Travelers dealt with widespread difficulties in the lead-up to the Christmas holiday weekend as a winter storm pummeled the U.S., but even as some of the effects of the storm lingered, much of the travel disruptions were expected to be cleared by this week — except for those who flew on Southwest Airlines. NBC 5’s Regina Waldroup reports.
Update: Southwest Airlines says it will "operate a reduced schedule," flying only one third of its scheduled flights over the "next several days." Our original story continues below.
Southwest Airlines blamed the "lingering effects" of a winter storm and scheduling problems for the reason hundreds of customers' flights were canceled during the post-holiday travel rush.
In a statement to NBC Chicago Monday, a spokesperson for the airline, which reported a number of cancellations at Midway Airport, said the disruptions were largely due to "Winter Storm Elliott's lingering effects," though they noted a "scheduling issue" played a role in the delays and problems reported the day after the Christmas holiday.
"We are not having staffing issues, but we had experienced problems connecting flight crews to their scheduled aircraft. It is a scheduling issue, not a staffing issue," the spokesperson said.
Shortly after that statement to NBC 5, the airline issued a public apology, saying it recognized it had fallen short.
"Our heartfelt apologies for this are just beginning," the airline said in a release. "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. 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. This 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."
Southwest said it anticipates "additional changes with an already reduced level of flights as we approach the coming New Year holiday travel period."
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"We’re working to reach to customers whose travel plans will change with specific information and their available options," the statement read. "Our employees and crews scheduled to work this holiday season are showing up in every single way. We are beyond grateful for that. Our shared goal is to take care of every single customer with the hospitality and heart for which we’re known. On the other side of this, we’ll work to make things right for those we’ve let down, including our employees."
Some 2,085 domestic and international flights were canceled on Monday as of about noon EDT, according to the tracking site FlightAware. The site said Southwest Airlines had 1,253 cancellations — nearly a third of its scheduled flights and about five times as many as any other major U.S. carrier.
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In total, more than 120 flights were canceled at Chicago's Midway Airport alone the day after the Christmas holiday, sparking massive lines as travelers rushed to rebook their journeys home.
Dozens of other cancellations were also reported at O'Hare International Airport, making for more than 200 flights canceled across Chicago during the post-holiday rush.
Images from Midway Airport showed hundreds of people in lines amid the cancellations and luggage piling up in parts of the airport.
The cancellations come after a winter storm wreaked havoc on holiday travel plans last week.
Thousands of travelers were stranded at airports or stuck on hold trying to rebook flights as a massive storm snarled travel in the U.S. and Canada ahead of the holidays. As of Friday afternoon, more than 4,800 flights into or out of U.S. airports had been canceled, according to FlightAware.
Airport officials are still preparing for Tuesday, which they believe will be the busiest travel day at Midway Airport.
But depending on the destination, travel could be even trickier.
The deep freeze from a deadly winter storm that walloped much of the United States continued in parts of the Northeast Monday.
So what can you do if your flight was canceled?
If you still want to get to your destination, most airlines will rebook you for free on the next available flight as long as it has seats, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
If you want to cancel the trip, you are entitled to a full refund, even if you bought non-refundable tickets. You’re also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras.
Kurt Ebenhoch, a consumer travel advocate and former airline executive, stressed that travelers are eligible for a refund, not just vouchers for future travel. If you do take a voucher, make sure you inquire about blackout dates and other restrictions on its use.
