Southwest Airlines Sends Passengers of Fatal Flight $5,000 Check and $1,000 Travel Voucher

Southwest Airlines is sending passengers of Tuesday's fatal flight an apology letter containing a $5,000 check and a $1,000 travel voucher.

Southwest Airlines Vouchers
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Image via Getty/Scott Olson

Southwest Airlines Vouchers

Southwest Airlines flight 1380 had to make an emergency landing on Tuesday when an engine exploded and nearly sucked out a passenger. Unfortunately, the woman died shortly after the Dallas-bound plane landed in Philadelphia. As a presumably genuine mea culpa and an effort to assuage customers not to take their future business elsewhere, the airline has sent passengers of the deadly flight a $5,000 check in addition to a written apology, and the promise of a $1,000 travel voucher. 

According to ABC News, the letter mentions that Southwest’s current focus is to help the surviving passengers in any way possible, including a dedicated phone number assisting them from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT through Sunday. Customers can call and identify themselves as passengers of the flight 1380 and reach representatives for any immediate assistance they need—like luggage retrieval or submitting expenses potentially yet unconsidered by the airline. 

“On behalf of the entire Southwest Airlines Family, please accept our sincere apologies for the circumstances surrounding Flight 1380 on Tuesday morning, April 17th,” the letter reads, adding that “our primary focus and commitment is to assist you in every way possible.” 

In regards to the actual compensation, Southwest enclosed a substantial check with the letter and stated it would send vouchers out online. “In this spirit, we are sending you a $5,000 check to cover any of your immediate financial needs,” the letter states. “As a tangible gesture of our heartfelt sincerity, we are also sending you a $1,000 travel voucher (in a separate e-mail), which can be used for future travel.” 

While we’re not sure just how eager those passengers are to spend $1,000 on additional flying, some of them could surely use the money to get out of Philadelphia and conclude their initially planned journey. Receiving a few thousand dollars is nice, and a gesture of good faith on Southwest’s behalf, but it surely doesn’t erase the harrowing ordeal and terrifying emotions all 149 passengers must’ve felt on Tuesday morning—particularly the woman who lost her life. 

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