Southwest Airlines experienced an epic meltdown last holiday season due to its outdated technology. Though it avoided any problems this year, there is still one issue it can’t avoid.
Bad weather.
A major snowstorm in the Midwest, especially in Chicago, which helped contribute to delays and cancelations at Midway International Airport, led to numerous delays and cancelations for Southwest through Monday night.
It was far less than last year, but still a nuisance for many travelers over the holidays.
Through Monday, Southwest had delayed or canceled 16 percent of its flights, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. For comparison’s sake, the airline had to cancel almost 17,000 flights during the Christmas rush in 2022.
It just so happened that the weather-related disruptions hurt Southwest the most this year. Otherwise, it’s been a relatively stress-free holiday season for travelers.
On Saturday, Sunday and through midday Monday, Southwest had to cancel or delay almost 3,200 flights this year. A Southwest spokesperson said the airline expects the weather-related issues to clear up by Tuesday.
Airlines, including Southwest, improved technology and hired more pilots and flight attendants to avoid any problems similar to last year.
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan vowed earlier this month the airline would not have a repeat of Christmas 2022.
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