‘We want our money back’: Hundreds of Red Way customers still waiting for refunds

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Officials at the Lincoln Airport say hundreds of Red Way customers are still waiting for refunds.

Jessica Steider is one of them. 

She booked a trip to take her two daughters to Disney World.

“We were very excited about the opportunity to fly out of Lincoln,” Steider said. “But now, just at the very minimum, we want our money back.” 

She said she is still waiting for a response from Red Way.  

“Their phone number is no longer supported,” Steider said. “It’s a little bit frustrating.”

The airline unexpectedly closed last month.

Airport officials said on Tuesday that there were about 16,000 bookings for canceled flights. About 600 have yet to be refunded.

Red Way received $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, made available by the Lincoln City Council and Lancaster County Board. 

Now Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley is investigating where all that money went. 

“The federal government is now $33 trillion in debt because of decisions like this where federal funds were not treated properly, they were misspent,” he said. “I just thought it will be appropriate for my office to dig in and find out what really happened here.”

Customers who believe they’re owed a refund are encouraged to contact Red Way at customerservice@goflyred.com. 

But there are more options if they bought their tickets with a credit card.

“You can absolutely dispute this charge through your credit card company,” said Josh Planos with the Better Business Bureau of Nebraska. “It might take a little bit of time, right? Because they need to do their diligence.”

Planos said you should keep a record of the emails and transactions with Red Way to show to your credit card company.

You can also file a complaint with the BBB.  

Airport officials also said you can try calling the federal Office of Aviation Consumer Protection at 202-366-2220.