Travel headaches worsen as Southwest cancels 60% of its flights on Tuesday
Cami Mondeaux
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Travel nightmares are continuing for those trying to get home after the Christmas holiday as thousands more flights were canceled on Tuesday due to inclement weather across the country — with Southwest once again leading the pack and causing major frustrations among its customers.
More than 2,900 flights within, into, or out of the United States were canceled as of noon on Tuesday, and another 2,598 were delayed, according to tracker Flight Aware. Southwest Airlines topped the list for having both the highest number of cancellations and delays compared to other airlines, with more than 60% of its schedule canceled on Tuesday.
DOT ‘CONCERNED’ BY SOUTHWEST AIRLINE’S ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS
“With consecutive days of extreme winter weather across our network behind us, continuing challenges are impacting our customers and employees in a significant way that is unacceptable,” Southwest said in a statement on Monday. “As we continue the work to recover our operation, we have made the decision to continue operating a reduced schedule by flying roughly one-third of our schedule for the next several days.”
Southwest reported 2,548 cancellations as of noon on Tuesday, making up 63% of its total flights for the day, according to Flight Aware. Additionally, the airline had 376 delayed flights, accounting for another 9% of its schedule.
Southwest officials warned cancellations and delays could continue throughout the week, prompting widespread scrutiny of the airline. The Department of Transportation responded to the mass travel disruptions on Monday night, announcing it would be looking into Southwest’s conduct due to the “disproportionate and unacceptable rate” of cancellations and delays.
“As more information becomes available, the Department will closely examine whether cancellations were controllable and whether Southwest is complying with its customer service plan as well as all other pertinent DOT rules,” the agency said in a statement.
The DOT also criticized the airline after reports emerged employees failed to “properly support customers experiencing a cancellation or delay.” Some customers reported being left on hold for up to 10 hours while trying to reach Southwest representatives, with others noting they were separated from their luggage for several days, according to CNN.
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Southwest customers who were scheduled to fly through Jan. 2, 2023, but had their flights canceled, can rebook their flights for no additional charge or fly standby within 14 days of their original departure date, according to the airline. For those who would prefer refunds, customers can submit a form on the airline’s website if their flight was canceled.
For those who were hit with extra expenses such as hotel fees or meals due to flight cancellations or extreme delays, Southwest said it would “honor reasonable requests for reimbursement,” according to its website.