Did Southwest cancel your flight? Be sure to save all your receipts

ORLANDO - For yet another day, Southwest Airlines left travelers without a clue of how to get home, canceling about 60% of its planned flights.  The biggest question is, why is this happening?

That’s what David Wilke wanted to know Wednesday evening. His son and daughter-in-law wound up having to drive 16 hours to get home for Christmas after Southwest canceled their flight.

"You’d think they would’ve been aware of that before this busy holiday season," said Wilke.

Kathleen Bangs, a spokesperson for Flight Aware and a commercial airline pilot explained, Southwest operates with a different business model than other airlines. It doesn’t give flight crews a home base to come back to; instead, they jump from place to place. Winter storms meant crews weren’t where they needed to be, and a systems crash is keeping the company from being able to get its crews back on track.

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"I’m obviously disappointed with Southwest," Wilke said after learning of Southwest’s software system failures.

Another question people have been asking is why Southwest doesn’t rebook them with another airline.  Bangs explained, some airlines form partnerships, agreeing to take on other airlines’ stranded passengers in the agreement that their partnering airline will do the same for them. But Southwest goes it alone.

Bangs says because of that, you may have to advocate for yourself a bit. See if you can rent a car and drive a couple of hours to an airport that can get you home. That’s what Sarah Moe’s family did.

"Right now I’m just grateful to be with my family and hopeful to get home tonight and sleep in our own beds," Moe told FOX 35. 

You might remember that in October 2021, several airlines including Southwest experienced problems and had to cancel thousands of flights. 

"Southwest has increased hiring since October 2021 to support our operation and, in fact, hired more than 17,000 new Employees in 2022 – with a total employee count now higher than pre-pandemic 2019. We will be hiring additional Employees throughout 2023 to support our operations – including on our Ground Operations, Flight Attendant, and Pilot Teams," a Southwest Public Relations team member told FOX 35 Wednesday when asked about the 2021 mini-meltdown.

When the 2021 cancelations happened, some people resorted to renting U-Hauls when they couldn’t find regular rental cars. 

"There are no shortages of U-Haul equipment in Florida due to any travel disruptions outside our industry. 

U-Haul of Orlando President Miguel Caminos told FOX 35 there are plenty of U-Hauls still available in Orlando and across the state.

"We continue to have sufficient fleet inventory in the majority of cities across the U.S. and Canada to accommodate all of our traditional do-it-yourself customers' moving needs, as well as meet the transportation needs others may have," a U-Haul External Communications representative told FOX 35. 

Other people are trying to find flights home on other airlines, but booking last-minute trips can be extremely expensive. Several people told FOX 35 it would cost over $2,000 for them to get home with another airline before Southwest’s next flight to their desired destination.

Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he’s talking with other airlines and asking them to cap their rates so people don’t have to pay exorbitant fees upfront. American Airlines confirmed to FOX 35 it’s one of the companies that’s agreed to cap rates.

A lot of people are stretched thin. That’s something rental car representative Ray Estrada has seen firsthand at the Orlando International Airport.  

"Because families have paid double for their canceled flights, they’re a little short on the budget," said Estrada. 

If people are stuck waiting for days to get home, that means they’ll have to buy food as they wait, which can be extremely pricey if you’re eating at restaurants for every meal.  

"All MCO concessions are open and serving guests," Rod Johnson, the Assistant Director of Public Affairs for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority told FOX 35. "They are also extending hours as much as possible to accommodate flight delays/cancellations. The airport is also offering all amenities including free Wi-Fi and unique artwork displays throughout the terminal complex."

Bangs says the biggest advice Flight Aware could give right now is to save your receipts. 

Southwest’s Policy says it’ll give a meal voucher for cancellations and major delays; it’ll pay for hotels for overnight cancellations; and you may be able to argue for them to pay the difference if you had to get another flight.

The Department of Transportation helps hold airlines accountable so they have to pay up for the things they’ve promised. DOT Secretary Buttigieg called what’s happening unacceptable.