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Southwest will not respond to email/phone request

danaatkins
Explorer C

I have been trying to contact Southwest via email and phone to no avail. I sent them the email below.

 

This is the second request that I have sent. 

On October 18, 2018, I booked 23 flights for students for a robotics tournament for Brentwood Academy. Because I reserved those spaces, I was charged (and agreed to the charge of) $1150.00. Other than a verbal confirmation number (VVXG52), I was given nothing else. I did not receive a contract, the excel sheet or the authorization form from Southwest Airlines. I informed the woman on the phone of this (and I did not write down her name because I didn’t think it necessary), and she tried to send it again. When I didn’t receive it the second time, she suggested that the email may take a bit and we hung up the line.

 

However, because the charge came through on my credit card, I did not think that anything else needed to be done. Again, I never received or signed any contract/authorization for this.

 

Today, January 10, 2019, I contacted Southwest (1-800-435-9792, 1-800-243-8372, and 1-800-433-5368 for a total of 1 hour, 38 minutes), and I was told that my reservation had been cancelled. I was also informed that I would not be able to get a refund of the $1150.00, nor have the original flight prices given when booked again (original price was $188, the new price was over $300). Shelley, the supervisor, was extremely nice, and with her help, we rebooked the flights at the increased price. She was absolutely delightful, but she was not authorized to refund/change any flight charges. She attempted to email me the confirmation, and I did not receive it on my school email. She asked for my personal email, which I very seldomly check, and the confirmation came through.

 

I realize that Southwest Airlines has many policies in place, but I am asking that you reconsider refunding the $1150.00 to our school account. Brentwood Academy flies Southwest regularly (I booked two trips today—one for 21 people; the other, 9 people). We plan to take at least four more trips during this school year, and I know that Southwest is one of the most used airlines at BA. If you cannot directly refund the account, could we at least have a credit of $1150.00 for future trips?

 

Has anyone else experienced this? If so, how did you proceed? 

 

10 REPLIES 10

Re: Southwest will not respond to email/phone request

elijahbrantley
Aviator A

My go-to point of contact is the Twitter team, but I think this is a different situation.  In addition to all the ways on the Contact Us page, I think this might require a call to SW's Customer Relations at 1-855-234-4654.  It sounds complex, and they might be in a better position to fully resolve your concern, especially since you are not receiving a response.

 

Could it be that since you can't receive the confirmation at your school address that they could have responded there but the message was not delievered?

 

Either way, good luck!

-A List, Companion Pass holder

Re: Southwest will not respond to email/phone request

DfDrPepper_23
Frequent Flyer C

@elijahbrantley

 

Wow! So if a customer wants to contact SWA at the CR number at 855 and no one answers to their calls and you are saying that if the customer wish to contact SWA via twitter and they will answer to them, not the phone calls? This is new to me..... B.T.W. When did the term of words "Thinnk" a new words?

Re: Southwest will not respond to email/phone request

dfwskier
Aviator A

Hello.

 

Sorry to hear that you are running into difficulty.

 

The first thing I'd suggest is that you should remove the confirmation number from your post.

Anyone could see it and use it and mess things up further. You can do this be editing your post.

 

Second, at the very least , the $1150 would be available for future use  by the person whose name is on the ticket for one year from the date the original ticket was purchased. 

 

Remember, you can protest any credit card charge when  you don't receive services you paid for.  That protection normally extends for 60 days past the date of the credit card statement that includes the charge you want to protest. You are either very close to that date or are already past it.

 

I'd advise you to send another e-mail to the airline. I'd want to know"

1) Why was the reservation cancelled?

2) Who cancelled the reservation 

 

You would not normally receive a contract or spread sheet or authorization form when booking flights, but you would normally receive  a confirmation e-mail the would also give you the confirmation number. At cancellation the airline would send an e-mail to that same e-mail address.

You apparently received neither. I can only assume the e-mail address in the system was incorrect.

 

 

Re: Southwest will not respond to email/phone request

chgoflyer
Aviator A

elijahbrantley & dfwskier:

 

Here's some info about Group Travel and how it works on Southwest.

 

Group Travel

Re: Southwest will not respond to email/phone request

chgoflyer
Aviator A
Solution

@danaatkins wrote:

I have been trying to contact Southwest via email and phone to no avail. I sent them the email below.

 

This is the second request that I have sent. 

On October 18, 2018, I booked 23 flights for students for a robotics tournament for Brentwood Academy. Because I reserved those spaces, I was charged (and agreed to the charge of) $1150.00. Other than a verbal confirmation number (VVXG52), I was given nothing else. I did not receive a contract, the excel sheet or the authorization form from Southwest Airlines. I informed the woman on the phone of this (and I did not write down her name because I didn’t think it necessary), and she tried to send it again. When I didn’t receive it the second time, she suggested that the email may take a bit and we hung up the line.

 

However, because the charge came through on my credit card, I did not think that anything else needed to be done. Again, I never received or signed any contract/authorization for this.

 

Today, January 10, 2019, I contacted Southwest (1-800-435-9792, 1-800-243-8372, and 1-800-433-5368 for a total of 1 hour, 38 minutes), and I was told that my reservation had been cancelled. I was also informed that I would not be able to get a refund of the $1150.00, nor have the original flight prices given when booked again (original price was $188, the new price was over $300). Shelley, the supervisor, was extremely nice, and with her help, we rebooked the flights at the increased price. She was absolutely delightful, but she was not authorized to refund/change any flight charges. She attempted to email me the confirmation, and I did not receive it on my school email. She asked for my personal email, which I very seldomly check, and the confirmation came through.

 

I realize that Southwest Airlines has many policies in place, but I am asking that you reconsider refunding the $1150.00 to our school account. Brentwood Academy flies Southwest regularly (I booked two trips today—one for 21 people; the other, 9 people). We plan to take at least four more trips during this school year, and I know that Southwest is one of the most used airlines at BA. If you cannot directly refund the account, could we at least have a credit of $1150.00 for future trips?

 

Has anyone else experienced this? If so, how did you proceed? 

 


 

Since you mentioned it was for 23 students, I assume you were dealing with the Groups Travel department. Unfortunately, only that department will be able to help you (a "regular" Customer Relations rep, via Twitter or phone will just tell you this). It's one unfortunate reality of booking through Group Travel.

 

Group Travel

1(800)433-5368

Monday - Friday
5 a.m. - 12 a.m. CT

 

Group Travel requires a $50 per person deposit, and I believe that is non-refundable if you don't travel. It sounds like perhaps you didn't make the final payment prior to the deadline, and now that deposit has been lost. 😞 Hopefully you can work something out with them since you say you never received the instructions for the final payment.

 

Good luck, and please come back and let us know how this all works out.

 

 

Re: Southwest will not respond to email/phone request

bec102896
Aviator A

@danaatkins

 

So after reading over your situation it sounds like the $1150 was your NON refundable deposit meaning you would still have to call by the deadline which in my experience is usually 2 weeks after the deposit due date. If you don't pay by the due date the airline keeps the deposit and your reservation is canceled. 

 

Unfortunately I don't think they will be able to refund that since it is non refundable. The best thing you can do to see about a possible refund is to reach out to customer relations by calling 855-234-4654. 

 

In the future if your not getting an email at your school email I would first check the spam folder or 2nd have them send to an alternate email as you did the 2nd time around as some school servers may block those emails from coming through 

 

with not being able to get the original price that's because the original flight prices were cheaper and they don't have a way go go back in the past. Although you could ask customer relations if they had any way to help with that but no guarantee that they can do anything about that. 

 

If you have not paid the final payment you can watch to see if the price of the flight goes down and if it does you can call the groups department and ask them to reprice in case your flight price went down. 

 

If you have have any further questions about group travel feel free to let me know and I can try to help.

 

Blake 

Re: Southwest will not respond to email/phone request

chgoflyer
Aviator A

Again, Customer Relations will not be able to help you regarding a Group Travel issue. Only the Group Travel department will. If you call any other number they will just direct you to Group Travel.

 

Also, Group Travel does not reprice the negotiated fare once the deposit has been received. 

 

 

Re: Southwest will not respond to email/phone request

bec102896
Aviator A

@chgoflyer wrote:

 

Also, Group Travel does not reprice the negotiated fare once the deposit has been received. 

 

 


Group travel did reprice my most recent group after the deposit but after final payment they could not. Recent group being Jan 2nd-4th. 

Re: Southwest will not respond to email/phone request

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@bec102896 wrote:

@chgoflyer wrote:

 

Also, Group Travel does not reprice the negotiated fare once the deposit has been received. 

 

 


Group travel did reprice my most recent group after the deposit but after final payment they could not. Recent group being Jan 2nd-4th. 


 

Interesting! Thanks for that info. As far as I understood, once the group price was negotiated (and deposit received) there was no fare change possible -- good to hear that's not actually the policy.