The airline experience has become miserable

[China]

Southwest flight relief is still days away, and Buttigieg is steamed

 

For passengers who are booked with Southwest Airlines this week, the much-needed conclusion to the carrier's troubles is still several agonizing days away.

As the beleaguered airline continues to sort out stranded passengers, uncollected baggage and out-of-position airplanes, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has taken the airline to task.

He's referred to the situation as a complete "meltdown" of the system. And the airline's decision to enact "operational emergency" staffing procedures last week at the airport in Denver as a massive winter storm bore down hints at a tangle of factors contributing to the airline's operational crisis.

The emergency staffing procedures in Denver included requiring a note from a doctor to verify illness after an employee calls out sick, a Southwest spokesperson told CNN Wednesday.
The spokesperson could not say whether the staffing policy remains in place or when the special rules ended.

The Washington Post cites a Southwest memo related to the operational emergency, dated December 21, in which the airline's vice president for ground operations declared the condition because of an "unusually high number of absences" of Denver-based ramp employees, including sick calls and personal days for afternoon and evening shifts.

The operational emergency -- experienced only at Denver, according to the company -- is distinct from the issue the company says is to blame for the cascade of cancellations.

Denver International Airport has announced plans to conduct after-action reviews with the airport's three major carriers -- Frontier, Southwest and United -- to learn from the disruptions while the situation is still fresh.

The wider cascade of cancellations continued into Wednesday afternoon.

 

Of the 2,884 cancellations already logged for Wednesday flights departing within, to or out of the United States as of 5:15 p.m. ET, some 2,509 of them are operated by Southwest, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. That is 87% of all canceled flights in the United States; all the other airlines together account for the remaining 13%.

 

Buttigieg says he spoke directly to Jordan on Tuesday about the thousands of flights that have been canceled this week.

"Their system really has completely melted down," Buttigieg told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday.

 

"I made clear that our department will be holding them accountable for their responsibilities to customers, both to get them through this situation and to make sure that this can't happen again."

 

Click on the link for the full article

[PleaseBlitz]

Southwest is going to go bankrupt over this. 

[purbeast]

God I hope not.  They are by far my favorite airline and I get so many free flights with their credit cards.  I've probably saved at least $30k in flights using their credit cards.

[China]

 

[Cooleyfan1993]

13 hours ago, China said:

 

……what’s LIT? And why in the **** does it take American Airlines 13 hours to get people from Chicago to DC? A layover just sounds unnecessary 😂

[China]

4 minutes ago, Cooleyfan1993 said:

……what’s LIT? And why in the **** does it take American Airlines 13 hours to get people from Chicago to DC? A layover just sounds unnecessary 😂

 

Maybe it's a stopover in LIThuania.  That might explain the cost and the time.

[Cooleyfan1993]

1 minute ago, China said:

 

Maybe it's a stopover in LIThuania.  That might explain the cost and the time.

That would be an interesting travel itinerary, for sure.

 

i did end up reading the replies to the tweet, looks like LIT is Little Rock. Which is just as crazy. 

[ixcuincle]

Our AIRPORTS, and so much else, are like those of a Third World Country. The USA has gone down so far, so fast. Very sad to watch!

[CobraCommander]

9 minutes ago, ixcuincle said:

Our AIRPORTS, and so much else, are like those of a Third World Country. The USA has gone down so far, so fast. Very sad to watch!

I read this in Trumps voice. Do I win a prize?

[The Evil Genius]

13 minutes ago, CobraCommander said:

I read this in Trumps voice. Do I win a prize?

 

Yeah, a 1 week old Big Mac that's been sitting in his fridge. 

[Captain Wiggles]

"Ah, for the days when aviation was a gentleman's pursuit back before every Joe sweat sock could wedge himself behind a lunch tray and jet off to Raleigh-Durham." 🤭

[TradeTheBeal!]

1 hour ago, ixcuincle said:

Our AIRPORTS, and so much else, are like those of a Third World Country. The USA has gone down so far, so fast. Very sad to watch!

The Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Grill in the Cancun airport is the happiest place on earth.

[China]

 

[skinsmarydu]

9 hours ago, TradeTheBeal! said:

The Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Grill in the Cancun airport is the happiest place on earth.

Only you would know.

 

And anyone else would vomit.

Edited December 31, 2022 by skinsmarydu

[PokerPacker]

On 12/29/2022 at 12:49 PM, Cooleyfan1993 said:

……what’s LIT? And why in the **** does it take American Airlines 13 hours to get people from Chicago to DC? A layover just sounds unnecessary 😂

 At this point, layovers are just an artificial product segmentation so they can charge more for a direct flight.  **** you poor people.  Enjoy your layover in Los Angeles for your flight from Chicago to Washington D.C..

Edited December 31, 2022 by PokerPacker

[Riggo#44]

On 9/21/2022 at 9:34 AM, Ball Security said:

 

 

By the end of that flight

[Cooked Crack]

 

[CobraCommander]

8 minutes ago, Cooked Crack said:

 

Ingested is an interesting term for that but when I stop to think about it, makes the most sense. I would guess death by wood chipper would also be considered ingestion.

[Mr. Sinister]

38 minutes ago, Cooked Crack said:

 

Terrible way to go.

[Cooked Crack]

 

[Captain Wiggles]

I've landed plenty of jets on aircraft carriers in Top Gun for the NES. I'm confident I'd have no problems landing a passenger airplane. 

Edited January 3, 2023 by Captain Wiggles

[justice98]

15 hours ago, Mr. Sinister said:

Terrible way to go.

 

On the list of ways that you think you're gonna go, "sucked into a jet engine" probably not in my top 500.  

[China]

2 hours ago, justice98 said:

 

On the list of ways that you think you're gonna go, "sucked into a jet engine" probably not in my top 500.  

 

That didn't make the list in the show 1000 Ways to Die although they only got to about 500 before it was canceled.

[China]

Southwest makes frequent flyer miles offer while lots of luggage remains in limbo

 

Southwest Airlines is offering a new appeasement to some customers after last week’s glut of cancellations while the misplaced baggage fiasco could grind on for days longer.

 

On Tuesday, Southwest informed some passengers affected by its Christmas travel meltdown that they would receive 25,000 frequent flyer bonus points as a “gesture of goodwill.” 

 

In an email from the airline to passengers that was obtained by CNN, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan wrote that “no amount of apologies can undo your experience.” 

 

He said the 25,000 gift points are worth about $300, and the airline told CNN the offer is in addition to reimbursements and refunds.

 

Click on the link for the full article 

[Mr. Sinister]

12 hours ago, justice98 said:

 

On the list of ways that you think you're gonna go, "sucked into a jet engine" probably not in my top 500.  

 

Sadly, I've thought way too much about this.