Southwest Offers 25,000 Frequent Flier Points To Travelers Affected By Mass Cancellations

Topline

Southwest Airlines on Tuesday offered 25,000 frequent flier bonus points as a “gesture of goodwill” to some passengers who were affected by last week’s mass cancellations, according to the Wall Street Journal and CNN, while misplaced luggage still needs to be returned to many.

Key Facts

In an email to travelers, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said the points are worth roughly $300 and are being offered in addition to refunds and reimbursements.

Jordan wrote that “no amount of apologies can undo your experience,” and thanked those waiting for refunds, reimbursements or misplaced luggage for their patience, saying the company is handling the requests “with great urgency.”

The extra points are available to those who had flights canceled or delayed for more than three hours between December 24 and Monday.

In a memo to staffers obtained by CNN, Jordan said the airline is relying on volunteer employees for extra manpower to assist teams that normally deal with lost baggage.

Meanwhile, a Southwest passenger proposed a class action lawsuit against the airline in federal court, accusing them of breach of contract.

Big Number

Nearly 16,000. That’s how many flights were canceled by Southwest amid the meltdown.

Key Background

Brutal winter weather grounded flights and left crews out of place last week, causing disarray among the airline industry. But while other airlines rebounded quickly, Southwest remained in turmoil. Thousands of flights were canceled during popular holiday travel week, sometimes amounting to 60% of Southwest’s daily schedule. The company blamed the weather and its scheduling system, though transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said it was “past the point where they could say this is a weather-driven issue.” The airline made progress over the weekend, and said it intended “to return to normal operations with minimal disruptions” on Friday. Just 4% of its flights were canceled on Monday, and just 1% were on Tuesday, according to FlightAware.

Further Reading

Southwest Faces Class Action Suit Over Holiday Meltdown — Here’s What Stranded Passengers Can Expect As Airline Deals With Fallout (Forbes)

Over 2,300 Southwest Flights Canceled Thursday—But Weekend Looks Promising (Forbes)

Southwest Chaos: Buttigieg Says Airline Is Facing ‘System Failure’ As Thousands Of Flights Are Canceled (Forbes)

Southwest Stock Plunges: Flight Cancellations Top 10,000 As Feds ‘Examine’ Airline’s Historic Winter Storm Woes (Forbes)