
In an attempt to make amends with Southwest Airlines passengers who were victim to the mass cancellations and delays over the holiday season, the airline is offering an apology in the form of 25,000 frequent-flier points.
In a letter to the impacted travelers, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said that they would be receiving 25,000 points, which has a value of more than $300 and carries no expiration or blackout dates.
The email signed by Jordan was shared by Zach Griff, who covers airlines and travel for The Points Guy, on Twitter.
Griff also noted that the offer was “in addition to the $39 refund, $149 reimbursement and $250 travel voucher I already received.”
Those receiving the 25,000 points are travelers whose flights were canceled or delayed for more than three hours from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2, according to the Wall Street Journal. The points will also go to every paid and ticketed flier on each reservation.
Thousands of flights on the Dallas-based carrier from Dec. 22 to Jan. 1 were either canceled or delayed, throwing a wrench into holiday travel plans for thousands of customers.
“Southwest experienced a unique combination of events that started with severe weather at our busiest airports and transitioned into other operational challenges that stretched our people, processes, tools, and technology,” Jordan wrote.
However, while the airline has blamed weather for the flight disruptions, several other airlines were able to quickly regain their footing after experiencing the same weather issues, and this was detailed in a letter to the airline from Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Dec. 29.
Even still, Jordan says that the offer is a “gesture of goodwill.”
“I know that no amount of apologies can undo your experience,” Jordan wrote in the letter. “For those who have requested refunds, reimbursements and/or are waiting to be reunited with your lost bag(s), those processes are being handled with great urgency and we appreciate your patience.”