17% of reviewers learnt about & won compensation with AirAdvisor’s help
Anonymous member
Verified | Sep 15, 2026
- San Jose-Raleigh-durham
- Economy
Southwest Airlines not always the cheapest is best
Southwest Airlines gave my mother and I, $50 vouchers for airlines tickets to appeal to us for tickets we bought in a dire emergency to get to California to get to a relatives that was found in his home after 4 days of yelling out for help, We spent a round about $400 for tickets to and from but had to return back to NC for another family member in an emergency situation who has now passed. We were shocked because we hadn’t flown in a while so to our surprise we had to pay for seats that were not just the afterthought, I can’t afford seats. We are a struggling family that try to be there for one another. My mother who was just 3 weeks post op from spinal cord surgery had wheelchair assistance which was great. Myself, who is unemployed, dealt with rude flight attendant on our first flight but great flight attendants on the 2nd leg. My mom, who is medically retired and I had to beg, borrow, & steal to get money to fly to California to make sure her family was okay bc we had no other family living around or near him as they are still in the hospital. We ended up changing our flight to get home for more family, now deceased, was going to be okay. When we changed our flight to return on Sunday, not only did we have to borrow the extra fees, we paid for seats not in the bathroom of the plane. Lol When we checked in for our flights, When we went to the airport to learn that our flight was not only delayed, but it was due to mechanical issues of our plane. After a while they let us know they were unable to secure another plane but they were going to get it fixed so we can continue on to our destination. Well at this point, it was no way to get our connecting flight. We had to get into a long line from a full flight of passengers upset trying to make changes. Our flights were booked with other family so we were all flying together so now that was impossible. We ended up being re routed to Vegas, we had a 2 hour layover. 2 carryon bags, and my mother I a wheelchair. We didn’,t even have time to wait for wheelchair services to get her to the new gate so I had to figure it out. I am scheduled for surgery Wednesday and Thursday the following week also with an implant.SMH We did not make it home until 1 am, Monday morning (My birthday) which I was trying to avoid being tired so I could enjoy. The connection flight home was hot as hell, full, and we were in seats we took because the flight was full. We didn’t all get to fly together, the plane home was uncomfortably hot. I say all this to say, we paid an additional $400 give or take and over $120 for our seats to get home Monday and Southwest gave us a $50 vouchers to do what with. We don’t fly often and this was our first and last with Southwest. Please be careful and safe when you book your flights and cautious about booking and using Southwest Airlines. They have some not great flight attendants and some amazing but they do not respect peoples time and money you work hard for. I will not fly Southwest again. When I called customer services, they immediately said you deserve your money back but you have to fill out the form online and hope they do that, They gave 1 oh her to a family ember $400 who also was upset bc he missed any chance to make it home and put him in the nasty hotel so much he couldn’t even sleep. They don’t respect there passengers time and money. They take the cheapest way out instead of going the route of what’s best for the customers. The lack of communication with passengers is also an issue. This is why you just fill out a form and they expect you to take what you get as if you are beneath them to not speak with you in person. You look for price, safety, comfort, and convenience. Southwest can have the lower prices but it cost you in the end, Hold these airlines accountable! TC
Overall
Didn’t make it home in time and paid to get in on Sunday not Monday
Didn’t make it home in time and paid to get in on Sunday not Monday - San Jose-Raleigh-durham
- Economy
Comments
Passenger rights expert: That Flight delay might not be a total loss — you could still claim up to $700 in compensation.
Check here.
Max 120 characters (0)
Flight attendants
