Here’s what a consumer watchdog says to do if you were affected by Southwest flight problems

PHOENIX — The holidays have been an unmitigated disaster for Southwest Airlines travelers as thousands of fliers and pieces of luggage are still without a plane.

It’s not the first time major airlines have faced troubles during holidays, says consumer watchdog Teresa Murray with the Public Interest Research Group.

“Just about every holiday we’ve had over the last two or three years, there has been some sort of major disruption,” Murray said. “Clearly, this one was the worst.”

But what should you do if you’ve been affected? The first thing is to not settle for less than you deserve.

“Even though people are legally entitled to a full refund– full ticket price, baggage fees, taxes, all of it — the airlines will try to talk people into ‘oh hey, here’s a credit, here’s a voucher, take this,’” said Murray.

Although the law requires the airline refund those fees, the same can’t be said for any additional inconveniences caused by a canceled flight such as food, hotel fees and transportation.

Southwest has said it will reimburse recently affected travelers for those costs. You can file a claim online.

As for the future, Murray has suggestions.

She recommends downloading your airline’s app prior to your trip for quicker cancellation notifications and an easier way to reschedule your flight.

She said travelers have spent hours on the phone on hold waiting for resolution. The app is a way to bypass that.

Murray also suggests booking your flight for a day or two before you actually need to be there and when you do book a flight, use a credit card since it provides more protection than using a debit card or other form of payment.

She said her hope is for the Department of Transportation to start holding airlines accountable for chronically delayed and canceled flights and implement punitive fines if necessary.