Industry observers have called the Southwest meltdown the worst operational failure in modern aviation history – and that’s saying something.
In just the past year, Southwest, Spirit, American and other carriers have experienced significant operational and employment failures as they struggled to keep up with travel demand that was surging in the waning days of the pandemic .Southwest’s problems last week have been attributed to several factors, though the primary culprit seems to be outdated technology that couldn’t connect available crew to available aircraft.
Recent labor issues, as well as ongoing technology problems, have cast the carrier – historically ranked among the best in the industry for customer service – in a less flattering light. One rule of thumb when you’re the victim of a canceled flight is to rebook your flight as soon as possible, via website or app, phone or in person. The goal is to beat the other poor souls on your flight to any available seats on routes later in the day.
Their first flight on the 25th – from Providence, Rhode Island, to Baltimore – was late departing. They were told on the plane, while the door was still open, that their connecting flight to Cleveland was likely canceled. They, along with dozens of others on their flight in a similar situation, weren’t allowed off the plane.
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