Southwest Offers 25k Points to Passengers Affected by Meltdown

The week between Christmas and New Year’s was troublesome (to say the least) for Southwest Airlines and its passengers. Many travelers were left stranded in airports away from home without luggage and many (myself included) had their trips totally ruined.

Southwest is finally starting to respond and is offering passengers 25,000 Rapid Rewards points as a goodwill gesture.

Here’s what you should know.

Southwest Offers 25k Points to Affected Passengers

If you were caught in the middle of the Southwest meltdown, check your email. Southwest started sending emails with the subject line, “A message from Southwest CEO Bob Jordan” offering passengers who had canceled flights 25,000 points each. This email only went out to the passengers who actually booked the flights but it included codes for everyone on their reservation.

The 25,000 points are in addition to the “reasonable expenses” the airline has committed to reimbursing. Passengers need to use the codes provided in the email to receive their points.

At first glance, it’s annoying the points weren’t automatically deposited into passengers’ accounts. However, using these codes allows passengers to deposit all of the points into a single account, which can be much more convenient than having points divided among multiple accounts. Personally, I would much rather have our family’s allotment of 75,000 points deposited into my husband’s account since he holds our Companion Pass instead of each of us getting 25,000 points.

While I’m happy to see the airline proactively offering bonus points, I still struggle to see how 25,000 points make up for the ordeal that many passengers experienced.

Bottom Line: Passengers affected by Southwest’s holiday meltdown are receiving emails with codes good for 25,000 Rapid Rewards points per passenger. 

Elite Status Extensions

Some passengers have also reported getting emails notifying them that the qualification period for Companion Pass, A-List, and A-List Preferred status has been extended through January 31, 2023. It appears that this only is valid for passengers affected by the meltdown, and may not be accurately reflected in your online account.

Additionally, some passengers are reporting that their elite status benefits have been extended through January 31, 2023.

Refunds

If your Southwest flight was canceled last week, you’re eligible for a full refund, as opposed to just a flight credit. You’ll need to request your refund online.

Additionally, Southwest says it will reimburse “reasonable requests” for expenses incurred as a result of a cancellation or significant delay from December 24, 2022, through January 2, 2023, including meals, hotels, and alternate transportation. You’ll need to submit your receipts to request reimbursement.

Final Thoughts

If you were affected by Southwest’s operational meltdown last week, keep checking your email. Southwest is contacting customers with codes good for 25,000 points each and elite status extensions. While an offer of 25,000 points doesn’t make up for the chaos of Southwest’s meltdown last week, it’s a good way to start regaining customers’ loyalty.