I had the first flight of a two segment one way itinerary on Alaska Airlines cancelled today because of weather.
The only replacement option they offered would have gotten me to my destination at 11:45 PM instead of my original arrival time of 2:15 PM. I asked if they could rebook me onto American Airlines, which had availability that would have arrived only about an hour later than my original schedule, but they refused.
Since the alternative itinerary was so much worse, I asked for a refund so I could book a new flight myself on Southwest Airlines. Three different staff members told me I was not eligible for a refund because I had purchased a Saver fare.
I mentioned DOT regulations regarding cancelled flights, but I was told their internal policy overrode federal rules, which was extremely frustrating.
Update: I later called Alaska Airlines again and was eventually given a full refund. I even asked whether it was a goodwill exception, and the representative confirmed that I was actually entitled to the refund under their own rules.
I still filed a DOT complaint because this should have been handled correctly from the beginning instead of requiring multiple arguments and phone calls.
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