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Southwest Airlines Meltdown Cancels 60% of Flights

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  • edited December 2022
    TWU Local 556 President on Southwest's canceled flights

    The above is an NPR interview. There’s a written transcript of the full interview. But also, at the top, there’s a link to the (6 minute) audio version, which I found more compelling.

    Once upon a time (80s and 90s) this was a great little airline for some of us living in downstate Michigan (and I presume elsewhere). Low cost, easy to deal with, very consumer friendly - including no-cost (or very low cost) schedule changes. Their “on-time” was as good as or better than the majors. I never cared for their “stampede” boarding method in which all lined up and then dashed aboard to grab the best seat they could. But to the airline it was a time saver. And one did tend to have an extra connection when flying any distance - for example, from Detroit to Florida. But all in all it was a fine operation.

    What happened? Dunno. But their once warm labor relations have turned decidedly cold in recent years. Chill may be evident in my linked interview. And their sole reliance on the 737, for many years a strength, may have turned against them in a number of ways.

    I have to believe this affects its stock too.

    LUV: Down 6% today. Down 23% YTD according to Google

    Airlines are fun to fly on (usually), but I wouldn’t want to own stock in one.
  • It appears that the problems stem from an antiquated crew scheduling system, resulting in the airline having no idea where their crews actually are.

    https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/southwests-structure-outdated-technology-lead-to-its-travel-troubles
  • How did they know where the crews were when they were operating normally?
  • edited December 2022
    Carrier pigeons? They don't work so good in major storms, though. Maybe Southwest can upgrade to telegraph.
  • When operations are normal, flights arrive pretty much on time and where they are supposed to so they can assume a crew is available there. With massive cancelations, I think unless they track the crews specifically they have no idea of who is where
  • That "assuming" stuff can be dangerous.
  • edited December 2022
    Southwest cancels another 4,800 flights as its reduced schedule continues

    Following are edited excerpts from a current NPR report:
    Hundreds of thousands of travelers hoping to fly on Southwest Airlines this week are likely to be left in limbo a few days longer.

    After canceling roughly 13,000 flights in the last few days, the airline is planning to remain on a reduced flying schedule for a few more days, its CEO said in a statement late Tuesday.

    All domestic airlines have returned to pre-storm delay and cancellation levels after being knocked off-kilter late last week by a severe winter storm. Yet Southwest Airlines, plagued by staffing shortages and an outdated scheduling system, is still paralyzed.

    As of 9:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Southwest had canceled 2,508 flights for the day, accounting for 62% of its scheduled flights, according to FlightAware.

    Thursday isn't looking great either: 2,348 Southwest flights have already been taken off the departure boards.

    Bob Jordan, the Southwest CEO, admits a system upgrade is overdue.

    Well, that's why CEOs make the big money... they have to be right on top of stuff like this.


  • Bloomberg says CEO said

    "If you took our crews, we have a lot moving all over the country. If they get reassigned, someone needs to call them or chase them down in the airport and tell them.”

    Really?? in 2022? guess they dont have cell phones!!!
  • I already told you- pigeons! :)
  • edited December 2022
    @hank- Yes, but seriously, those "AirTags" have been misused to track the location of individuals without their knowledge. They have been placed in vehicles or even in purses or clothing and then been used to track people without their permission. Unfortunately some of this new technology can be easily abused.
  • edited December 2022
    Old_Joe said:

    @hank- Yes, but seriously, those "AirTags" have been be misused to track the location of individuals without their knowledge. They have been placed in vehicles or even in purses or clothing and then been used to track people without their permission. Unfortunately some of this new technology can be easily abused.

    For sure. Don’t know what the answer to that one is. Suppose we’ll all need to purchase some type of de-bugging device to carry along to scan for these trackers along with hidden cameras and microphones in our hotel rooms, rental cars, etc.

    As one who enjoys air travel several times a year the meltdown at SW is disturbing. If it can happen there it can happen elsewhere. I can sympathize with passengers stranded far from home desperately searching for flights on their cellphones, willing to pay whatever absurd price is listed while standing in a hopeless line of other distressed passengers. Been there myself before. Once an airline checked my luggage but claimed I’d arrived at LGA too late to board. Wouldn’t ya know? All their alternate flights out were booked full for two days. Nothing like a couple extra nights in NYC with little more than the shirt on your back.:)
  • that's just abuse. I've got my own story from hell. Told it here before. Don't care to think about it anymore. USAirways. Spawn of Satan.
  • edited December 2022
    The issue isn't about the system knowing where the crews are. It is about re-routing the crews to where the need is (managing schedule deviations). The automated re-routing is what the SkySolver system does and it buckled under the load.

    I was surprised to learn that SkySolver is an off the shelf product that was customized. In technology, this is called a doghouse turned into skyscraper syndrome. At some point, it comes crashing down.
  • thread w high-level analysis and speculation, plus the comments

    https://twitter.com/paulkrugman/status/1608167056867987456
  • edited January 2023
    Story (Originally published in the WSJ) -

    The overseer of one of the largest public pension funds in the US is demanding an explanation from crisis-hit Southwest Airlines — New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli wants to know how the carrier plans to prevent another operational meltdown that caused the recent holiday travel chaos. "Clearly this crisis has resulted in profound customer dissatisfaction and is expected to generate significant costs to the company," DiNapoli told Southwest CEO Bob Jordan in a January 6 letter seen by Insider. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news on Monday.

    In the letter, DiNapoli also asked the carrier how it plans to "correct these failures - not just in the immediate term, but for the coming years."The New York state pension fund is one of the top-100 largest investors in Southwest. As of September 30, it held $17.6 million worth of Southwest stock, or about 0.1% of outstanding shares, according to Refinitiv data. The comptroller's office oversees the fund.


    Source of Above Excerpt & Story

    Major Holders of LUV - including mutual funds

    LUV Market Cap $21.5 Billion - Interesting that LUV Is held in some “Mid Cap” mutual funds. Generally, at over $10 Billion market cap, it would be considered a large cap stock.
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