If you’re traveling on Southwest Airlines this weekend brace yourself for potential delays or cancellations.
Caution: Southwest Airlines Cancels Or Delays Flights In Latest Meltdown
On Friday, Southwest cancelled 246 flights and delayed 1427 flights, roughly 45% of its overall schedule.
So far today, Southwest has cancelled 113 flights, though that number is expected to significantly rise.
A Southwest spokesperson blamed the weather:
“To proactively manage our operation, we implemented a scheduled reduction ahead of expected storms and probable air traffic control initiatives.”
But could a pilot shortage also be at play?
Whatever the reason for the delay, many passengers are finding themselves stranded and unable to reach Southwest. A sampling of Twitter complaints includes:
@SouthwestAir Why would you cancel all the flights you offer today and reschedule me in the evening the next day? Essentially causing me to lose a full day and half. Thanks for ruining my vacation. #SouthwestAirlines
— Nathaniel Wyrick (@nathanielwyrick) June 25, 2021
Furious @SouthwestAir. Woke up to a text that my flight today (in 4 hours) was cancelled and I was rebooked on a flight 2 days from now. Would mean missing the reason for my trip- my only nephew’s 1st birthday.
— Dr. Michelle Silver (@mich_silver) June 25, 2021
@SouthwestAir please count your days. Canceled my flight without any explanation and hung up me now on hold for over an hour #stupid pic.twitter.com/IXxSN0sX2i
— F. O. C. U. S. (@Montae_1996) June 25, 2021
Traveling two days later for vacations that have been planned for weeks or months really does not help. Nor does a refund, since last-minute tickets on other carriers are likely to be significantly higher than tickets booked early with Southwest.
If you are traveling on Southwest this weekend, keep your eyes closely on your reservations. In case of a cancellation, attempt to quickly rebook online or on the Southwest app. If your preferred flight is not available, keep checking, as seats are booked and cancelled all the time.
CONCLUSION
First American Airlines, now Southwest Airlines. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst this weekend. If you’re traveling on Southwest today or tomorrow, I wish you all the best.
image: Stephen M. Keller / Southwest
Stay home, stay safe, save lives
Brainwashed? You can leave your cave now. There is life out there.
Nobody is missing much for Southwest not being able to operate properly. Flew them first time in a decade this week. It is basically the Greyhound of the skies. They treat passengers like cattle. Will drive next time if the only option is to fly Southwest.
If flights are canceled you can bet there is a valid reason! We are still digging our way out of the covid 19 repercussions and the lack of competent employees. For these reasons and more, the cancelled flights are for your safety. Say thank you. All of the other airlines are experiencing problems too. Perhaps we can give them all time to make it through this horrible crisis?
Southwest was a great airlines when Herb Kelliher ran it. Gary Kelly wasn’t fit to smell Herb’s shiite.
Herb is a legend. As such, please spell his name correctly.
I gotccancelled twice on southwest and badly delayed to and from Las Vegas. Very inconvenient last weekend. Hopefully things will calm down. I hope so. But in good faith I booked 2 more future flights on Southwest in August and September. Fingers crossed. I usually fly Southwest. Very disappointed in their recent antics. I’m hoping this isn’t becoming routine.
This has been happening since March. Was in Costa Mujeres. Took a group of 35. We are eating lunch at a site visit and all of a sudden, 20+ of our group get a cancellation text. Everyone starts panicking and trying to rebook. Those that weren’t quick enough got placed on random insane flights. They separated my 12 year old grandson from my reservation and separately placed him on a connecting flight with a 3 hour layover in Houston. Mind you all of us were booked on flt 1610 a NON STOP flight from Cancun to BWI that left at 4:25.
After waiting on hold for hooooours, I made them oversell the flight I was on to add my grandson. They did. When I returned home, I contacted SW to demand my refund AND a credit for my extra hotel day I had to spend. After I called them on their bs, I was able to provide boarding passes for (3) other airlines – American, United and Delta, passengers who’s flights weren’t cancelled and left within an hour or less from our 4:25 flight going back to BWI. None of theirs were cancelled, nor was the nonstop SW flight that left at 12:45 pm the same day.
Bottomline…. Southwest has become worse than Spirit. Customer service is a ZERO. Prices are almost rapist. And its ridiculous.
I have planned this for months. Maybe they should not offer so many flight’s if this is what is going to happen. They certainly took my money quickly. I have hotel’s booked and will be past cancellation of I don’t make it. This is unnexceptable to wait to fix it right before I leave. We are on a tight schedule having paid for excursions and people work and have to be back. This was alot of work to arrange everything. I get it about safety and help because of covid. Don’t sell the seats if you cannot get me there. I’ve always flew Southwest they’ve never treated me like I was cattle either. Always been a pleasure to fly. Definitely not happy with them!