- Two teachers from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, were being among hundreds to have Southwest flights canceled.
- Marcus and Andrea Grasenick stated they missed their honeymoon cruise right after a canceled flight.
- Eleven days afterwards, Andrea Grasenick was nonetheless waiting on her two suitcases to be returned.
Two lecturers from Wisconsin who skipped their honeymoon cruise after Southwest Airlines cancelled their flight were however ready on some of their baggage 11 days later.
Marcus and Andrea Grasenick of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, told Insider that they were established to consider a connecting flight out of Nashville on December 26 to make it to Florida for the Royal Caribbean cruise, which they used roughly $4,000 on. The 11-day vacation by way of the Western Caribbean provided stops in Costa Rica, Panama, and Aruba, as nicely as functions like a rainforest walk and a tour of the Panama Canal.
Immediately after ready for hrs to obtain out regardless of whether or not the flight would acquire off, the airline explained to them it had been canceled and that employees could not right away retrieve and return their baggage to them.
“I could see our baggage outside in the snow from inside the airport,” Andrea Grasenick explained to Insider.
A day later on they flew back to Wisconsin, nevertheless with out their luggage, on a different airline.
As of Thursday morning, Andrea Grasenick was nevertheless ready on her two baggage to arrive.
Her two lacking suitcases contained all the things she packed for the cruise, together with medications and snorkeling equipment. Simply because she has trackers in her luggage, she mentioned she’s ready to see that they have been sitting at O’Hare Worldwide Airport in Chicago given that Sunday.
She also explained they have known as Southwest every working day this 7 days, and have even supplied to generate to O’Hare to choose up the bags, but have been told they have to wait around due to the fact they at first picked the shipping and delivery solution.
Her husband’s bag at last arrived on Wednesday through FedEx, which she said was also peculiar mainly because she stuffed out the lacking baggage kind before he did.
“The only conversation I’ve been given from Southwest has been to ensure that they received my reimbursement ask for,” Andrea Grasenick stated in an electronic mail to Insider on Thursday, adding she also gained an supply from the airline for 25,000 points but has not but redeemed them.
“It continues to be so discouraging and I just can’t appear to be to get any responses or aid,” she mentioned.
A spokesperson for Southwest told Insider in an electronic mail the airline was earning significant progress on reuniting customers with their luggage: “Teams are in the course of action of scanning luggage and getting in touch with all those Customers to do the job out logistics to get their baggage back to them employing a variety of solutions – no matter if it can be selecting it up at a close by airport or transport it to them.”
“Also, we are producing great progress by processing tens of countless numbers of refunds and reimbursements a day and will not let up until we have responded to just about every impacted Client,” the spokesperson said, incorporating that influenced clients could ask for refunds and report missing luggage at their travel disruptions web site.
The pair, who bought married in October, had bought travel insurance and are nonetheless doing the job on having refunded from the cruise line as perfectly.
“Ideal situation state of affairs we get back again the money we put in. But worst case circumstance we won’t be able to get anything back,” Andrea Grasenick explained, adding: “You won’t be able to place a price tag on the recollections we would’ve manufactured.”
The Grasenicks were between hundreds of Americans impacted right after Southwest had an operational meltdown previous week. Airways canceled countless numbers of flights immediately after severe winter storms struck all over Xmas, but Southwest passengers expert the bulk of the disruptions.
The airline canceled above 2,900 flights on December 26, accounting for about half of all canceled flights throughout the globe that working day. The disruptions have been felt all over the vacation marketplace, major to rental-motor vehicle shortages and increased flight selling prices.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has claimed that airways are essential to issue refunds to travellers whose flights were being delayed if they do not decide to rebook.
“This signifies Southwest ought to provide refunds inside of seven business enterprise times if a passenger paid out by credit card, and within just 20 times if a passenger paid out by cash, examine, or other usually means,” Buttigieg mentioned in a letter sent previous 7 days to Southwest CEO Robert Jordan.
He also referred to as on the airline to cover ground transportation, hotels, and meals for stranded travellers.
Have a news idea or a travel story to share? Speak to this reporter at kvlamis@insider.com.
- Two teachers from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, were being among hundreds to have Southwest flights canceled.
- Marcus and Andrea Grasenick stated they missed their honeymoon cruise right after a canceled flight.
- Eleven days afterwards, Andrea Grasenick was nonetheless waiting on her two suitcases to be returned.
Two lecturers from Wisconsin who skipped their honeymoon cruise after Southwest Airlines cancelled their flight were however ready on some of their baggage 11 days later.
Marcus and Andrea Grasenick of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, told Insider that they were established to consider a connecting flight out of Nashville on December 26 to make it to Florida for the Royal Caribbean cruise, which they used roughly $4,000 on. The 11-day vacation by way of the Western Caribbean provided stops in Costa Rica, Panama, and Aruba, as nicely as functions like a rainforest walk and a tour of the Panama Canal.
Immediately after ready for hrs to obtain out regardless of whether or not the flight would acquire off, the airline explained to them it had been canceled and that employees could not right away retrieve and return their baggage to them.
“I could see our baggage outside in the snow from inside the airport,” Andrea Grasenick explained to Insider.
A day later on they flew back to Wisconsin, nevertheless with out their luggage, on a different airline.
As of Thursday morning, Andrea Grasenick was nevertheless ready on her two baggage to arrive.
Her two lacking suitcases contained all the things she packed for the cruise, together with medications and snorkeling equipment. Simply because she has trackers in her luggage, she mentioned she’s ready to see that they have been sitting at O’Hare Worldwide Airport in Chicago given that Sunday.
She also explained they have known as Southwest every working day this 7 days, and have even supplied to generate to O’Hare to choose up the bags, but have been told they have to wait around due to the fact they at first picked the shipping and delivery solution.
Her husband’s bag at last arrived on Wednesday through FedEx, which she said was also peculiar mainly because she stuffed out the lacking baggage kind before he did.
“The only conversation I’ve been given from Southwest has been to ensure that they received my reimbursement ask for,” Andrea Grasenick stated in an electronic mail to Insider on Thursday, adding she also gained an supply from the airline for 25,000 points but has not but redeemed them.
“It continues to be so discouraging and I just can’t appear to be to get any responses or aid,” she mentioned.
A spokesperson for Southwest told Insider in an electronic mail the airline was earning significant progress on reuniting customers with their luggage: “Teams are in the course of action of scanning luggage and getting in touch with all those Customers to do the job out logistics to get their baggage back to them employing a variety of solutions – no matter if it can be selecting it up at a close by airport or transport it to them.”
“Also, we are producing great progress by processing tens of countless numbers of refunds and reimbursements a day and will not let up until we have responded to just about every impacted Client,” the spokesperson said, incorporating that influenced clients could ask for refunds and report missing luggage at their travel disruptions web site.
The pair, who bought married in October, had bought travel insurance and are nonetheless doing the job on having refunded from the cruise line as perfectly.
“Ideal situation state of affairs we get back again the money we put in. But worst case circumstance we won’t be able to get anything back,” Andrea Grasenick explained, adding: “You won’t be able to place a price tag on the recollections we would’ve manufactured.”
The Grasenicks were between hundreds of Americans impacted right after Southwest had an operational meltdown previous week. Airways canceled countless numbers of flights immediately after severe winter storms struck all over Xmas, but Southwest passengers expert the bulk of the disruptions.
The airline canceled above 2,900 flights on December 26, accounting for about half of all canceled flights throughout the globe that working day. The disruptions have been felt all over the vacation marketplace, major to rental-motor vehicle shortages and increased flight selling prices.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has claimed that airways are essential to issue refunds to travellers whose flights were being delayed if they do not decide to rebook.
“This signifies Southwest ought to provide refunds inside of seven business enterprise times if a passenger paid out by credit card, and within just 20 times if a passenger paid out by cash, examine, or other usually means,” Buttigieg mentioned in a letter sent previous 7 days to Southwest CEO Robert Jordan.
He also referred to as on the airline to cover ground transportation, hotels, and meals for stranded travellers.
Have a news idea or a travel story to share? Speak to this reporter at kvlamis@insider.com.