My Letter to Southwest Airlines

      So I'm still waiting to hear back from the airlines, talk about frustrating!!  Below is a copy of the letter I sent them:
________________________________________________________________

Southwest Airlines
Central Baggage Services
PO Box 36663
Dallas, TX 75235-1663

Re: Request for Reimbursement for Delayed Luggage

To Whom It May Concern,

      On January 19, 2014, my family and I flew with Southwest Airlines from Portland, Oregon, to Orlando, Florida. We were scheduled for a cruise out of Miami the following day. Upon arrival into Orlando, we learned that our luggage, which consisted of three suitcases, were lost. At that point, Baggage Services did not know where our luggage was but they were confident that they would be able to locate it, fly it to Ft. Lauderdale, and have it delivered to the Miami cruise terminal before we departed on our cruise ship.

      The following morning at 7:00 a.m., my husband called Southwest Airlines and they confirmed that they had the luggage and that it would arrive to the ship before 4:00 p.m. It wasn’t until 10:30 p.m. that night (January 20) that we learned our luggage was never shipped. We were then told that our luggage would be sent to Nassau, our last port stop on our cruise. The night before our arrival into Nassau, we once again contacted the airlines and they told us that our luggage was sitting in Orlando and would stay there until our return flight home on January 26, 2014.

      As you can imagine, this was EXTREMELY frustrating for us!! Never once did the airlines contact us as to the status of our bags. We always had to call for information. The information we were told was inconsistent, as far as where our luggage was, in addition to any spending allowance given to us by the airlines. We were also told that reimbursement would only be for the cruise days. I am not satisfied with that! We had no plans of coming back to Orlando until Sunday, January 26, the day we flew home. Am I supposed to cut my trip short, and cancel reservations we otherwise had?

The following is a list of additional frustrations we experienced:

• I spent two full days onboard our ship with no swimsuit as the cruise line doesn’t sell any;
• Our family lost time playing on the beach during our port stops because we were frantically trying to clothe ourselves;
• We were limited on dining options because we did not have appropriate dress;
• We were forced to pay expensive (tourist) prices to clothe ourselves and buy toiletries; and
• One of our checked suitcases contained snorkel gear for our family, as well as an underwater GoPro camera. These items were irreplaceable for our family activities.

      These frustrations made for a very stressful trip! And the upsetting part is, it’s not over. I still have to file this claim with you in hopes that the situation can be made right.

I have included the following documents to assist you in processing my claim quickly:

1. Southwest Airlines Lost/Delayed Report Receipt;
2. Photocopy of our baggage check;
3. Photo ID for my husband and I;
4. Flight reservation information for each member of our family (My husband, myself & our three boys)
5. Photocopy of our cruise itinerary, and
6. Photocopy of receipts totaling $2,149.48

      With all this said, I am requesting a full reimbursement in the amount of $2,149.48 for expenses incurred and that a portion of our points be refunded to our Rapid Rewards Account. 

      I thank you in advance for your help in getting this matter settled. Should you need to contact me, I may be reached at ….

Very truly yours,

Nicole Waite