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Southern Airways Express, LLCThis business is NOT BBB Accredited.
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Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Southern Airways Express, LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 35 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 7 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
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Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:05/07/2024
Type:Sales and Advertising IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I flew with southern airways and they lost my luggage. I'm traveling for work currently. It took them a while to get it back to me but once I received it, I noticed a lot of items had been stolen. Shoes, slides, jackets, sweatshirt, cologne, medication, other toiletries.Business Response
Date: 05/14/2024
Good afternoon ********************,
First I apologize that your bag was not delivered to you in time and that you are missing items. I have spoken to ***************** who has been in contact with your since April 25, 2024. **** stated that you were offered $500.00 for your items and he stated that you stopped corresponding. Please reach back out ***************** for further assistance he is willing to assist you.
Thank you,
*****
Call Center ManagerInitial Complaint
Date:02/18/2024
Type:Product IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 01/25/24 I was notified that my flight from *** to *** was cancelled. I called to see what could be done and the representative had no solutions for me other than to cancel my entire trip 1.5 weeks before when I already had accommodations paid for. When I asked if they could book me on a ******** Airlines flight to connect to my *** to LNY flight they said they dont do that. After searching on my own, I found a flight out of MUE and called to book that instead. This was an option that was never presented to me from the original agent. On 02/03/24 I received notification that my LNY to OGG flight was being pushed back and I would miss my connecting flight from OGG to MUE. I called & spoke with a representative who told me this was an operational issue & could not get me back to ****** on 02/04/23. She instead offered to fly me to *** then booked me on a ******** Airlines flight to KOA and then Uber me from KOA to MUE to get my vehicle. As I am arriving to the airport on 02/04/24 I received a notification that my LNY to *** flight was delayed. I spoke with the gate *********** deferred me to the customer service line. The solution was to continue with my LNY to *** flight but that I would miss any & all connecting flights back to BI by the time my flight arrived in ***. At this point I had to contact my manager & tell her we would be missing work. This agent told me that she had approval to book me a hotel in *** but that I needed to wait until I was sure my flight was going to arrive in LNY. I called back after the gate agent stated the plane would be arriving in 20 min after we were delayed an additional hour WITH NO COMMUNICATION from Southern & was told that I now needed to wait until my plane landed for them to book our hotel room. This took nearly an hour after landing. Once in the Uber, the driver took us to the pre arranged location which was a shipyard. This was the location that was set for him by their employee who mistyped the address.Business Response
Date: 04/04/2024
Hello ********************,
We at ******** Airlines want to apologize for the delayed response. We did not receive your complaint until this week from the BBB via email. After review, I see you have been refunded and this complaint has been resolved and closed.
We are truly sorry for any inconvenience you have had with our airline and the timing of our response. Thank you.Customer Answer
Date: 04/04/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
*******************************Initial Complaint
Date:12/28/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Hello,My name is ***********************************. I would like to request a refund for the costs I incurred during multiple flight cancellations due to maintenance issues on the plane.My reservation was 00HB1U. I originally booked the flight for December 28, 2023, but I changed it to December 27. Because of that change, I was charged an extra $25 and I paid that fee, but the flight was ultimately canceled due to maintenance issues on the plane. I also paid $67.74 to get to the airport. The flight was delayed at 2 PM PST and eventually canceled at 530 PM PST. This means the airlines knew of the maintenance issues for hours and did not cancel the flight which resulted in me incurring unnecessary costs.Additionally, I was left stranded in *********, ********** after my reservation 00G5OZ that was also canceled due to maintenance issues. The airline did not pay for a hotel even though the flight was canceled twice and I had to incur a cost of ***** for leaving my car parked at the ******************* while I was stranded in *********. In total, I request a refund of $175.73.Best, ***********************************Business Response
Date: 04/04/2024
Hello ***********************************,
We are sorry for the delayed response to you. We just received your complaint by email from the BBB this week. I also see we responded to your email to us on 12/28/2023.
We have reviewed the events that took place with your reservations 00HB1U and 00G5OZ. Please understand that flight changes are not taken lightly, and it is our goal to provide our passengers with a safe, reliable service. We do our best to notify our passengers as soon as possible whenever there is a schedule irregularity.
Because of the disruption with your flight on 00HB1U after you changed the reservation, we made a one-time exception and refunded your $25.00 voluntary change fee. Since you did fly on both flights for this reservation, we cannot refund the flights that you took, and we cannot refund the method of transportation you chose to arrive at the airport.
For your flight change on reservation 00G5OZ, this was refunded to you on October 20, 2023.
We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. Thank you!Customer Answer
Date: 04/04/2024
Complaint: 21065506
I am rejecting this response because:
I never receive the $25 refund to voluntary changes fee, that is a blatant lie. I attached an image of an employee to Southern Airlines rejecting via email to give me any refund at all, let alone the $25. if you have proof of the transaction please share it because I never received it.
Sincerely,
***********************************Business Response
Date: 04/04/2024
Hello,
I have just privately sent you an email which listed both refunds processed by Southern Airways Express. Please check with your bank if you did not receive the refunds as we have processed both - with the first one on 10/30/2023 for your flight of $111.00 and the second one yesterday process on 4/3/2024. The one processed on 4/3 could take 3 - 4 days or so for your bank to show but both refunds were processed on our end.We do not show credit card information on a public website. If you have any question please contact your bank.
Thank you.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/05/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
***********************************Initial Complaint
Date:12/23/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Travelocity is booking flights with Southern Airlines Express who they know is unreliable. Travelocity is complicit in false advertising for this sham airline. Southern Airless Express has a long history of canceling flights or changing them making them significantly longer at the last minute. This company should not be allowed to operate in *****************. I have terminal cancer. Theres no way I would back a 9 passenger plane to get home. They dont indicate that youre flying on an unsafe passenger plane. I want my money back. $179.Business Response
Date: 04/04/2024
Hello *************************,
We are sorry for the delayed response to you. We just received your complaint by email from the BBB this week.
After reviewing this complaint, I see we responded to you by email that we had already authorized Travelocity to refund you on the same day of cancelation 12/24/2023. You were refunded by Travelocity on 12/26/2024.Thank you!
Customer Answer
Date: 04/04/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
*************************Initial Complaint
Date:11/30/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Date of the cancelled flight was November 26th. I bought a round trip ticket for my son from ******** to **** for thanksgiving weekend. The total cost of these tickets was $500. He flew to **** without issues on November 22. On his return trip home, he had a layover in ****************** airport. Southern airways was his airline from ******* back home to Michigan. I believe that he was the only passenger on that flight. The plane was scheduled to leave at 4:50 pm. This flight was delayed and then I received an email at 5:50pm that the flight was canceled all together. So this left my ************************ ***** airport alone. I called southern airways and gave them all of my sons information regarding his cancelled flight. They told me that I had to call ****** airlines to rebook a flight for him and they could not help me in anyway. I then called ****** and spent 55 minutes talking to them trying to get compensated for the cancelled flight and in turn use that money to purchase another ticket back to ******** on one of there planes. Finally I gave up on trying to get my money back at that time and just bought a ****** flight ticket for $300 on a flight that was scheduled to leave at 8:15 that night. He was able to get back to ******** to an airport on 30 minutes from where he was originally supposed to fly into on his southern airways flight. I called southern airways again the next day in order to receive compensation for the cancelled flight. After 20 minutes on the phone they told me I had to contact *********** credit card as they were the third party that I booked my flight through using my airline miles. I called them and after another 35 minute conversation, they called southern airways and told be I could get $55 back from the cancelled flight. At that point I was very frustrated. I took that money thinking that was the best I could get. However, after thinking about the situation I emailed southern airways again to vent my frustration with no avail.Business Response
Date: 04/05/2024
Thank you for contacting us concerning this matter. It appears this was question was answered on 11/29/2024 stating this reservation was originally booked thru a 3rd party. and to reach out to them for a refund for the weather cancelation. Since the booking is with an outside third party, we did provide a waiver code for a full refund 11/27/2024. There is no other compensation for weather cancellations. Passengers are offered the option to take the next available flight or receive a refund. These rules are stated in our Contract of Carriage for all reservations.
The flight was indeed cancelled for inclement weather conditions beyond our control, and below is our policy at the time of booking:
Carrier shall not be liable for any failure or delay in operating any flight due to causes *************** control, including but not limited to, acts of God, governmental actions, fire, weather, mechanical difficulties, Air Traffic Control, strikes or labor disputes, or inability to obtain fuel for the flight in question.We do apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you.
Initial Complaint
Date:11/24/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I made a time booking error on a flight from *** to UIN. I checked the website and a later flight showed available at the same price. I called the airline requesting a time change as a courtesy to a later flight. Considering this airline makes common practice to move my flights (previously booked through AA) and frequently delays due to poor scheduling, I believed, as with any other airline, they would move me as a courtesy or charge a nominal fee. They instead stonewalled me forcing me to buy another ticket. I have come to expect mediocre customer support from airlines but never have I been denied any consideration at all. Not even apologetic that they could do nothing.Business Response
Date: 04/08/2024
**********************,
Southern Airways Express was not informed of this complaint until this week. Can you please let me know the date of service and reservation number for the *** to UIN Flight?
Thank you.
Initial Complaint
Date:11/21/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I booked a flight to ******* from ************* for Nov. 21st When I arrived at the airport I was told the flight was canceled due to weather(???). I asked for a refund. I was told to call the company, which I did. I was told there would be no refund. I had to spend a similar amount of money to get a ticket on ******* Effectively, this company is profiting off of people such as me. They make money by canceling flights! I understand (somewhat) the policy not to give refunds to people who decide to cancel. However, when the airline cancels, it should be another story. My Booking reference number was 00GCMOCustomer Answer
Date: 11/22/2023
I found the email of ********************* President of the Company and voiced my displeasure at the company policy. He has directed me to get a refund. I was scolded by the lady on the phone but the money will be refunded. Thank you for the work you do.Customer Answer
Date: 12/08/2023
The President of the Company refunded my money. I have no more complaint.Initial Complaint
Date:08/23/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
This airline overbooked the flight for me and my grandma. They didnt refund my ticket even though they overbooked. They offered a later flight instead. But Im supposed to be my grandma caretaker because she is hard at mobility.If you are leaving from *******, on the website it tells you to board at the private terminal but the information is not true. You have to board through tsa like any other airline. Its on gate 37 its on the last gate of the last terminal at ***************. My grandma was giving a wheelchair for boarding she was pushed through the an until she reached the gate. Any other airline you board with a ramp that connects the airport to the plane. With this airline you walk out a back door and walk down some steps get on a bus and then you walk on the plane from the middle of a landing strip. On her return trip she had to walk all the way from the plane to ground transportation. I kept calling when she said she was walking but I kept getting put on hold by different operators. I think they all Are in a small Office taking turns answering the phone. They made an old lady walk and limp and refused to get her a wheelchair. They told her to tak Her time and she would make it. This airline mistreats elderly and disabled veterans They have shady business dealings because they over booked didnt refund me and sent me to the wrong airport. And Im worried they may be racist.Business Response
Date: 04/11/2024
Hello Destany,
First allow me to apologize for the extreme delay in responding, I did reach out to the BBB to find out why we have not been receiving any emails and this was just resolved in March 2024. Please allow me to explain what happened with your booking. We were flying out of Signature Flight Support in *******, then we moved over to the main airport, unfortunately during the move the website was not updated until you called and it was updated at that moment. Our flight was not over booked,you missed your original flight because you went to the wrong airport, not your fault. We only had 1 seat available for the next flight and you requested your grandmother to be put on that flight and you would then go on the last flight of the day. i pulled all your calls and you agreed to that, however you never showed up for that flight and you were considered a no show.
I have also pulled other bookings for your grandmother and she has been able to fly with no issues twice in August of 2023. Yes our mistake was the website did not get updated in time and you went to the wrong location we tried to make it right by putting you and your grandmother on 2 flights the same day. Understand we fly 8 seater passenger planes so the flights fill up fast, we also tried to reach out to you that same night to confirm if you both would be flying back but never got a response for you.
Since you did not book this reservation on our website you can contact the 3rd party vendor that you paid for a refund back to your form of payment. This has to be done before May 10, 2024. You have less than 4 weeks to contact them before you can no longer get your refund.
Again, we are very sorry for misunderstanding, please reach out to your vendor soon.
Best,
*****
Southern Airways Express-Call Center ManagerInitial Complaint
Date:07/22/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
My name is ***************************** for sake of your records (newly married to *****). Im not sure this will make it back to Southern but its time to share some information for future travels. Ive used Southern along with my fianc now husband this year and last. Almost every single flight was canceled and/ or rescheduled for the *** to ******** route. Most times conflicted with other flights. More recently I received 3 texts in one morning about a change to a flight. The first text was sent after 10 pm and none of the changes gave a 24 hour notice. This airline is not reliable and especially for anything but *************. Not helpful if you have a job you are trying to report to. I have 2 requests. If you have at least two customers on a flight do not change/ cancel it. And plz give travelers 24 to 48 hours of notice.Business Response
Date: 08/08/2023
Hello,
We at Southern Airways Express (SAE) take every customer experience seriously and we thank you for allowing us to have a chance to reply.
We do apologize for any inconvenience with unexpected delays or cancelation you have had with Southern Airways Express. As soon as we know if there is a delay or cancellation with our flights, we contact the passengers know of the situation. We also do not cancel a flight for just 1 or 2 passengers. We fly our routes regardless of the passenger load on the flight.
Best Regards,
Southern Airways Team
Initial Complaint
Date:07/09/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
My complaint concerns a ticket I bought for Southern Airway's (***) flight 9X239 departing on July 5 2023, at 8:55 PM from ********** International Airport (***) to the ******************************* County Regional Airport (DUJ). The ticket, reference number 00E866 and costing $79.00, was purchased on 06/23/2023. - Prior to the Southern Airlines flight, I flew from ************ to ********** on American Airlines flight 266 which was scheduled to arrive at PIT at 7:30 PM plenty of time to connect with Southern.- AA Flight *************************************** ************. As soon as we realized the flight was delayed, my husband called the Southern Airways ******************************************************************************************* reschedule.- When he called the only option was to request a call back which he did. He was NEVER called back.- Furthermore, I was never called by the gate agent to verify if I was on my way. I have seen them do this many times while I waiting for a flight to depart and a passenger has not yet shown up. I have also been on flights that were held to give a passenger time to get to the gate.- AA 226 landed in PIT at 8:39 PM at gate B43 directly across from Southerns gate B41. People on the plane let me past them because of my connection and I deplaned quickly.- I was at the *** gate at 8:43 PM. The flight had departed and there was no agent. THE FLIGHT LEFT EARLY and I was recorded as a no-show.- I called the *** customer service line immediately and connected with ******* She told me the only option extended as a courtesy was to reschedule me for the next available *** flight at 11:00 AM THE NEXT DAY (July 6) which would obviously require me to get a hotel in ********** for the night. This would cost easily double the cost of the flight itself and a completely untenable solution. I asked if I could then change the ticket to another day later in the year when I knew I'd be traveling again and that was denied.Business Response
Date: 07/10/2023
Good morning *******************,
I have reviewed your complaint and I have also reviewed your phone call and email that you submitted. Please allow me to explain the following: You did not provide a phone number for your husband so I could trace back to see if we did return his call, if we would have been able to call him back he is not listed as your emergency contact person so we would not have been able to assist him. Next you say that Southern Airways in ********** did not call you, I verified our phone records and an outbound call was placed at 8:16 pm, for some reason they were not able to leave a message. ****************** the station agents make outbound calls as a courtesy if they have the availability to do so, on days that they are extremely busy no call will be made again this is a nicety that we do for our passengers when time allows. If you had called when you knew of your delay the call center would have reached out to ********** to advise of your delay on American Airlines, if they knew ahead of time that you were going to be late 5 min they would have held the flight if given prior approval from the dispatch department, again that is a nicety that we may be able to do but not always. Please remember that we operate like all airlines and our passengers want to depart on time so they can get to their destination as soon as they can. As for the 2 hr rule that applies only to the next available fight that day and not the next day so yes your ticket has been forfeited the result of you missing your flight is not on Southern Airways, the reason you missed your flight is due to American Airlines being delayed we did not have delays on our side.
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