In a catastrophic winter storm, aircraft cancellations and delays have left thousands of passengers stuck at airports across the US.
On Tuesday, more than 4,700 flights had been cancelled and more than 3,100 had been delayed as of mid-morning Eastern time. Southwest Airlines, which cancelled almost 2,500 flights, was responsible for over 60% of the cancellations.
Thousands of frustrated passengers are now sleeping at terminals as they look for answers due to the mess. According to flight tracking service FlightAware, more than 3,500 flights that were planned to depart on Wednesday have already been cancelled, with Southwest accounting for just over 60% of those cancellations.
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) expressed its concerns about Southwest's unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays in a tweet on Monday. US President Joe Biden stated in a different tweet on Tuesday that his administration is "working to ensure airlines are held accountable" for delays. He advised travellers to find out if they qualify for compensation.
Southwest, on the other hand, has apologized profusely and called the inconveniences brought on by the cold weather "unacceptable."
"Our sincere regrets are only getting started", the airline said in a statement. To best serve everyone who plans to travel with us, "we're working with safety at the forefront to urgently address wide-scale disruption by rebalancing the airline and repositioning staff and our fleet."
Numerous passengers have been left waiting at airports across the nation as they try to rebook flights or find other forms of transportation due to the ongoing aircraft cancellations and delays. Passengers in cities including Denver, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., reported standing in line for customer support agents for hours.
Talia Jones, a Southwest passenger, told BBC US partner CBS that she was "beyond furious and hurt" because flight delays prevented her from spending the holidays with her father.
"It's quite disappointing", said Ms. Jones.
Many items of baggage were awaiting pickup at Chicago's Midway Airport, where Southwest is the main airline. Images posted on social media by irate travellers showed a lot of suitcases stacked or lined up next to baggage carousels.
Denzil Smothers, whose flight was cancelled, told CBS that "it had been hell"
On the assumption that room is available, most airlines will rebook passengers on the subsequent aircraft to the passenger's destination, according to the DOT website. Even if they purchased non-refundable tickets, passengers are still entitled to a full refund if they decide to completely cancel their trip.
For travellers who rebook during the storm, many significant North American airlines, including Southwest, American, and Delta, have waived change fees. According to FlightAware, approximately 20,000 flights have been cancelled across the US since December 22. The winter storm is believed to have killed more than 60 people so far, including at least 28 people in Buffalo, New York.
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