Southwest Airlines vows refunds after mass cancelations left travelers stranded

Airline says it will also reimburse related expenses as other carriers are capping fares to assist stranded travelers

Southwest Airlines has promised to refund tickets and reimburse passengers for hotels, car rentals and other expenses after its mass cancelations left thousands of people stranded across the country.

The airline's chief commercial officer, Ryan Green, told reporters on Thursday that it would take several weeks to repay customers, but that the airline would cover costs people incurred when they were forced to make alternative travel arrangements, including paying for meals and gas. The company said it would also pay to ship people's baggage to them.