Thousands More Southwest Flights Canceled For Wednesday

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had a talk with the CEO of Southwest Airlines about the company’s holiday travel meltdown.

According to a department spokesperson, Buttigieg said he expects the airline to “live up to the commitments it has made to passengers” with refunds, hotel rooms, and meal vouchers.

Buttigieg also told the airline to “do right by their pilots and flight attendants” that have been affected by the meltdown.

While most other airlines have recovered from last week’s winter storm, Southwest has canceled more than 15,000 flights since last week. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES (LUV) stock dropped 5% on Tuesday after the company cancelled thousand of flights over the holiday weekend and beyond, claiming bad weather, crew shortages, but employees are on social media blaming the outdated internal technology.

From CNN.com:

“We’ve been having these issues for the past 20 months,” he told CNN. “We’ve seen these sorts of meltdowns occur on a much more regular basis and it really just has to do with outdated processes and outdated IT.”

He said the airline’s operations haven’t changed much since the 1990s.

“It’s phones, it’s computers, it’s processing power, it’s the programs used to connect us to airplanes – that’s where the problem lies, and it’s systemic throughout the whole airline,” he said.

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan, in a message to employees obtained by CNN, acknowledged many of Murray’s concerns, and promised the company will invest in better systems.

“Part of what we’re suffering is a lack of tools,” Jordan told employees. “We’ve talked an awful lot about modernizing the operation, and the need to do that.”

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Susan Saunders 12/28/22