Southwest Resumes Normal Schedule
Over the last week, Southwest Airlines has canceled close to 15,000 flights, leaving millions of passengers stranded. Many of them were told they would have to wait close to a week to take another flight.
The weather that impacted most of the country played a small role. But when you look at other carriers, none of them has issues even remotely close to what Southwest experienced.
The airline was canceling more than half of its flights daily. So this was a Southwest issue, likely caused by its scheduling software.
But now the airline is finally operating its normal schedule on Friday, Dec. 30. “We appreciate the dedicated work of the Southwest Team to restore our schedule, and we anticipate minimal disruptions for the weekend” the company said its announcement.
But that doesn’t solve the big mess left behind. Southwest already said that it will let customers change flights for free, and will reimburse any reasonable expenses incurred from the cancellations or extensive delays.
More Time to Qualify
Now the airline is also giving Rapid Rewards members one extra month to qualify for status. Flights in January 2023 will both add to their 2022 travel totals for status, and count towards earning status in 2023 for 2024, View from the Wing reports.
Extended Companion Pass
Additionally, you will have more time to use your Companion Pass benefits, if it’s expiring on December 31, 2022. Southwest is giving you an extra month. So you can still use your Companion Pass throughout January 2023.
Conclusion
These are some steps in the right directions, but Southwest still has a long way to go. Some customers were threatened to be arrested after being stranded. One customer reports being given only vouchers instead of a refund. There are many other similar stories on social media. The Department of Transportation is also investigating the massive cancelations, so we’ll see how it all works out.
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This is what I got from SWA when I emailed them a few days ago about be one flight short (it was cancelled) of qualifying for A-list.
“In an effort to ease your travel experience, we have extended your 2022 Companion Pass®, and/or A-List, or A-List Preferred status through January 31, 2023. This extension will allow you to complete your disrupted travel with your current tier status. (If you have requalified for tier status in 2023, your previously earned expiration date will supersede the January 31, 2023 extended expiration.)
Additionally, we are identifying Members whose disrupted travel would have qualified them for A-List, or A-List Preferred, and/or Companion Pass in 2023, and will provide further communication soon.”