Funviralpark Southwest Airlines scrubbed thousands of flights again Tuesday in the aftermath of a massive winter storm that ruined Christmas travel plans across the U.S., and the federal government warned the company was this far behind other airlines. He said that he would investigate the reasons for taking .
Southwest canceled about 2,600 more flights on the East Coast by late afternoon, a day after most U.S. airlines recovered from the storm. accounted for over 80% of the 3,000 trips made.
And the chaos seemed certain to continue. The airline also cut 2,500 flights on Wednesday and more than 2,300 on Thursday in an attempt to bring order to its chaotic schedule.
In a video Southwest posted late Tuesday, CEO Robert Jordan said Southwest will operate on a reduced schedule for a few days but hopes to be “back on track by next week.” He said he was.
Jordan blamed the winter storms for disrupting the airline’s “very complex” network. Southwest’s tools for recovering from disruptions “work 99% of the time, but obviously we need to double down on system upgrades to avoid a repeat this week,” he said.
Jordan, a 34-year Southwest veteran who took over as CEO in February, said: “For now, I want you to know that we are committed to it.
Lynn Montgomery, president of the Transportation Workers Union, which represents Southwest Airlines’ flight attendants, said she and other union leaders repeatedly told management that the airline’s scheduling skills weren’t good enough.
“This is what we saw,” she said. “This is a very devastating event.”
The airline is currently attracting unwanted attention from Washington.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has criticized the airlines for previous disruptions, said his agency is investigating the causes of Southwest Airlines’ widespread cancellations and whether the airlines are meeting their legal obligations to stranded customers. He said he would investigate.
Buttigieg told NBC Nightly News, “We all know we can’t control the weather, but this clearly draws the line between uncontrollable weather conditions and the direct responsibility of the airlines. I am over it,” he said. Southwest Airlines should at least provide cash refunds for canceled flights and cover hotel and board costs for stranded passengers, he said.
In Congress, the Senate Commerce Committee also pledged to investigate. Two Senate Democrats say airlines have the money as they plan to pay out a $428 million dividend next month, urging Southwest to offer “substantial” compensation to stranded travelers. I asked the airline
The size and intensity of the storm has wreaked havoc on many airlines, but the largest number of flights canceled Tuesday was on major Southwest airlines, including Denver, Chicago Midway, Las Vegas, Baltimore and Dallas. It was the airport where my company was.
Spirit Airlines and Alaska Airlines both canceled about 10% of flights, while American, Delta, United and JetBlue had much lower cancellation rates.
It took Danielle Zanin four days to get her husband and two young children home from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Illinois, after several canceled flights, sleeping at the airport, and never going back to the South. I vowed never to fly West Airlines. They stopped at airports in Denver and Phoenix and paid her $1,400 for four one-way American Airlines tickets to leave the Southwest and arrive in Chicago.
I remember saying, “Oh, I’m going to get on a plane!” I was honestly shocked because I thought we would be stuck at the airport forever,” she said.
Zanin plans to ask Southwest to reimburse part of the original ticket and part of the new American Airlines ticket, as well as additional costs for car rentals, parking, Uber rides, and meals (totaling about $2,000).
“I don’t trust them to do anything,” she said.
