Southwest Leaves Thousands Stranded On Christmas

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Angelina Balusek, Editor

Storms dumped snow across America during the Christmas holiday, canceling several flights and leaving thousands stranded on their winter breaks. However, within a few days, flights were back to normal: all except for Southwest.

By the Wednesday after Christmas, Southwest had canceled over 2,500 flights. Sources say that the disruption had to do with Southwest’s two main hubs, Denver and Chicago, being severely affected by the snow. Other causes were the lack of staff able to work due to the wave of Flu, Covid, and RSV as well as the outdated software Southwest uses to schedule flights glitching. 

For compensation, Southwest has offered vouchers, refunds, and points for those who experienced cancellations. The airline has been catching up on its flight schedule, and is currently operating normally according to Southwest Airlines.

Southwest is the world’s largest low-cost carrier, with flights to 121 locations and 10 additional countries. An average of 130 million people fly with Southwest each year, and is well-known for its free 2 bag policy.