'Tired of the Apologies': Workers, Flyers Say Southwest Airlines Meltdown Was Decades in the Making

The U.S. Department of Transportation says it will investigate cancellations and delays by Southwest Airlines after the airline canceled about two-thirds of its flights since a Christmas snowstorm. The unprecedented operational meltdown left thousands of travelers stranded, causing scenes of chaos at airports across the country during one of the busiest travel seasons in the year. Corliss King, vice president of TWU Local 556 representing Southwest flight attendants, says the union has warned the company for years about the technical issues that contributed to this week's chaos. We also speak with Paul Hudson of FlyersRights, the largest nonprofit airline passenger rights organization in the U.S., who blames decades of cost-cutting and chasing profits for the deteriorating service in the airline industry. "It's more profitable to have bad service than good service," says Hudson.

#DemocracyNow

YouTube cover image: James Lee/Flickr

[latonya]

I'm happy the lady stated the employees don't deserve their frustrations. I would hate to work for Southwest and be the messenger of upper management BS.

[robertbritt]

I’m trapped in Nashville since Monday. Had to book a $600 first class seat on American to get back to work. I spoke to a S.W. Pilot at the hotel. He said everything this report just stated. He blamed bonus payouts and stock buybacks for the lack of system updates

[northreflec]

If they have this much trouble with tracking pilots and flights, how bad is their maintenance tracking?

[px]

If there was a decent train system, like in the rest of the world, competing with Airlines on certain routes, then Airlines would have an incentive to provide better service.

[anneg]

The fact the people were told they would be arrested and charged with trespassing if they didn't leave areas at the airport was THE most egregious bad act by the airline and personnel I have ever heard of and has me speechless.

[syrax]

Airlines doesn’t have true competition… I can almost guarantee that if High Speed Rail exist in America, airlines wouldn’t pull most of this stuff… But since the options are scarce, they will continue to play dumb… The United States as a whole need to reimagine travel…

[HEMI-MOMMA]

I'm worried about all of the unaccompanied minors that travel during the holidays to visit their other parent. As a retired Flight Attendant, the summer vacation and Christmas holiday season is the busiest time for kids traveling alone. I'm really worried about those kids who got caught up in this chaotic mess!!!!

[howlinberry]

The integrity of a lot of US based companies has suffered for the sake of increasing their stock prices. What a shame.

[jordankimball]

Literally every single institution in this country has deteriorated and failed us. There needs to be a word for this phenomenon that every American 40ish and younger have gone trough.

[TheRumblewagon]

This is what happens when you allow bloated corporations to focus on increasing profits and cutting costs. The downward deterioration of service and products.

[janiekcarney]

The people who slept on the floor should be paid the same as if in four star hotels. They couldn’t afford to be in a hotel or couldn’t get to a hotel.

[ElinT]

The president shouldn't be sorry, he should be ashamed to let his company come to this due to greed.

[Marxist]

This is criminal, on the part of Southwest airlines.Saying you're sorry is not enough. Fine, the airlines.Southwest MUST refund all passengers..

[nickyb]

I feel sorry for the employees having to deal with awful people! 😢

[janiekcarney]

SW didn’t prepare for any event. When the pilots tell on the system you know it’s a screw up.

[heidihill]

People who fly during the Christmas holidays are idiots anyway, But, traveling during snowstorms is ridiculous.

[jaggillar]

For years now, profits of large corporations have been largely used for stock buybacks and executive compensation. The workers and consumers have been left out of the equation that adds up to product satisfaction. Our lawmakers, elected and appointed, have allowed this for obvious reasons. Deregulation and privatization will lead to more of the same.

[km]

Any other business that ran its business like the airlines would be OUT of business. The FED GOV dropped the ball here. The FEDS and SWA Executive management are both responsible for this mess.

[px]

The European parliament has issued a directive with obligation to airlines to pay cash to passengers according to a delay table. The cash comes above all the other obligations Airlines have to face in such cases.
If the Federal government was to impose the same penalties on the US airlines, instead of bailing them out all the time with no commitment in return, I am certain we would see some improvements.
The Federal government does nothing; they only get involved when there is a problem such as now; they issue the usual moans to make passenger believe they are going to implement changes. But they simply wait until people forget.
Airlines in the USA need to be made accountable. Today it is Southwest, tomorrow it will be another one.

[LAJiini]

Same happened to me one Xmas season with Frontier airline. I chalked it up to busy holiday travel and winter weather. And every year I hear the same horror stories. I don’t holiday travel anymore.