Southwest Airlines Cancels 66 Percent of Its Flights After Winter Storm
Southwest passengers have been left stranded after widespread ice and snow hit the U.S.
Hyoung Chang
Southwest Airlines canceled a staggering number of its flights Monday in the wake of last week’s winter storm, leaving customers stranded in airports across the country and its customer-service lines overwhelmed.
The winter weather affected a number of airlines, but Southwest’s were especially hard hit, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. As of Monday afternoon, Southwest had canceled 2,684 flights, accounting for roughly 66 percent of its total flight schedule for the day.
In a statement to CNN, Southwest said it was experiencing ““disruptions across our network.” Those cancellations played out live in airports across the country, where stranded passengers posted video on social media of huge lines at customer service and baggage claims filled with stacks of luggage.
Total collapse of Southwest Airlines in Oakland, California. I fly a lot and never seen anything like this. Every flight is cancelled/“delayed”. My flight to Phoenix was canceled because “the crew didn’t show up” pic.twitter.com/rJxbnyCf7w
— Mike Bolen | Real Estate Investor (@mikebolen) December 26, 2022
@SouthwestAir I have missed Christmas with my family after several delays and cancellations and I am now stranded at the Kansas City airport. Almost all of the flights for southwest have been canceled with hardly any explanation or anyone at the gates. This is baggage claim pic.twitter.com/Gzhtfca5Hy
— Caroline “Flynn” (@ceaflynn) December 26, 2022
Key airports for Southwest were especially affected by the cancellations, including Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Dallas Love Field, and Denver International Airport, according to CNN.
Angry customers complained on social media about canceled holiday plans, with a reporter claiming a Southwest agent announced that flights at one airport couldn’t be rebooked for four days.
Over the intercom at Sky harbor, southwest announced that over 90 percent of their flights have been canceled. They say they won’t be able to rebook anyone for FOUR DAYS.
— Michael Doudna (@MichaelDoudna) December 26, 2022
They are asking folks to go home.
Southwest’s online and phone customer service centers were also flooded with customers trying to rebook flights. In a Monday tweet, the airline said it was undergoing “high call and social inquiry volumes.”
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