Southwest fuels air travel collapse at San Jose, Oakland airports

At Mineta San Jose International, Southwest canceled 152 flights by Tuesday morning. At Auckland International Airport, 57% of Southwest Airlines’ flights were canceled. The majority of Southwest Airlines flights have also been canceled at San Francisco International Airport, although the airport is not a major hub for Dallas-based airlines.

Air travel disruptions have sparked a closer look at Southwest operations by the U.S. Department of Transportation, calling cancellation rates “disproportionate and unacceptable,” as airlines comply with obligations to stranded customers. I tried to make sure

Customer service queue at San Jose airport. Southwest Terminal 1. Both customer service in the terminal and at the baggage drop. Plus your phone doesn’t work. Dropped 4 hours after being put on hold. unacceptable. Canceled 3 times. I am due to leave for Christmas. pic.twitter.com/a9vmpljOk3

— Gordon Chow (@GordoChow) December 27, 2022

The magnitude and severity of the winter storm over the Christmas weekend wreaked havoc on airlines. The airport was overwhelmed by heavy snowfall and drift. The airline canceled his 20% of flights on Saturday and Sunday, and Buffalo Niagara International Airport, near the epicenter of the storm, remains closed on Tuesday.

However, it became clear that the Southwest was in unwarranted turmoil. Of the approximately 2,950 flights canceled in the US by noon Tuesday, 2,549 were canceled by Southwest Airlines.

Kathleen Bangs, an air travel expert at Flight Aware, said the Southwest’s network is more susceptible to delays due to more “short-haul” flights and frequent plane turnarounds at airports. I’m here.

“Every time they stop, they have to make a turn. It’s like the IndyCar F1 pit crew coming out to fuel and clean the plane,” she said. I was. “You connect it with the weather, and so many employees are sick…all of these things combine to create this problem.”

Here’s Bangs’ advice for travelers stranded in the country: