How Travelers Can Seek a Refund After the Massive FAA Ground Stop
Canceled flights, long delays
The family was able to land, but the pilot said all connecting flights had been canceled. They expected the disruption to delay their return home by three days and add thousands of dollars in costs.
After waiting nearly six hours, they learned close to 1 a.m. that their flight had been canceled. Finding a hotel was difficult, and their bags were not with them.
Bags and children at airport
The family had only one change of clothes in their carry-on and needed access to their luggage. A Southwest agent yelled at Morgane Richardson when she asked about the bags, she said, and did not offer guidance about families needing clothes, diapers or formula.
A bag handler spent an hour locating the luggage. The children were tired and uncomfortable, and the family said airline staff provided no snacks or blankets. Airport vendors had closed, so one child could not get her usual warm milk.
Costs continue at hotel
The family said driving home was not a workable alternative: rental cars were gone, and the journey would have taken 18 hours. They considered another flight the only realistic option for traveling with their children.
Their hotel room cost $300 a night, with food for three extra days adding to the bill. Possible activities would cost more. Richardson’s wife, an acupuncturist, also missed several workdays, affecting the family’s finances.
Key points
- The family expected to spend three extra days getting home after connections were canceled.
- They said their hotel room cost $300 per night, before extra food and activities.
- A bag handler spent an hour finding their luggage after the family struggled to retrieve it.
- The account describes added expenses but gives no instructions for requesting a refund.