LUBBOCK, Texas — A Plainview family celebrated their Christmas at Disneyland, but when it was time to come back home, their flight got cancelled. Grandpa saved the day and drove 9 hours to bring the family home.
As Southwest Airlines struggled to get passengers to their destinations on Thursday the airline announced they will be operating one third of scheduled flights for the next few days.
While that solution happens after Christmas is over, it made families either almost miss out on the holiday or completely change their plans.
For a Plainview family they took a Christmas vacation of their dreams, to Disneyland.
When it was time to go home, it didn’t go as smooth.
“Basically, when we got to Denver flights are being delayed, delayed, delayed, delayed, and eventually, pretty much everybody got canceled with Southwest Airlines, I think all airlines that night. And we got stranded right before we’re trying for Christmas,” Sabrie Villegas said.
Villegas said the airline did not have anyone’s luggage.
“People [were] crying … yelling like, it was chaotic.”
With her family having to think of a plan B, Villegas’s father saved the day.
“My dad was just like; I’m just going to come get y’all. Like, they didn’t want us to miss Christmas. I had an extra set of car seats at home. So, my dad was like, I will go pick up your car seats load them up, we’ll go see the kids. He didn’t want me or his grandkids to miss Christmas because we’ve never spent it apart.” Villegas, said.
Robert Landeros, Sabire father, said with a military background going for his family was a no brainer.
“It was about a total of eight, nine hours, all by myself,” Landeros said.
Villegas and her family made it home in time for Christmas but was upset with Southwest Airlines.
“…They couldn’t even get our car seats because I feel like they jeopardized my children’s safety.” Villegas said.
She also told Everythinglubbock.com that she’s out of some money right now.
“…Out of the money for the tickets for the hotel for everything we’ve spent, I’m trying to get some sort of reimbursement back, hopefully, they do have it online where you could cancel your flight, but they only give you a partial credit for a flight. I mean, like I don’t want a partial credit. I want what we spent because they didn’t get us to where we were going and come Christmas Eve. We were already home. They delayed that flight again until Monday the 26th. So even if we would have taken the chance of taking that flight on Christmas Eve, they would have canceled that again,” Villegas said.
Southwest made a statement that customers could contact Southwest to rebook or request a refund here.
