According to FlightAware, 87% of U.S. cancellations on Tuesday were Southwest flights. The cancellations have less to do with the weather and more to do with a lack of preparation and working resources.
Due to a winter storm, travelers dealt with widespread cancelations over the Christmas holiday. By Monday, most operations were back to normal. However, Southwest Airlines says it will have to cancel flights until operations are working correctly.
The first part of the Southwest nightmare stems from a major winter storm hitting hard in Chicago and Denver, where two major hubs are located. Now customers seem more frustrated because other airlines are back up and running as Southwest announces more cancellations.
Customers now lean on each other to get back home and find luggage. Many travelers have rented Uhauls and rental cars with other stranded travelers to get home. Customers looking for their luggage are calling the owners of luggage they have found in large dump piles alerting them to where the luggage is located. Employees are also feeling the frustration pleading with customers that they’re trying their best. A pilot went as far as passing out coffee to travelers.
A @SouthwestAir pilot hands out coffee to delayed passengers on a flight from Baltimore to Louisville. “We’re trying folks,” he told the crowd to a smattering of applause as everyone waited for replacement flight attendants. #Southwest pic.twitter.com/fmMAqS4cck
— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) December 27, 2022
According to CNN analysts, an aggressive schedule and underinvestment in operations are the root of the problem with Southwest airlines. The airline’s phone system is also down, causing even more of a nightmare for employees. This has made it difficult for flight attendants to receive schedule changes. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association president blames outdated processes and outdated I.T. for the nightmare. He claims the airline has mostly stayed the same since the 90s. The obsolete tech is also putting Southwest airlines under the government’s radar.
The U.S. Department of Transportation says it is concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays. Now the agency says it is investigating.
So what’s Southwest’s plan to get travelers home? Short term, the company’s CEO says the airline will operate a little over a third of its schedule in upcoming days to give itself the ability for crews to get into the correct positions. Long term, the company’s CEO says the airline will invest in better systems.
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