Southwest Airlines: ‘We messed up’
Southwest Airlines was grilled on Capitol Hill with lawmakers demanding answers over the Christmas flight cancellation meltdown.
Southwest’s troubles caused 16,000 flight cancellations, leaving tens of thousands of customers stranded.
During the committee hearing, COO Andrew Watterson acknowledged the airline ‘messed up.’
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth called it ‘appalling; while Sen. Ted Cruz said it was ‘an epic screw up.’
Pilot union chief at Southwest Airlines, Captain Casey Murray, said it was a failure from top to bottom,’
“The pilots have been sounding the alarm bells for over a decade,” he said.
Southwest crew have said their roster scheduling system was not fit for purpose.
The software was overwhelmed by the initial flight cancellations’
Watterson said Southwest is spending $1.3 billion to upgrade tech which includes an updated crew scheduling system.
Southwest says it has paid nearly all of its customers’ claims for flight cancellation reimbursements and compensation for hotel stays and other expenses.
Southwest has said the days-long problems cost it more than $800 million.
Ray Monty
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026