Evidence suggests that Buttigieg & Southwest were aware of problems before Christmas meltdown

Southwest Airlines The winter weather and Department of Transportation secretary were blamed for the massive flight cancellations. Pete Buttigieg They have promised to hold them responsible, but data from earlier this year suggests that both sides were aware of possible transportation and computer problems prior to they occurred.

The National Association of Attorneys General mailed a letter August 20, 2222: To leaders in Congress, warning that they have received thousands of complaints to the offices state attorneys general all across the nation “outraged airline passengers about airline customer service.” The letter claimed that the Department of Transporation, (DOT), had received the letter “failed to respond” Several thousand complaints have been received regarding various airlines. The DOT has been accused of being unresponsive. “unable or unwilling” To hold companies responsible.

Among the complaints were passengers’ frustrations about consistent failures to provide credits to those who lost travel opportunities, despite requirements that the companies do so.

The letter stated that “federal law places the central responsibility for addressing violations of airline consumer protection with the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT),” Despite law enforcement offices forwarding complaints, the DOT had at that point “failed to respond and to provide appropriate recourse in those cases.”

According to the attorneys general both Republican presidents and Democrat presidents are guilty of a crime. “failed to spur the US DOT to act in a manner that responds effectively to consumer complaints,” Saying that lack of action “this vacuum of oversight allows airlines to mistreat consumers and leaves consumers without effective redress [and] decreased levels of competition, the ability of the marketplace to punish or reward industry behavior that harms or helps consumers is lessened, increasing the importance of effective enforcement of consumer protection requirements.”

The 38 attorneys general signed the letter just before Buttigieg. appeared On national television, to promise that travel conditions would improve by the holidays: Buttigieg made a September appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden. said airline travel “is going to get better by the holidays.” He also said that “we’re really pressing the airlines to deliver better service.”

Buttigieg also received an letter Letitia James, a New York Attorney General, alerted him to the fact that he was a Democrat. “the deeply troubling and escalating pattern of airlines delaying and canceling flights,” Particularly during holidays. She also included a list with possible steps he could take to end the behavior.

Southwest Airlines addressed The Epoch Times’ inquiry about their service schedule in response to the interruption of service. This resulted in more 12,000 cancelled flights. “current challenges created by Winter Storm Elliott.”

However, Bob Jordan, the airline CEO, stated in a recent press release The company believes it can serve customers better by implementing its policies. “plans to invest in tools and technology and processes.” Jordan said, “One of our five-year strategic plan priorities established in 2021 is to modernize the operation, along with a 2022 company focus area of getting back to our historic operational reliability and efficiency.”

Questions have arisen about why these upgrades weren’t already in place, considering that Southwest received $7.2 billion in federal subsidies for payroll and operations since 2020, according to OpenTheBooks.com. Recently, the airline announced that it will pay stockholders a quarterly dividend at an annual cost to $7.2 billion. $428 million.

The declaration was made by the business just a few days following its CEO’s announcement. $9 million annually, acknowledged The airline was slow to update its website. computer and scheduling systems. According to Southwest employees, this failure was responsible for the holiday travel disaster. attributed the chaos to the company’s “outdated technology.”

Following the company’s massive failure, Buttigieg posted a video Speaking to travelers late Dec. 29, I said they were getting “thousands” There have been many complaints from passengers who were stranded due to the “operational meltdown” Southwest Airlines

“If you’re one of those passengers, there’s something I want you to know, which is that the U.S. Department of Transportation has your back. I’m disappointed that Southwest has not done more to proactively communicate with passengers the ways they’re going to take care of you, so I want to make sure you know some of the ways that you’re owed compensation if you have been in this situation since Christmas Eve.

The transportation secretary went on to say that passengers are not only owed refunds if they chose not to travel after their flights were canceled, but also to be compensated if the travelers had to book with another airline, find ground transportation, or invest in basic necessities like food, if they were delayed due to a situation under Southwest’s control.

Buttigieg pointed travelers to the Department of Transportation’s Consumer Complaint page If an airline refuses to pay customers compensation, it is possible to file a complaint. In a letter that Fox News’ Peter Doocy obtained, he also called out the airline.

“No amount of financial compensation can fully make up for passengers who missed moments with their families that they can never get back—Christmas, birthdays, weddings, and other special events,” Buttigieg said in the letter to Southwest’s CEO. “That’s why it is so critical for Southwest to begin by reimbursing passengers for those costs that can be measured in dollars [and] cents.”

The video he posted did not refer to the August letter sent by the attorneys general, nor the Dec. 19 second letter signed and signed by 34 general attorneys. The second letter, which was spearheaded by Colorado’s Democrat Attorney General Phil Weiser, pleaded with Buttigieg to “impose significant fines for cancellations and extended delays that are not weather-related or otherwise unavoidable.”

The Epoch Times reached out to The Department of Transportation but they did not respond before press time.