Southwest Airlines will no longer offer open seating. According to the airline, passenger preferences have changed, and the airline will meet the request by providing seating options, which is believed could positively impact revenue and financial performance.
According to the AP, the change comes at the same time as reports of a drop in second-quarter profits, an issue Southwest shares with American Airlines. Southwest notes a 46% profit deficient in comparison to last year, noting higher costs of labor, fuel, and more. The company made $367 million in the quarter.
American Airlines also reported dropping 46%, with over $700 million in revenue.
Southwest will also offer red eye flights, a first in its history. Those overnight flights will begin in February 2025.
Another busy summer travel day has brought another airline-related controversy, this time involving hip-hop superstar Pepa (of the group Salt-N-Pepa) who was removed from a Southwest flight after a dispute over whether or not she was entitled to both of the two seats that she had purchased for a flight
Pepa (whose real name is Sandra Denton) had reportedly purchased two seats for a flight from Las Vegas to Nashville due to a recent knee surgery that required her to have more space. (She was wearing a knee brace at the time.) Initially, Southwest staff told her that she would be able to have both of the seats that she had purchased, but then a man boarded and said that he was entitled to one of the seats because he had to go to a funeral.
A video posted on TMZ shows Denton showing her two tickets after she was kicked off the plane and discussing the incident with staff, who appear to be trying to explain the policy that says she wasn’t entitled to the two seats until she put her knee brace on (she apparently did not have it on when she initially boarded the plane despite using a wheelchair assistance service to get to the gate). The Southwest employee then alleges that she was filming on the plane, to which she responds that she was simply on the phone with her assistant.
Southwest reportedly offered to move her to a seat in an emergency exit row, but since her ticked noted that she had a disability due to her knee surgery that she was ineligible to sit in an exit row since she might not be able to adequately assist in the event of an emergency.
Southwest reportedly rescheduled her flight and reimbursed her at least some of the funds, but Denton has said that she is exploring her legal options with regard to the situation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating the Southwest Airlines holiday travel fiasco that left thousands of travelers stranded for days. The investigation was brought on by the airlines report of their $220 million dollar loss in the first quarter.
A colossal winter storm forced Southwest to cancel more than 16,700 flights over several days in late December. However, this is only true for initial cancellations and others were caused by the company’s outdated software systems.
The cancellations caused an uproar from passengers who inspired a media frenzy that called on the airline to take accountability for the debacle and be transparent.
The department’s investigation will investigate whether Southwest made unrealistic flight schedules, “which under federal law is considered an unfair and deceptive practice,” according to a department spokesperson.
“DOT has made clear to Southwest that it must provide timely refunds and reimbursements and will hold Southwest accountable if it fails to do so,” the department spokesperson added.
Bob Jordan, Southwest’s president and chief executive officer said the flight cancellations cost the company nearly $800 million. Around half of those losses were a direct result of flight cancellations, while the other half comes from compensating customers who bought tickets on other airlines and dispensing extra frequent flier points, which are worth about $300 per passenger.
In the report announcing the losses, Jordan dished out apologies to customers and employees, saying the company has “swiftly taken steps to bolster our operational resilience and are undergoing a detailed review of the December events.”
A full scale boycott of Southwest has not transpired, but weary traveler fright and previous timelines have resulted in fewer bookings. Although reports of booking trends reflect improvement, the company is expected to lose over $300 million in revenue in the first quarter.
Lawmakers are criticizing Southwest Airlines over a series of flight cancellations in recent days. A bitter cold front swept across the country accompanied by snow and freezing temperatures this holiday season. Although the airline is currently rolling out a reset by moving crews and empty aircrafts around the country to place crews accordingly, lawmakers are pushing for oversight.
Southwest is not alone in this widespread nuisance as several airlines faced vast cancellations. Still, Southwest canceled at least 70% of its flights Monday due to the weather and a reported system meltdown. The airline canceled 62% of its flights Tuesday. In an unfortunate series of events for holiday travelers, 42% of Southwest’s flights were canceled on Christmas Day, and 48% were delayed, according to data from FlightAware.
On Tuesday the chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said her panel will investigate the causes of the Southwest flight cancellations as, “the problems at Southwest Airlines over the last several days go beyond weather. The Committee will be looking into the causes of these disruptions and its impact to consumers. Many airlines fail to adequately communicate with consumers during flight cancellations. Consumers deserve strong protections, including an updated consumer refund rule.”
The extensive cancellations have prompted the Biden administration to step in. President Joe Biden stated, “Administration is working to ensure airlines are held accountable” and the Transportation Department added, “We are concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service. We will examine whether cancellations were controllable and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan.”
Aggressive scheduling and underinvestment in operations coupled with shorter flights with tighter turnaround times has sent the airline into a chaotic frenzy. Stranded customers have not been able to get through to Southwest’s customer service lines to rebook flights or find lost baggage.
In a message vouching for frustrated flyers, Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., members of the Senate Commerce Committee, said, “[T]he company can start by fairly compensating passengers whose flights were canceled, including not only rebooked tickets, ticket refunds, and hotel, meal, and transportation reimbursement, but significant monetary compensation for the disruption to their holiday plans. Southwest is planning to issue a $428 million dividend next year – the company can afford to do right by the consumers it has harmed.” Cancellations are not solely at the fault of bad weather and therefore the public is demanding the airline to take accountability for failure of internal systems.
On the heels of wide-scale disruptions, we’re working diligently to Safely recover our operation & accommodate displaced Customers & Crews. We know this is unacceptable & sincerely apologize. If your travel was impacted, explore self-service options here: https://t.co/B6L8HR9Yqcpic.twitter.com/mLWndYMned
The holidays are typically a time of cheer. Unfortunately, this year that wasn’t the case for those stuck at airports due to flight cancellations. In particular, those travelling with Southwest Airlines were hit the hardest.
As Complex reports, after upwards of 2,500 flights were cancelled on Tuesday (December 27), the U.S. Department of Transportation made the executive decision to step in. “USDOT is concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays. [Also the] reports of lack of prompt customer service,” they wrote on Twitter yesterday evening.
USDOT is concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service. The Department will examine whether cancellations were controllable and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan.
“The Department will examine whether cancellations were controllable and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan,” they additionally went on to note.
On Monday, Southwest shut down nearly 3,000, or approximately 70%, of its scheduled flights. “We’re working with Safety at the forefront to urgently address wide-scale disruption by rebalancing the airline and repositioning Crews and our fleet ultimately to best serve all who plan to travel with us,” their subsequent statement read.
“We were fully staffed and prepared for the approaching holiday weekend when the severe weather swept across the continent, where Southwest is the largest carrier in 23 of the top 25 travel markets in the U.S. These operational conditions forced daily changes to our flight schedule at a volume and magnitude that still has the tools our teams use to recover the airline operating at capacity.”
LPassengers check the monitors at Long Beach Airport as Southwest Airlines has canceled hundreds of flights, departing from airports across Southern California including Long Beach on Tuesday, December 27, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images)
Half of the cancellations on Boxing Day were Southwest flights. Following behind them was Delta, whose second-place spot saw them shutting down a total of 265 flights.
Thousands remain in airports, with little to no customer service or aid available for them. Apps like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram are full of storytimes from those spending their Christmas in an airport.
I asked an employee how they verify who takes what bag and was told “we don’t, we’ll randomly ask for baggage claim proof.” She told be bags will stay out all night, monitored by employees. People don’t know when or how they’ll make it home. Story at 11p.m. @10News
