U.S. Transportation Department Investigates Southwest Airlines Cancellations, Delayed Flights

The U.S. Transportation Department will be investigating the numerous cancellations and delayed flights by Southwest Airlines. USDOT says it will closely investigate whether Southwest is complying with the department’s rules, says Shepardson.

Southwest Airlines Delays [Photo: The New York Times]

When asked for a response, Southwest Airlines has refused to comment regarding the USDOT’s statements. However, the airlines talked about the successive days of extreme winter weather that affected the customers and employees in a critical way. The airlines also said that they are already working on reorganizing their crews and fleets to better serve all customers who want to avail of their services.

Not An Isolated Case

According to Shepardson, these past few days, other U.S. airlines have also suffered with numerous cancellations of flights. However, the numbers are not nearly as high as Southwest Airlines’. USDOT has reminded Southwest Airlines about their customer service plans which state that the airlines will provide meal or hotel vouchers for delayed flights that are within the airline’s control. Several airlines also practice this service, however, most of them do not break down all obligations stated in their customer service plans.