MIAMI – Some flyers who got caught in Southwest Airlines’ meltdown in excess of the holiday getaway journey interval, which prompted thousands of cancelations, will be receiving a ‘sorry’ gift from the air provider.
On Tuesday, Southwest knowledgeable these passengers that they would acquire 25,000 frequent flyer reward points as a “gesture of goodwill.”
In an e mail from the airline to travellers, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan wrote that “no amount of money of apologies can undo your experience.”
He mentioned the 25,000 reward factors are worth about $300, and the airline informed CNN the supply is in addition to reimbursements and refunds.
“For people who have requested refunds, reimbursements and/or are waiting around to be reunited with misplaced bag(s), people processes are staying dealt with with good urgency and we value your persistence,” Jordan wrote.
The airline said the provide is getting prolonged to vacationers with flights canceled or delayed much more than 3 several hours involving Christmas Eve and January 2.
Luggage in limbo
In the meantime, it could be as considerably as two complete weeks just after Southwest Airlines’ plan meltdown first started until finally some passengers see their luggage once again.
In an inner memo to workers, Jordan says the airline is relying on volunteer staff members, doing the job along with those that usually offer with bags, to get missing checked baggage back to those who were being caught up in its key timetable meltdown.
“Out at our distinct Stations, we’ve received folks volunteering alongside our magnificent Floor Ops Group to assist scan and ship luggage,” Jordan stated in the Tuesday memo.
He included that Southwest has cut the quantity of missing baggage “in 50 % because Thursday” and the airline is “on observe to get the vast majority if not all bags delivered to our buyers later on this week.”
He suggests Southwest is “[w]orking in a range of ways to expedite the course of action of getting our Clients reunited with their luggage,” including partnering with FedEx and moving baggage on Southwest flights as well as all those of other competing airlines.
As for the meltdown by itself and how it can be prevented, Jordan told personnel, “We owe you individuals answers.” And mentioned they are “developing out an motion approach this 7 days.”
Extreme scrutiny and a lawsuit for Southwest
The supply and the luggage memo occur as the airline is going through several investigations, scrutiny from traders, and at least one particular lawsuit over its cancellation of 15,700 flights at a peak holiday break vacation time.
The lawsuit, initiated by passenger Eric Capdeville, phone calls the airline’s functions meltdown an “internally produced disaster” and accuses the airline of violating federal law and its agreement with passengers “to offer prompt refunds for canceled flights.”
Alternatively, Capdeville suggests the airline presented a credit rating towards a foreseeable future flight.
Southwest has not responded in court.
“There are various high priority efforts underway to do correct by our Buyers, together with processing refunds from canceled flights, reimbursing Buyers for bills incurred as a result of the irregular functions,” Southwest’s statement mentioned.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg mentioned very last week that the Office of Transportation has been given “countless numbers” of complaints from travelers towards Southwest over the “operational meltdown” and warned that the office would “penalize Southwest as we would any airline to the tune likely of tens of 1000’s of pounds for each violation if they fall short to fulfill what is needed of them to acquire treatment of travellers.”
