Southwest Airlines in a nationwide meltdown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you travel often enough, you learn that when they are cancellations you need to pivot and pivot quickly before your best options disappear. People are wasting too much time Hoping for a convenient nonstop flight home. Move on from that dream.

This!

Oh but dahling…that only leaves you exposed to more cancellations, over booked flights, time outs.

The best option is to get on the app and rebook as soon as you know you’re going to miss your connection.

I’m stuck in Dallas and I’m jumping from one flight to the next. You can only get on one standby at a time.

Did you know Einstein Bagels are not good when they’re stale?

I would just rebook for several days into the future and go chill at a hotel. How long do you plan to torture yourself at the airport?

How lovely that you can are willing to spend a few days in a filthy dump of an airport hotel.

Some people are not lazy and have a life.

Some people are flexible under suboptimal conditions and are not spoiled princesses like you are.

When I was 25 and single I could be “flexible.”

Now? With a toddler and pregnant wife who can’t stand for long periods of time, my life is different and a lot less flexible.

Older individuals and those with disabilities have limited “flexibility.” Lower income people who rarely fly to see beloved family members can’t afford to be “flexible” when they get stranded by an airline.

Southwest has a serious responsibility: to honor their promises and to do so safely. They failed and there should be consequences, the first of which should be the replacement of the executive team.

Me too. So when i was no longer 25 and had babies I stopped traveling at the holidays. If people wanted to see is they came to is because they coild be flexible with the inevitable delays that happen. You learned the hard way.

You really think what is happening with Southwest is inevitable and expected? Maybe insomuch as pilots and employees have seen this coming, but it is not normal AT ALL. The DoT is going to investigate, nompother airline has 5 days of delays.

Why on earth are people here blaming travelers for SW's systemic, internal failures?

I’m only blaming the people who are acting like the extra cost of a hotel or rental car is going to send them into bankruptcy. Most people made alternate arrangements and will sort things out with SW later. It’s the ones who are crying and despairing like no one has ever been stuck at an airport before that are annoying.

We got caught up in the travel mess last summer - thankfully didn’t fly anywhere this month - but with so many cancelled flights it cost us $1000 to get a rental car for 3 hours, and we had to lie and say we were bringing it back to the same rental place in order to even get it. We paid it because I had a D&C scheduled for the next morning for my miscarriage. It was absolutely awful and of course I was complaining. Give people a break, you have no idea what they’re trying to get home for and the high cost of “alternate arrangements” absolutely can put someone in despair. You sound like an insufferable human.

You could have done a 3 hour uber for a lot less than 1k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you travel often enough, you learn that when they are cancellations you need to pivot and pivot quickly before your best options disappear. People are wasting too much time Hoping for a convenient nonstop flight home. Move on from that dream.

This!

Oh but dahling…that only leaves you exposed to more cancellations, over booked flights, time outs.

The best option is to get on the app and rebook as soon as you know you’re going to miss your connection.

I’m stuck in Dallas and I’m jumping from one flight to the next. You can only get on one standby at a time.

Did you know Einstein Bagels are not good when they’re stale?

I would just rebook for several days into the future and go chill at a hotel. How long do you plan to torture yourself at the airport?

How lovely that you can are willing to spend a few days in a filthy dump of an airport hotel.

Some people are not lazy and have a life.

Some people are flexible under suboptimal conditions and are not spoiled princesses like you are.

When I was 25 and single I could be “flexible.”

Now? With a toddler and pregnant wife who can’t stand for long periods of time, my life is different and a lot less flexible.

Older individuals and those with disabilities have limited “flexibility.” Lower income people who rarely fly to see beloved family members can’t afford to be “flexible” when they get stranded by an airline.

Southwest has a serious responsibility: to honor their promises and to do so safely. They failed and there should be consequences, the first of which should be the replacement of the executive team.

Me too. So when i was no longer 25 and had babies I stopped traveling at the holidays. If people wanted to see is they came to is because they coild be flexible with the inevitable delays that happen. You learned the hard way.

You really think what is happening with Southwest is inevitable and expected? Maybe insomuch as pilots and employees have seen this coming, but it is not normal AT ALL. The DoT is going to investigate, nompother airline has 5 days of delays.

Why on earth are people here blaming travelers for SW's systemic, internal failures?

I’m only blaming the people who are acting like the extra cost of a hotel or rental car is going to send them into bankruptcy. Most people made alternate arrangements and will sort things out with SW later. It’s the ones who are crying and despairing like no one has ever been stuck at an airport before that are annoying.

We got caught up in the travel mess last summer - thankfully didn’t fly anywhere this month - but with so many cancelled flights it cost us $1000 to get a rental car for 3 hours, and we had to lie and say we were bringing it back to the same rental place in order to even get it. We paid it because I had a D&C scheduled for the next morning for my miscarriage. It was absolutely awful and of course I was complaining. Give people a break, you have no idea what they’re trying to get home for and the high cost of “alternate arrangements” absolutely can put someone in despair. You sound like an insufferable human.

You could have done a 3 hour uber for a lot less than 1k.

Maybe back then, but I bet that’s not the case anymore- especially during this fiasco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You are ridiculous. There are so many reasons travelers might not have options to get themselves home, not the least of which is cost. Last-minute flights cost a fortune. Rental cars are very expensive, especially for one-way travel if they are available at all. Do you really expect people to have been prepared to rent a car and drive home from Dallas simply because they chose to travel during the holidays? That's a 20-hour drive that will take no less than two days if you are even able to drive 10 hours per day. Many people wouldn't even feel comfortable doing that drive. Southwest's cancellation of so many flights is unprecedented. I can understand why people are hoping against hope that the airline can get them home.

I could understand that if their flight was the 23rd and they were hoping to get rescheduled on the 24th, for example. By the afternoon of the 25th I'd have been exploring other options. People almost certainly weren't prepared, but after 36hrs and watching the news, I'd have stopped hoping against hope and instead started to explore other options. SW has said they'll reimburse so anyone who has the means to front the money to rebook on another airline, rent a car, buy Amtrak tickets, or anything else should have started doing so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worse is the people who undertook a new trip starting the 24th or later, when this was already a known big problem. I don’t feel sorry for them.

By the 24th, most airlines had their mess cleaned up. If you were flying out of Chicago, new York, or other snowbound cities...yeah. You weren't getting anywhere since the airports were basically closed.

PP here. We flew home on the 24th. Southwest had already been in the news for days at that point and we were very nervous about our flight being cancelled. When we got to the airport 2/3 of the departure board was cancelled or delayed. Our flight thankfully took off but we were going home. No way I would have undertaken a new trip at that point. When we arrived at DCA, the line to check bags was all the ways outside and delays were rampant. As we walked out I heard them announce a flight cancellation and tell those people to just go home. It was foolish to embark on a new trip at that point.

I also flew home on the 24th and into DCA, and maybe it was because it was later, but I did not see those delays at all. But also, the 24th is a very busy travel day under normal circumstances.

Also, SW was a problem, yes. But other airlines were mostly fine. Air Canada an exception. Why would you not try to leave on the 24th on another airline if you are going to be gone several days after all this clears up.

At any rate, this is just shifting the issue--SW is effing p royally, not travelers who are stranded in Mexico or wherever.

Huh? We flew that day and it was a mess. Our flight was cancelled and it took 6 hours to rebook. My cousin’s flight yesterday was cancelled and she ended up completely canceling her trip to see family. Neither were SW.

Go look at flight aware. There have been MANY delays, even after Xmas.

Southwest’s system breakdown was even worse, but flights were a mess even before that.

It took you SIX hours to rebook. NOT 5 DAYS. At any rate, if your flight is not delayed or cancelled, and you are not on SW, and you are staying where you are going for several days, why would you not go?

Today and yesterday, out of 2700 flights, 2500 were from SW alone. On the 24th, about half of the cancelled flights were from Delta and SW.

My original Q remains...why are you blaming travelers for SW's continued systemic issues days after airlines have cleared most of the flights.

You are confusing posters. I haven’t blamed any SW travelers. I was empathizing with them because we also had travel issues this week. My cousin wasn’t able to rebook her trip at all - the flights for her non-SW airline were all full for the following two days. Just because there are fewer delays/cancellations now doesn’t mean everything is all “fixed” on other airlines. There are still tons of delays that affect travel - missed connections, etc.

Anyway, the Southwest system breakdown was unexpected and much more of a mess than storm delays/cancellations from this past week. They should be forced to provide compensation for people who were stranded for days at the airport.

See, this is what I mean. No one is "stranded for days" at an airport. There are people willingly choosing to stay at the airport hoping to get a standby seat. That is their choice. They could also choose to uber to a hotel, or rent a car and drive home. Stop with the hyperbole. SW will reimburse hotels and rental cars. They aren't going to reimburse someone for their time spent sitting at the airport.

Huh?

People flying home were stranded.

People who missed connections from delayed flights were stranded.

^^ And staying at an airport hotel for several nights is still “stranded”.

You know who isn't stranded? People who took action and got themselves home another way, while others are still at the airport complaining.

You are ridiculous. There are so many reasons travelers might not have options to get themselves home, not the least of which is cost. Last-minute flights cost a fortune. Rental cars are very expensive, especially for one-way travel if they are available at all. Do you really expect people to have been prepared to rent a car and drive home from Dallas simply because they chose to travel during the holidays? That's a 20-hour drive that will take no less than two days if you are even able to drive 10 hours per day. Many people wouldn't even feel comfortable doing that drive. Southwest's cancellation of so many flights is unprecedented. I can understand why people are hoping against hope that the airline can get them home.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worse is the people who undertook a new trip starting the 24th or later, when this was already a known big problem. I don’t feel sorry for them.

By the 24th, most airlines had their mess cleaned up. If you were flying out of Chicago, new York, or other snowbound cities...yeah. You weren't getting anywhere since the airports were basically closed.

PP here. We flew home on the 24th. Southwest had already been in the news for days at that point and we were very nervous about our flight being cancelled. When we got to the airport 2/3 of the departure board was cancelled or delayed. Our flight thankfully took off but we were going home. No way I would have undertaken a new trip at that point. When we arrived at DCA, the line to check bags was all the ways outside and delays were rampant. As we walked out I heard them announce a flight cancellation and tell those people to just go home. It was foolish to embark on a new trip at that point.

I also flew home on the 24th and into DCA, and maybe it was because it was later, but I did not see those delays at all. But also, the 24th is a very busy travel day under normal circumstances.

Also, SW was a problem, yes. But other airlines were mostly fine. Air Canada an exception. Why would you not try to leave on the 24th on another airline if you are going to be gone several days after all this clears up.

At any rate, this is just shifting the issue--SW is effing p royally, not travelers who are stranded in Mexico or wherever.

Huh? We flew that day and it was a mess. Our flight was cancelled and it took 6 hours to rebook. My cousin’s flight yesterday was cancelled and she ended up completely canceling her trip to see family. Neither were SW.

Go look at flight aware. There have been MANY delays, even after Xmas.

Southwest’s system breakdown was even worse, but flights were a mess even before that.

It took you SIX hours to rebook. NOT 5 DAYS. At any rate, if your flight is not delayed or cancelled, and you are not on SW, and you are staying where you are going for several days, why would you not go?

Today and yesterday, out of 2700 flights, 2500 were from SW alone. On the 24th, about half of the cancelled flights were from Delta and SW.

My original Q remains...why are you blaming travelers for SW's continued systemic issues days after airlines have cleared most of the flights.

You are confusing posters. I haven’t blamed any SW travelers. I was empathizing with them because we also had travel issues this week. My cousin wasn’t able to rebook her trip at all - the flights for her non-SW airline were all full for the following two days. Just because there are fewer delays/cancellations now doesn’t mean everything is all “fixed” on other airlines. There are still tons of delays that affect travel - missed connections, etc.

Anyway, the Southwest system breakdown was unexpected and much more of a mess than storm delays/cancellations from this past week. They should be forced to provide compensation for people who were stranded for days at the airport.

See, this is what I mean. No one is "stranded for days" at an airport. There are people willingly choosing to stay at the airport hoping to get a standby seat. That is their choice. They could also choose to uber to a hotel, or rent a car and drive home. Stop with the hyperbole. SW will reimburse hotels and rental cars. They aren't going to reimburse someone for their time spent sitting at the airport.

Huh?

People flying home were stranded.

People who missed connections from delayed flights were stranded.

^^ And staying at an airport hotel for several nights is still “stranded”.

You know who isn't stranded? People who took action and got themselves home another way, while others are still at the airport complaining.

You are ridiculous. There are so many reasons travelers might not have options to get themselves home, not the least of which is cost. Last-minute flights cost a fortune. Rental cars are very expensive, especially for one-way travel if they are available at all. Do you really expect people to have been prepared to rent a car and drive home from Dallas simply because they chose to travel during the holidays? That's a 20-hour drive that will take no less than two days if you are even able to drive 10 hours per day. Many people wouldn't even feel comfortable doing that drive. Southwest's cancellation of so many flights is unprecedented. I can understand why people are hoping against hope that the airline can get them home.

You statement is RIDICULOUS, it wasn't that they chose to travel on a holiday. It was that they knew a major record breaking storm was coming around a holiday!!!!!!!!! And then chose to still travel and not reschedule. Anyone with half of a brain knows the ripple effect minor winter storm can have let alone one of this magnitude. Any yes the SW system broke, but that was mostly a result of the storm. Again, if they were preemptive and canceled every flight based on the predictions, and the predictions were wrong they we be burned at the steak for "ruining everyone's holiday for no reason." It is a dammed if you do, dammed if you don't situation.

They were overwhelmed, it happens, unlike other business they don't have the luxury of shutting their doors until everything is fixed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you travel often enough, you learn that when they are cancellations you need to pivot and pivot quickly before your best options disappear. People are wasting too much time Hoping for a convenient nonstop flight home. Move on from that dream.

This!

Oh but dahling…that only leaves you exposed to more cancellations, over booked flights, time outs.

The best option is to get on the app and rebook as soon as you know you’re going to miss your connection.

I’m stuck in Dallas and I’m jumping from one flight to the next. You can only get on one standby at a time.

Did you know Einstein Bagels are not good when they’re stale?

I would just rebook for several days into the future and go chill at a hotel. How long do you plan to torture yourself at the airport?

How lovely that you can are willing to spend a few days in a filthy dump of an airport hotel.

Some people are not lazy and have a life.

Some people are flexible under suboptimal conditions and are not spoiled princesses like you are.

When I was 25 and single I could be “flexible.”

Now? With a toddler and pregnant wife who can’t stand for long periods of time, my life is different and a lot less flexible.

Older individuals and those with disabilities have limited “flexibility.” Lower income people who rarely fly to see beloved family members can’t afford to be “flexible” when they get stranded by an airline.

Southwest has a serious responsibility: to honor their promises and to do so safely. They failed and there should be consequences, the first of which should be the replacement of the executive team.

Me too. So when i was no longer 25 and had babies I stopped traveling at the holidays. If people wanted to see is they came to is because they coild be flexible with the inevitable delays that happen. You learned the hard way.

You really think what is happening with Southwest is inevitable and expected? Maybe insomuch as pilots and employees have seen this coming, but it is not normal AT ALL. The DoT is going to investigate, nompother airline has 5 days of delays.

Why on earth are people here blaming travelers for SW's systemic, internal failures?

I’m only blaming the people who are acting like the extra cost of a hotel or rental car is going to send them into bankruptcy. Most people made alternate arrangements and will sort things out with SW later. It’s the ones who are crying and despairing like no one has ever been stuck at an airport before that are annoying.

We got caught up in the travel mess last summer - thankfully didn’t fly anywhere this month - but with so many cancelled flights it cost us $1000 to get a rental car for 3 hours, and we had to lie and say we were bringing it back to the same rental place in order to even get it. We paid it because I had a D&C scheduled for the next morning for my miscarriage. It was absolutely awful and of course I was complaining. Give people a break, you have no idea what they’re trying to get home for and the high cost of “alternate arrangements” absolutely can put someone in despair. You sound like an insufferable human.

You could have done a 3 hour uber for a lot less than 1k.

Calling BS on this. Because we took a 60-mile Uber in October from NYC to the Jersey Shore and it was $350.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worse is the people who undertook a new trip starting the 24th or later, when this was already a known big problem. I don’t feel sorry for them.

By the 24th, most airlines had their mess cleaned up. If you were flying out of Chicago, new York, or other snowbound cities...yeah. You weren't getting anywhere since the airports were basically closed.

PP here. We flew home on the 24th. Southwest had already been in the news for days at that point and we were very nervous about our flight being cancelled. When we got to the airport 2/3 of the departure board was cancelled or delayed. Our flight thankfully took off but we were going home. No way I would have undertaken a new trip at that point. When we arrived at DCA, the line to check bags was all the ways outside and delays were rampant. As we walked out I heard them announce a flight cancellation and tell those people to just go home. It was foolish to embark on a new trip at that point.

I also flew home on the 24th and into DCA, and maybe it was because it was later, but I did not see those delays at all. But also, the 24th is a very busy travel day under normal circumstances.

Also, SW was a problem, yes. But other airlines were mostly fine. Air Canada an exception. Why would you not try to leave on the 24th on another airline if you are going to be gone several days after all this clears up.

At any rate, this is just shifting the issue--SW is effing p royally, not travelers who are stranded in Mexico or wherever.

Huh? We flew that day and it was a mess. Our flight was cancelled and it took 6 hours to rebook. My cousin’s flight yesterday was cancelled and she ended up completely canceling her trip to see family. Neither were SW.

Go look at flight aware. There have been MANY delays, even after Xmas.

Southwest’s system breakdown was even worse, but flights were a mess even before that.

It took you SIX hours to rebook. NOT 5 DAYS. At any rate, if your flight is not delayed or cancelled, and you are not on SW, and you are staying where you are going for several days, why would you not go?

Today and yesterday, out of 2700 flights, 2500 were from SW alone. On the 24th, about half of the cancelled flights were from Delta and SW.

My original Q remains...why are you blaming travelers for SW's continued systemic issues days after airlines have cleared most of the flights.

You are confusing posters. I haven’t blamed any SW travelers. I was empathizing with them because we also had travel issues this week. My cousin wasn’t able to rebook her trip at all - the flights for her non-SW airline were all full for the following two days. Just because there are fewer delays/cancellations now doesn’t mean everything is all “fixed” on other airlines. There are still tons of delays that affect travel - missed connections, etc.

Anyway, the Southwest system breakdown was unexpected and much more of a mess than storm delays/cancellations from this past week. They should be forced to provide compensation for people who were stranded for days at the airport.

See, this is what I mean. No one is "stranded for days" at an airport. There are people willingly choosing to stay at the airport hoping to get a standby seat. That is their choice. They could also choose to uber to a hotel, or rent a car and drive home. Stop with the hyperbole. SW will reimburse hotels and rental cars. They aren't going to reimburse someone for their time spent sitting at the airport.

Huh?

People flying home were stranded.

People who missed connections from delayed flights were stranded.

^^ And staying at an airport hotel for several nights is still “stranded”.

You know who isn't stranded? People who took action and got themselves home another way, while others are still at the airport complaining.

You are ridiculous. There are so many reasons travelers might not have options to get themselves home, not the least of which is cost. Last-minute flights cost a fortune. Rental cars are very expensive, especially for one-way travel if they are available at all. Do you really expect people to have been prepared to rent a car and drive home from Dallas simply because they chose to travel during the holidays? That's a 20-hour drive that will take no less than two days if you are even able to drive 10 hours per day. Many people wouldn't even feel comfortable doing that drive. Southwest's cancellation of so many flights is unprecedented. I can understand why people are hoping against hope that the airline can get them home.

You statement is RIDICULOUS, it wasn't that they chose to travel on a holiday. It was that they knew a major record breaking storm was coming around a holiday!!!!!!!!! And then chose to still travel and not reschedule. Anyone with half of a brain knows the ripple effect minor winter storm can have let alone one of this magnitude. Any yes the SW system broke, but that was mostly a result of the storm. Again, if they were preemptive and canceled every flight based on the predictions, and the predictions were wrong they we be burned at the steak for "ruining everyone's holiday for no reason." It is a dammed if you do, dammed if you don't situation.

They were overwhelmed, it happens, unlike other business they don't have the luxury of shutting their doors until everything is fixed.

No, it was mostly the result of antiquated IT systems and poor flight routing system (not hub & spoke).

[Anonymous]

Can you imagine if you were stuck somewhere awful, like with inlaws you can't stand, sleeping on a pullout or something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worse is the people who undertook a new trip starting the 24th or later, when this was already a known big problem. I don’t feel sorry for them.

By the 24th, most airlines had their mess cleaned up. If you were flying out of Chicago, new York, or other snowbound cities...yeah. You weren't getting anywhere since the airports were basically closed.

PP here. We flew home on the 24th. Southwest had already been in the news for days at that point and we were very nervous about our flight being cancelled. When we got to the airport 2/3 of the departure board was cancelled or delayed. Our flight thankfully took off but we were going home. No way I would have undertaken a new trip at that point. When we arrived at DCA, the line to check bags was all the ways outside and delays were rampant. As we walked out I heard them announce a flight cancellation and tell those people to just go home. It was foolish to embark on a new trip at that point.

I also flew home on the 24th and into DCA, and maybe it was because it was later, but I did not see those delays at all. But also, the 24th is a very busy travel day under normal circumstances.

Also, SW was a problem, yes. But other airlines were mostly fine. Air Canada an exception. Why would you not try to leave on the 24th on another airline if you are going to be gone several days after all this clears up.

At any rate, this is just shifting the issue--SW is effing p royally, not travelers who are stranded in Mexico or wherever.

Huh? We flew that day and it was a mess. Our flight was cancelled and it took 6 hours to rebook. My cousin’s flight yesterday was cancelled and she ended up completely canceling her trip to see family. Neither were SW.

Go look at flight aware. There have been MANY delays, even after Xmas.

Southwest’s system breakdown was even worse, but flights were a mess even before that.

It took you SIX hours to rebook. NOT 5 DAYS. At any rate, if your flight is not delayed or cancelled, and you are not on SW, and you are staying where you are going for several days, why would you not go?

Today and yesterday, out of 2700 flights, 2500 were from SW alone. On the 24th, about half of the cancelled flights were from Delta and SW.

My original Q remains...why are you blaming travelers for SW's continued systemic issues days after airlines have cleared most of the flights.

You are confusing posters. I haven’t blamed any SW travelers. I was empathizing with them because we also had travel issues this week. My cousin wasn’t able to rebook her trip at all - the flights for her non-SW airline were all full for the following two days. Just because there are fewer delays/cancellations now doesn’t mean everything is all “fixed” on other airlines. There are still tons of delays that affect travel - missed connections, etc.

Anyway, the Southwest system breakdown was unexpected and much more of a mess than storm delays/cancellations from this past week. They should be forced to provide compensation for people who were stranded for days at the airport.

See, this is what I mean. No one is "stranded for days" at an airport. There are people willingly choosing to stay at the airport hoping to get a standby seat. That is their choice. They could also choose to uber to a hotel, or rent a car and drive home. Stop with the hyperbole. SW will reimburse hotels and rental cars. They aren't going to reimburse someone for their time spent sitting at the airport.

Huh?

People flying home were stranded.

People who missed connections from delayed flights were stranded.

^^ And staying at an airport hotel for several nights is still “stranded”.

You know who isn't stranded? People who took action and got themselves home another way, while others are still at the airport complaining.

You are ridiculous. There are so many reasons travelers might not have options to get themselves home, not the least of which is cost. Last-minute flights cost a fortune. Rental cars are very expensive, especially for one-way travel if they are available at all. Do you really expect people to have been prepared to rent a car and drive home from Dallas simply because they chose to travel during the holidays? That's a 20-hour drive that will take no less than two days if you are even able to drive 10 hours per day. Many people wouldn't even feel comfortable doing that drive. Southwest's cancellation of so many flights is unprecedented. I can understand why people are hoping against hope that the airline can get them home.

You statement is RIDICULOUS, it wasn't that they chose to travel on a holiday. It was that they knew a major record breaking storm was coming around a holiday!!!!!!!!! And then chose to still travel and not reschedule. Anyone with half of a brain knows the ripple effect minor winter storm can have let alone one of this magnitude. Any yes the SW system broke, but that was mostly a result of the storm. Again, if they were preemptive and canceled every flight based on the predictions, and the predictions were wrong they we be burned at the steak for "ruining everyone's holiday for no reason." It is a dammed if you do, dammed if you don't situation.

They were overwhelmed, it happens, unlike other business they don't have the luxury of shutting their doors until everything is fixed.

Every other airline, including those with hubs in areas effected by the storm, is doing fine now. This is an SW problem not a weather problem

[Anonymous]

NP. I'm truly amazed by the poster(s?) who's hellbent on blaming the stranded travelers. The total lack of humanity or empathy is breathtaking.

[Anonymous]

You all know in many cities hotels are completely booked and rental cars are by and large not available at the airports with the biggest disruptions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all know in many cities hotels are completely booked and rental cars are by and large not available at the airports with the biggest disruptions?

Maybe the airport locations. Not a 15 minute uber ride away from the airport though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all know in many cities hotels are completely booked and rental cars are by and large not available at the airports with the biggest disruptions?

This is why you need to pivot quickly and not wait days to take some kind of action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I'm truly amazed by the poster(s?) who's hellbent on blaming the stranded travelers. The total lack of humanity or empathy is breathtaking.

+1

It’s disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there any updates to when this will end? I’m supposed to fly out today and it’s showing on time…..but I’m terrified I won’t make it home on Friday especially since my flight is really late.

What time is your flight?

Check flightaware.com to see where your plane is right now.

You will need a plane, pilots, and flight attendants to fly. You can check on at least one of those now.

Good advice. The plane from the previous destination is in the air. It left on time. But our same flight yesterday was delayed 4.5 hours. My flight is at 1. Heading to airport soon.