Sun Country To Give Out Vouchers After Canceling Flights Without Notice
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Sun Country Airlines has had a bumpy couple of years in customer relations.
Last year, hundreds of travelers were stranded in Mexico after Sun Country canceled flights on the last day of their seasonal service.
Now they're giving travel vouchers to dozens of passengers whose flights were canceled without notice on Saturday.
"It's really up to the airlines to decide how much they want to give passengers in compensation in covering hotels based on making sure that they keep their customers happy and also trying to protect their public image," said Kyle Potter, editor-in-chief of Thrifty Traveler.
According to the U.S Department of Transportation, there are no federal requirements on passenger protection when it comes to canceled or delayed flights. This is something that lawmakers including Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar have been open about in the past and are trying to change.
"Honestly it's kind of like the wild west for airlines in the United States," said Potter.
Potter with the Minnesota-based travel and flight deal website Thrifty Traveler says the best thing passengers can do to protect themselves is to allow extra leeway for any important event, like leaving a day earlier to make a cruise or family function.
He said if you do have issues, try to stay calm and know that calling customer service may not be your best bet.
"Most airlines will have to allow you to direct message them on Twitter or Facebook and often times the customer support in those situations is away quicker than you will ever get over the phone," explained Potter.
WCCO spoke to a Sun Country passenger who missed a cruise because of a canceled flight Saturday. She said her travel insurance will not cover it because it had to be due to a mechanical issue with the flight.
WCCO also reached out to Sun Country again. The airline said they will be sending out the travel vouchers to the customers of those six canceled flights within the next 48 hours.
