Flight cancellations are horrible—but lack of communication from the airline is even worse. No one deserves a prompt refund more than you after such a horrific ordeal. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to make that happen. All airlines take several days to process a refund. Like you, I am also a fan of Southwest, but even they take up to seven days (
http://www.southwest.com/html/custom...STOMER-REFUNDS).
For next time, you can always consider…
TRIP INSURANCE – In most cases, you could insure and then recover the $500 loss of your cottage in California. Unfortunately, the airlines are protected from liability for these costs.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS – You can demand for your ticket to be transferred to another airline if the flight is cancelled or significantly delayed due to mechanical reasons. Gate agents are trained to NOT mention this to you. I’ve never had a gate agent claim it was weather when it really was mechanical… to my knowledge. But here is a trick if you’re ever flying on AA (and I hope you don’t have to!). You can check AAcargo.com which will sometimes list the reason for delays or cancellation.
Those cottages in San Francisco are fantastic getaways… I hope that you are able to travel successfully sometime soon and enjoy yourself after going through such a horrible ordeal. I hope you get your refund faster than the policy permits.
Safe travels,
Matt