What to do immediately when booked on Southwest Airlines?

Southwest
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Flying home after Christmas, flying for New Years is becoming a disaster in the United States thanks to Southwest Airlines collapsing.

Traveling on Southwest Airlines this week for the Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years’ holidays has become a nightmare for hundreds of thousands of Americans stranded at airports around the country and abroad.

The worst winter storms in the country with freezing temperatures and snow triggered the worst airline cancellations of the year.

For some strange reason, all carriers had more delays and increased cancellations, but only one US airliner counted for the vast majority of the dilemma. The dilemma became ridiculous even in places on inter-island flights in Hawaii, where the weather was hot and sunny.

Southwest Airlines just canceled every single flight between now and December 31 out of all airports the carrier is servicing in Southern California, including LAX, Burbank, Ontario, John Wayne Airport, and San Diego. All flights show as unavailable on the carrier’s website.

What to do if booked on Southwest Airlines?

If you don’t want to cancel your vacation or trip experts think the best option is to buy new tickets on alternate airlines immediately to avoid even higher losses for nonrefundable hotel or package tour costs.

Most likely Southwest Airlines will refund your canceled flight or offer a voucher for a future trip, consumer rights organizations such as Flyers Rights may be able to assist in getting your money and additional costs back, and travel interruption insurance may cover the cost of a Southwest Airlines ticket. Rates on an alternate airline will go up with demand, so timing is critical.

We continue to experience high call and social inquiry volumes. Please check your flight status and explore self-service options here: https://swa.is/Dec2022 was the only message posted early Monday morning on the SouthWestAirlines Twitter page.

50% of all flights canceled around the world today were Southwest Airlines flights in the United States. All airlines in the US are struggling with the winter storm, but only Southwest collapsed.

Southwest airlines cancellation

The US Transportation Department says Southwest Airline‘s cancellation and delay rates are ‘unacceptable’.

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan already saw it coming and had informed staff some time ago :

SWEX | eTurboNews | eTN

“We have not got a single human being on the phone, after holding for the airlines’ customer service for three hours,” was the experience by thousands of passengers today.

Southwest Airlines did not issue a media statement, and media relations are not responding to eTurboNews.

The baggage claim area in Chicago or Dallas looked like during a bomb attack. Many bags made it without passengers.

Lines to the carrier’s ticket counters at some airports were more than a mile long.

The hero of the night, according to a Southwest Airline was an unknown flight attended on a flight from Oakland to Los Angeles.

The flight couldn’t take off, because one flight attended was still missing. A passenger, who was a flight attendant before took the job, and the flight took off.

Experts of the World Tourism Network Aviation Interest Group and other aviation experts urged US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to require American carriers to establish interline agreements with other US carriers, so passengers could be rebooked on competing airlines during irregular operations.

The aviation situation in the United States remains unstable. Passengers booked on Southwest Airlines between now and the end of the year may consider renting a car when possible or look for alternative transportation.

The situation has spilled over as far as Hawaii. Many flights to Hawaii were canceled and stranded passengers on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

Also, many interisland flights within the State of Hawaii were canceled, but it was 83 degrees and sunny.

Many passengers booked on Southwest Airlines to or from Hawaii paid the airfare many times over to fly alternative carriers today. This will not be getting better in the days to come, it may get worse.

This is what Southwest Airlines wants passengers to think:

Southwest Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It is the world’s largest low-cost carrier, offering both domestic and international flights to destinations across the United States and around the world.

Founded in 1967, Southwest has a long history of providing affordable and reliable air travel for millions of passengers. The airline is known for its friendly customer service and for its unique business model, which focuses on keeping costs low and passing the savings on to customers through low fares.

One of the key ways that Southwest is able to keep its costs low is by operating a single type of aircraft: the Boeing 737. This allows the airline to take advantage of economies of scale and streamline its maintenance and training processes. Southwest is also known for its no-frills approach to air travel, with no assigned seats and a basic food and beverage offering.

In addition to its low fares, Southwest has also built a reputation for reliability, with a strong on-time performance record and a commitment to customer satisfaction. The airline has consistently ranked highly in customer satisfaction surveys and has won numerous awards for its service.

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Southwest has continued to operate and has implemented a number of measures to ensure the safety and well-being of its customers and employees. These measures include enhanced cleaning protocols, face mask requirements, and social distancing measures on board its aircraft.

Overall, Southwest Airlines is a popular choice for travelers looking for low fares and reliable service. Its commitment to affordability and customer satisfaction has made it a leader in the airline industry and a beloved brand for millions of travelers.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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