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Southwest Airlines is about to pick up a $29 million drink tab for passengers

Nan Palmero / Flickr

Drinks on a Southwest Airlines flight. Nan Palmero / Flickr

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A few passengers actually read the fine print on the vouchers, which in 2010 the airline abruptly announced were only redeemable on the day they were given out, effectively voiding nearly 6 million vouchers.

-Samantha Shankman

by Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times
Jan 21, 2013 1:50 pm

For millions of Southwest Airlines passengers, the drinks are on the house.

The airline has reached a tentative settlement with passengers who sued Southwest over drink vouchers that were given to “business select” passengers before Aug. 1, 2010.

On that date, Southwest changed its policy, saying that even though the drink vouchers had no expiration date, the airline would honor them only on the date passengers were traveling.

In the lawsuit filed in 2011, the plaintiffs, Adam Levitt and Herbert Malone, said the policy change amounts to a breach of contract and made the coupons worthless. The airline had previously said that it changed its policy because passengers were making photocopies of the vouchers to get free drinks.

Under the settlement, Southwest could be on the hook to redeem as many as 5.8 million vouchers. Since the airline charges $5 for alcoholic drinks, the settlement is worth as much as $29 million. The airline is also responsible for paying attorney fees of as much as $7 million.

If you think Southwest owes you a drink, go to www.southwestvouchersettlement.com to get details on how to file a claim for a new voucher. You must file before Sept. 2.

(c)2013 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by MCT Information Services.

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  • dobdobdobdob

    I don’t think it would matter if they gave out free iPads, I would never fly SW again.

  • Munky

    Would be nice if the link worked.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/626TOXRC7B5XLRO75O3O3A4LFQ Doug

    You’d never fly Southwest again…really? Is that because they often have the most affordable fares on any given route, or because they allow 2 checked bags for free, or because they have an outstanding record for safety and on-time arrival, or is it simply because Southwest’s employees seem like they are the last people on earth that enjoy working in the airline industry? Tell you what, I fly over 100 flights per year and I’d chose Southwest over any of the other ‘major’ carriers every chance that I get, even though I didn’t like their policy change regarding the free drink coupons.

  • dobdobdobdob

    Doug – i understand that it’s affordable and people rely on their service as a cheaper means of flying and traveling. My personal experience has been be consistent cancelled flights that have left me stranded in airports, being mislead by the staff to travel to another destination only to be stranded there as well, not offering some form of resolution (hotel, discounted flight, whatever), and their boarding procedures are cumbersome as well as more times than not, the airplane usually smells like a diaper.

    While under these circumstances Delta, American, Jetblue all seem to be more than willing to accommodate me, understood my concerns, and were transparent about price. I had one person at Delta help me work around the discount while on the phone in line with the attendent at the airport. My belief is you get what you pay for, I don’t think it’s reasonable to shell out extra hundreds of dollars for a similar flight but I am willing to pay the extra $60-80 fly on another airline due to my experience with SW. This is just my opinion on my experience. I am sure others love SW.

  • iibw

    It is exactly these kinds of lawsuits that is bringing down our nation. Me me me, everyone is only thinking of themselves without thinking of the bigger picture. In the end, Southwest will raise its rates and hurt you and I.

  • dobdobdobdob

    sorry for the poor grammar. I was writing on the fly (no pun intended).

  • c.h

    Why don’t they just say they don’t accept the vouchers that have been photocopied? That seems like it woud have been a sipler and less costly way to go.

  • js_biggs

    I will only fly southwest. The other airlines are crap.

  • TiredOfTheWhining

    Whatever. Like iibw says, just another bs lawsuit that put $7 million into the hands of some parasitic lawyers. And yes, the costs will be passed onto the passengers.

  • onyoursix33

    If they did in fact sell coupons with no expiration date and won’t honor them, it is the Airline who is trying to steal money for paying costumers…
    For those of you who liked his post, I’ll sell you one ticket for 1,000,000,000 drinks for $1,000,000. Just don’t expect me to make good once you’ve bought it..

  • onyoursix33

    Seems like SW has its fair share of employees posting on here… Sell me a product, make good on the product.

  • Bob

    If Southwest is available they are my first choice !!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/jocelyn.wesolowski.1 Jocelyn Wesolowski

    The reason they had to rescind their drink offers though is because of the copying fraud that customers were doing in the first place. The consumer made the first strike, not Southwest.

  • g-money

    If i remember right it was something you printed out so there is no way of knowing if it was an original or a copy

  • g-money

    Cumbersome boarding procedures? Southwest loads a plane almost twice as fast as anybody else. I dont know how it works out that way but they can load half a plane in the time it takes United to board first class.

  • dobdobdobdob

    I’m debating anyone on my experience. If anyone has had a good experience with SW, I am fine with that, I just won’t use them based on MY experience.

  • jamesdentonlewis

    Ha. Guessing they pay six bits for a beer or a one ounce bottle of liquor. Not sure how you value that at 29 mi. It’s more like 2 mil. The travesty is 7 million to the lawyers.

  • northmsdmv

    “The airline has reached a tentative settlement with passengers who sued Southwest over drink vouchers that were GIVEN to “business select” passengers before Aug. 1, 2010.” Nobody paid for a drink voucher, just buy the drink!! Another reason this country is headed down the toilet. I think I’ll see if one of the ambulance chasers wants to sue on my behalf because i think my blood pressure went up slightly reading this article.

  • Kislips

    I was sent drink vouchers when I earned free flights on SW. Then they changed their Ewards program and the drink vouchers were no longer any good. SW is still my airline of choice but they really did screw over their loyal Rewards members when they changed their Rewards program. I am still loyal but they weren’t!

  • vaportrail

    Southwest sould have printed antifraud tickets !

  • rwg425

    I fly southwest 1 or 2 times a month. I must have listened to the flight attendants warn me for at least a year before the policy change that the “old vouchers” were no longer going to be accepted. Was I disappointed? Sure, but were they transparent and reasonable about the change? Yes.

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