teaches high school students in Ontario, Canada.

Leadership

I Accidentally Became a Successful Entrepreneur. Here Are 5 Mistakes I Learned to Avoid When Starting a Business

PR is, at its core, storytelling. And the story of my now-thriving solo-owned business has been fraught with as many mistakes as successes, as many fall down the ladder as steps up. It's from my missteps, in fact, that I learned even more than from my triumphs, and this article presents 5 of my biggest blunders on the road to a flourishing small business.

Life Hacks

The Top 5 All-Time Best Productivity Hacks You've Never Heard Of

Want to combat chronic procrastination? Use these top five productivity hacks to put an end to this debilitating nuisance.

Growing a Business

How to Build a Thriving Community That Will Skyrocket Your Business

Build a strong community, and transform your business with these proven strategies.