Thomas Layer/Associated Press
- The teachers from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, were among thousands to have Southwest flights canceled.
- Marcus and Andrea Grasenick said they missed their honeymoon cruise after a canceled flight.
- Southwest canceled more flights than any other airline after storms hit the US over Christmas.
Two teachers from Wisconsin were all set to take off for their dream honeymoon cruise the day after Christmas, but after Southwest Airlines canceled thousands of flights, the couple found themselves back at home the following day and out $4,000.
Marcus and Andrea Grasenick of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, told local outlet TMJ4 that they flew to Nashville on Monday where they waited for word on their connecting Southwest flight. After hours passed without knowing whether or not the flight would depart, they were told it was canceled and their luggage could not immediately be retrieved and returned to them.
They made it home to Wisconsin a day later, without their luggage, after flying home on a different airline.
“This is the only break we have in common, so we can’t even go a different time and make it up, because this is the only one. This is the one shot we had,” Andrea Grasenick told TMJ4.
“It’s time, and you can’t give that time back,” she said, adding it would be great if they could get back the $4,000 spent on the cruise.
“If you could do that, great. But, the memories that we were going to make with each other and with our friends, that’s not something that you can put a price tag on,” she said.
The couple also told the outlet they had been met with “radio silence” from Southwest and that they would hesitate before choosing the airline in the future.
The Grasenicks were among thousands of Americans who experienced flight cancellations after Southwest had an operational meltdown this week. Thousands of flights across airlines were canceled after severe winter storms struck over Christmas weekend, but Southwest passengers saw the worst of it.
Southwest canceled more than 2,900 flights on Monday, accounting for around half of all canceled flights throughout the world that day. The cancellations accounted for 70% of Southwest’s total trips planned for that day, according to FlightAware. The disruptions rippled throughout the travel industry, causing rental car shortages and higher flight prices.
When reached for comment, a Southwest spokesperson directed Insider to their latest updates page and noted that the company plans to return to normal operations on Friday. The spokesperson also said Southwest customers can rebook travel, request a refund, and report missing luggage through a travel disruptions portal on their site.
Other travelers also reported missing their cruise ship departures after canceled flights. One cruise ship, the Carnival Celebration, even delayed its departure slightly on Tuesday to give some passengers more time to make it, according to the blog Cruise Hive. Hundreds of guests still missed the boat.
Have a news tip or a travel story to share? Contact this reporter at kvlamis@insider.com.
