Travelers wait next to their luggage near Southwest Airlines’ baggage claim area at Nashville International Airport after the airline canceled thousands of flights in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday.
Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images
hide captions
switch captions
Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images
Travelers wait next to their luggage near Southwest Airlines’ baggage claim area at Nashville International Airport after the airline canceled thousands of flights in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday.
Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images
Hundreds of thousands of travelers hoping to fly on Southwest Airlines this week will likely be left in limbo for a few more days.
After canceling about 13,000 flights Over the past few days, the airline is planning to maintain its reduced flight schedule for a few more days, its CEO said in a statement late Tuesday.
All domestic airlines have returned to pre-hurricane delays and cancellations after being knocked out by a severe winter storm last weekend. However, Southwest Airlines, due to staff shortages and outdated scheduling systems, remained crippled.
As of 9:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Southwest had canceled 2,508 flights for the day, representing 62% of scheduled flights, according to Flight Aware.
Thursday didn’t look so good either: 2,348 Southwest flights were dropped from departures.
Southwest CEO admits system upgrade is long overdue
Travelers wait in line at the Southwest Airlines ticketing counter at Nashville International Airport on Tuesday.
Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images
hide captions
switch captions
Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images
Travelers wait in line at the Southwest Airlines ticketing counter at Nashville International Airport on Tuesday.
Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images
Denver International Airport and Chicago Midway International recorded the highest number of flight cancellations.
But long lines of passengers hoping to rebook are circling Southwest ticket booths from coast to coast. Airports in Baltimore, Las Vegas, Nashville, Dallas, Phoenix and San Diego all recorded more than 80 flight departures and cancellations. from Southwest and other airlines.
In a video statement, the airline’s CEO, Bob Jordan, said Southwest is aiming to “get back on track by next week.”
“After days of trying to run our full schedule during a busy weekend, we have come to the decision to significantly reduce our flights to catch up,” he said.
“Obviously, we need to double down on our existing plan to upgrade the system for these extremes so we never have to face what’s happening right now.”
The Department of Transport promised to hold the Southwest responsible
Jordan also said he has been in touch with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about Southwest’s customer service commitments.
Passengers say the lack of communication from the company has been particularly frustrating. Some didn’t know their flight was canceled until they happened to check the status online. Others said they waited hours to speak with a Southwest representative by phone.
In an interview with PBS NewshourButtigieg described such behavior as “unacceptable” and threatened to hold the airline up to its stated intentions.
Mr Buttigieg said: “We expect them to go beyond the law on how they treat passengers, making sure they pay for things like hotels, ground travel, meals. and of course a refund.”
“I’ll be watching very closely to make sure they follow through.”
USDOT is concerned about Southwest’s unacceptable cancellation rates and delays as well as reports of a lack of timely customer service. The department will check to see if cancellations are manageable and whether Southwest is following through with its customer service plan.
— TransportGov (@USDOT) December 27, 2022
This is not the first time the DOT has threatened to address the operational shortcomings of the airline industry.
When thousands of flights were canceled due to staff shortages in June, Buttigieg met with CEOs of major domestic airlines and ask them to detail in writing how they remedy the activities.
Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airline Pilots Association, blame for Southwest’s crisis should be placed on the company’s reliance on technology and processes from the ’90s, when the company was half the size.
“Employees are left with their own devices. […] They are not given the tools to do their job, nor are they given the leadership to answer questions and be able to come up with solutions,” he said. tell NPR Morning version.
The airline industry has long been wary of regulations, say that they end up placing the cost burden on the customer. And Murray agrees that Southwest is better suited, such as the DOT, to decide what needs to change.
“But these passengers have to be taken care of,” Murray said. “They not only lost time and money but also memories with the family.”
According to DOT regulations, canceled flights must be rebooked or refunded immediately
Southwest Airlines newly arrived passengers wait for their luggage to arrive at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, Calif., on Tuesday.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
hide captions
switch captions
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
Newly arrived Southwest Airlines passengers wait for their luggage to arrive at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, Calif., on Tuesday.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
Congress is also looking into whether the airline will compensate customers. The Senate Commerce Committee will open an investigation, its chairman said Tuesday.
Under current DOT rules, any passenger who finds their flight canceled is entitled to an immediate cash refund for the full cost, plus any additional purchases such as baggage fees. or assign seats.
But the federal reimbursement rules still in the gray area when there are significant flight delays or related expenses such as hotel rooms or ground transportation.
Democratic Senators Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal, who had proposed clarifying such rules in the previous difficult flight, issue a statement on Tuesday called on Southwest to offer “substantial monetary compensation” to customers whose vacations “have been ruined.”
“Southwest is planning to issue a $428 million dividend next year – the company can afford to do the right thing for the consumers it has harmed,” they wrote.
