Rival Airlines Cap Fares Amid Southwest Flight Cancellation Meltdown
In the wake Southwest Airlines’ cancellation disaster over the past week, some competitors are filling in to assist its stranded customers at the end of the holiday travel season.
Rival carriers have been capped airfares Southwest customers booked last minute domestic flights at several key airports after the airline cancelled thousands of departures.
Airlines across the United States were forced by a massive strike to end thousands of flights. winter storm A large portion of the country was swept away during and before the Christmas holiday weekend.
Southwest, however, did worse due to an outdated computer system.
After slamming the Midwest and Plains, the storm moved through the Great Lakes Region to the East Coast. It caused havoc in New York City, including Buffalo.
In the meantime, another winter front has brought heavy precipitation to the Pacific Northwest. It also disrupted travel.
So far, at least 60 people have died across the country due to weather-related incidents since last week.
Southwest Operations are in Disarray as Other Airlines Take Over
While many airlines have since recovered, Southwest continues to push its employees to work overtime in order to help the overwhelmed crews across America restore flight schedules.
Reports of stranded travelers and canceled flights during the busy holiday travel season have drawn scrutiny from Biden administration officials and members of Congress.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, called for airlines to cap fares in a tweetSay it! “I’m encouraged to see several airlines have now committed to this step—all of them should.”
Soon after, Delta Air Lines began to cap fares in all domestic or international markets where Southwest operates up through January 2.
American Airlines posted on Twitter, that it was doing its bit. “help get people where they need to be and we’re putting a cap on fares for select cities.”
A spokesperson for United Airlines said that The Wall Street Journal It was “capping fares in select cities to make sure our flights are available to as many customers as possible.”
Spirit Airlines noted on its website that it was waiving modification charges and fare differences through Jan. 3, for more than a dozen cities, such as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.
Low-cost Airline Faces Disaster with Tens Of Thousand of Cancellations
Southwest had canceled a total of more than 14,500 flights since Dec. 23, as it struggled to manage its operations in the midst of severe winter weather.
According to FlightAware, another 2,500 flights were cancelled on December 28, which is approximately 62 percent of the planned departures.
Worse, many passengers claimed that they were separated from their luggage by cancelled flights. Others complained that their bags had been lost by the airline.
Since then, the airline has promised to assist any affected travelers who apply for refunds or request reimbursements for their lost baggage.
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan, announced that the airline will run a reduced schedule over the next few days, in order to reposition its staff and planes and posted a video apology for customers and employees, reported The Wall Street Journal.
“We have some real work to do in making this right. For now, I want you to know that we’re committed to that,” Jordan.
After these days of operational failure, the CEO stated that it was necessary to upgrade the company’s legacy systems.
“We’re focused on safely getting all the pieces back into position to end this rolling struggle,” Jordan.
“Clearly we need to double down on our already existing plans to upgrade systems for these extreme circumstances so we never again face what’s happening right now,” He concluded.
According to The Wall Street Journal Jordan said that Jordan had told reporters in November that the airline had expanded beyond what its technology could handle.
“We’ve talked a little over the last year about the need to modernize the operation and invest,” This week’s memo from the CEO stated that. “this is why.”
Casey Murray, president, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association told Reuters That “Southwest is using outdated technology and processes, really from the ’90s, that can’t keep up with the network complexity today.”
Andrew Watterson, Southwest Chief Operating Officer, stated to employees that he is optimistic the airline can ramp up again by December 30. reported The Wall Street Journal.
Congress and Biden Administration Want Answers
Vice President Joe Biden declared that his administration would make sure airlines are protected “held accountable,” In a statement
Buttigieg stated that Southwest Airlines would be held accountable for travel disruptions. The continued cancellations indicated a serious system failure.
“We are past the point where they could say this is a weather-driven issue,” Buttigieg told ABC News’ Good Morning America in an interview.
“Don’t get me wrong, all of this began with that severe storm. We saw winter weather affecting the country and severely disrupting all airlines.”
“So what this indicates is a system failure and they need to make sure that these stranded passengers get to where they need to go and that they are provided adequate compensation, not just for the flights itself … but also things like hotels, like ground transportation, like meals because this is the airlines’ responsibility,” Buttigieg resigned.
He pointed out that Southwest was not the only airline to have reacted to the weather disruptions.
The Transportation Department posted on Twitter The secretary had spoken to Jordanian and airline union leaders earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), stated that the Senate Commerce Committee would soon be investigating the airline’s flight disruptions.
Rep. Rick Larsen (D. Wash.), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. posted on Twitter Southwest was deemed flight cancellations As of Dec. 24, “controllable.”
This would require the airline to reimburse customers for any incidental expenses, and complete refunds for airfares.
This report was compiled by Reuters
Bryan S. Jung, a New York City native and resident, has a background in politics as well as the legal industry. He graduated from Binghamton University.
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