KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Instead of being home in Washington, D.C., Sherri Wyatt found herself stuck in Kansas City.
"Well, I was supposed to fly out this morning at 8:15 a.m. nonstop," Wyatt said. "That would’ve gotten me there at 11:30, and I could be at my office tomorrow morning. They cannot get me on anything before Jan. 3."
Unable to wait that long to return to her job, she visited ticket counters for other airlines.
She eventually lucked out with Delta.
But the only seat left was in first class, and the one-way ticket cost her close to $900.
Not everyone can afford to spend hundreds of dollars to catch a flight on another airline.
Sadly, that was the case for Reno, Nevada, native Jackson Smith who's been stuck in KCMO since Christmas Eve.
"I was flying out to Florida because my step-brother had passed away and we laid him to rest," Smith said. "And, on the way back, I was supposed to connect in Denver, but they dropped us off here and told us that we had to reschedule on another flight. I do not know anyone here. I’ve never been to the city. It’s just been really rough."
To add insult to injury, Southwest told him because they don't have contracts with local businesses, they're unable to offer food or hotel vouchers.
Other passengers mentioned dealing with the same issue.
With no family or friends to stay with, Smith says he's now run out of money, having to pay to stay in a hotel for the past three nights.
KSHB 41 reached out to Southwest to ask if travelers are eligible for food or hotel vouchers. A spokesperson replied via email the only option is to try to get reimbursed for those expenses.
In a statement the airline sent to KSHB, Southwest stated that "requests for reasonable reimbursements directly related to the travel disruption will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to support the customer, including meals, hotels and alternate transportation."
"If you have been impacted by a flight cancellation or significant flight delay between December 24, 2022, and January 2, 2023, you may submit receipts for consideration via email us on southwest dot com," according to Southwest's website. "We will honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for meals, hotel, and alternate transportation."
Wyatt hopes Southwest will reimburse her for the money she spent on her Delta flight.
Just hours after KSHB 41 spoke with Smith, his family was able to loan him money to book a return flight on Spirit Airlines on Thursday, and a friend booked him a hotel room for the night.
Still, he's unsure where he'll stay Wednesday and he's concerned about repercussions at work when he arrives home.
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