Another Southwest Airlines Technical Issue Snarls Travel at Austin Airport

by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 11:25 AM ET, Sat June 17, 2023

It was like a domino effect and not in a good way.

Southwest Airlines appears to have been at fault with another technical snafu. The airline’s problem spilled over to other major airlines and caused massive delays at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Friday.

Many people wound up missing their flights, and other airlines were inundated with people trying to rebook their flights.

Dan Landson, a Southwest spokesperson, said several factors led to the delays but an airport spokesperson said a problem at Southwest’s ticket counter was the root cause.  

"It was like getting on a ride at Disney World," one passenger said of the lengthy crowds and the wait.

One man said he waited for almost two hours at the TSA PreCheck line, which is supposed to expedite the security process for those who have enrolled in the program. Other airlines besides Southwest were overrun with people trying to change their tickets. For those who did miss their flights due to the original ticketing problem, it remains tenuous to see if they are eligible for a refund. 

Many people took to Twitter and other forms of social media to complain.

"Major let down this morning…many, many passengers missed their flights including my family after getting to the airport with plenty of time," one Twitter user wrote. "The lack of baggage X-ray/screening machines and lack of staff is a major problem."

The airport’s Twitter account responded to many passengers and gave them this address to use for further questions: [email protected].

An airport spokesman confirmed that the Austin Airport did have a breakdown in the baggage handling system and that the problems were not all the fault of Southwest Airlines.

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