Many travelers probably wish they could forget the Christmas travel season.
Since the Monday before Christmas (Dec. 19), about 20,000 flights have been canceled, causing thousands of passengers who might have planned to return home for the holidays or fly to see family around the world for Christmas to be delayed or stranded.
Some of these travelers experienced protracted delays, but others were trapped for days, missing the holiday entirely and being forced to cancel their travels completely.
It all started when a fierce winter storm that hit most of the United States during Christmas week caused temperatures in certain places to drop to levels that had not been seen in three decades.
It was a recipe for disaster in the skies of the country when combined with ferocious winds that caused mayhem at East Coast airports and widespread inland snowfall that reached heights of more than five feet around the Great Lakes.
Every major U.S. airline had significant delays as a result of the storm, which some weather watchers have dubbed a once-in-a-generation winter storm.
Even though the skies have now cleared, all but Southwest Airlines are making slow but steady progress toward getting back to business.
The biggest domestic carrier in the country is still experiencing what may be the worst operational collapse in Southwest's history.
According to flight-tracking company FlightAware, Southwest alone canceled an astounding 2,900 flights on Monday, December 26.
Along with upsetting travelers who had intended to fly with the low-cost behemoth, it also meant that Southwest was responsible for nearly three-quarters of all canceled flights in the United States on the day after Christmas.
And in a particularly depressing milestone for Southwest, the airline reportedly postponed an additional 700 flights on Monday, or roughly 16% of its entire schedule.
According to FlightAware's calculations, this resulted in a total of more than 85% of Southwest's Monday flights being either canceled or delayed.
And things won't get any better until Friday.
In an effort to restart operations, the carrier had already preemptively canceled more than 2,400 flights for Tuesday and more than 2,300 for Wednesday by 11 p.m. ET on Monday.
Approximately one-third of Southwest's scheduled flights, or about 1,500 flights per day, are expected to be operated through Friday, according to an internal memo that the company has verified as authentic and legitimate.
The airline apologized on Monday in a statement that was posted online following days of cancellations and delays, with officials stating that they are making every effort to get back on schedule.
Southwest's phone lines are so overloaded with cancellations that, if you can get through, you'll have to wait for hours.
Since it is still unclear how the meltdown will affect travel in the next days and weeks, some travel experts advise avoiding using Southwest.
In an email caution to "Joe Sent Me" travel weekly subscribers, Joe Brancatelli wrote, "For now, I recommend you to defer all travel on Southwest in the days (and maybe, weeks) ahead."
"It will take Southwest weeks to fix its problems since there are so many of its planes out of position, there is such a backlog of displaced passengers, and staff is unable to acquire their assignments.
Given the depth and scope of its operating issues, its advertised schedule must now be regarded as being untrustworthy.
While no immediate regulatory changes are currently anticipated, the U.S. Department of Transportation stated in a statement that it will look into Southwest's "unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays."
Southwest said it would "meet reasonable requests for payment for meals, accommodations, and substitute transportation" for disrupted flights between Dec. 24, 2022, and Jan. 2, 2023. Affected passengers are entitled to a refund for any canceled or significantly delayed trip.
What went wrong with Southwest, then?
And what should passengers anticipate in the upcoming days as they attempt to reach their destinations after a challenging Christmas week, both on Southwest and other airlines?
Why were there so many cancellations at Southwest?
The week leading up to Christmas was particularly awful weather for all U.S. airlines, including Southwest. The storm's harshest effects were felt in Chicago and Denver, two of the airline's busiest hubs.
According to a CNBC report, some of the weather was unexpected, including fog in San Diego and worse circumstances than anticipated in Denver.
Mother Nature, however, didn't expressly try to impede Southwest's operations - all significant U.S. airlines faced the same challenges.
Southwest appeared to have made a mistake during the recovery.
A combination of staffing and technological issues led to the carrier's downward trajectory.
The Denver Post said that as the storm initially started to strike the city, Southwest's operations there were hampered by "an unusually high number of absenteeism among ramp agents."
Denver's circumstances have since improved, but the carrier's operations there were subpar for the majority of Christmas week.
Southwest's crew scheduling struggled to keep up with the frequent modifications required to maintain employees and planes in place as schedules deteriorated so quickly during the winter storm.
According to a report by CNBC, pilots and flight attendants complained that it was difficult to get in touch with the airline's scheduling department to request fresh assignments, thus slowing down the carrier.
This is in light of Southwest's infamously outdated technology, which even the company seemed to acknowledge in its statement on Monday, noting that "these operational conditions forced daily changes to our flight schedule at a volume and magnitude that still has the tools our teams use to recover the airline operating at capacity."
Even though the skies may have cleared, Southwest's workers haven't been stationed where they need to be to conduct scheduled flights.
Every day, the airline sends crews on trips throughout the nation, so a single significant delay or cancellation can have an impact on the entire network.
Southwest is experiencing what many are referring to as a "full-blow collapse," multiplied by tens of thousands of personnel and antiquated equipment.
What may travelers anticipate in the days coming up to the new year?
According to the internal memo that was viewed, Southwest intends to run approximately 1,500 flights per day, or about one-third of its scheduled flights, until Friday.
The airline won't be rebooking impacted passengers onto flights before Friday as it tries to reset its network and personnel schedules.
It's too soon to say how well Southwest's plan will work and whether it will result in additional travel delays for the New Year.
While attention may be focused on Southwest's comeback, the majority of other airlines seem to be on the verge of making a turnaround.
Mother Nature remains the wildcard, as she aptly does at this time of year.
Holiday travelers may experience largely trouble-free air travel in the weeks leading up to New Year's if the winter weather goddess has no more practical jokes left.
The airlines might actually get a respite, it seems as of Tuesday.
In the days before New Year's Day, forecasts only indicate minimal weather concerns that could affect travel.
Advice for navigating operational meltdowns
Unfortunately, this is not the only significant operational collapse we've witnessed this year.
In fact, Southwest faced one in October 2021, though it was much smaller, and much of our guidance for dealing with irregular operations is still valid today.
Nevertheless, there are a few specific points that are important to remember and could guide you through this most recent disturbance.
Don't check bags
You might not be able to avoid checking bags but try your best to do so.
Most airline baggage handling systems have been taxed by this most recent wave of meltdowns, resulting in wait times of several hours or more to get your checked luggage once a flight is canceled.
Even if you get to reach your destination, it could take days or even weeks for your checked bag to arrive.
We advise putting an Apple AirTag in your luggage and keeping all of your valuables in your carry-on if you have to check a bag.
Fly nonstop
You should aim to avoid a connection if at all possible given the high number of canceled and delayed flights.
Even if your first flight goes as planned, you never know what will happen with the subsequent flights.
You can always return home to stop loss if you start at your starting location.
Finding a place to stay in a city other than your destination can be difficult when you're already on the road.
Check the rewards on your credit card.
Several of the best credit cards for traveling come with trip interruption and cancellation insurance.
Make sure to charge any airline costs to these cards, and before your trip, familiarize yourself with your perks.
Inform your credit card provider if your flight is indeed canceled so you can take use of your advantages.
Book another airline
Southwest does not have any interline ticketing agreements with other airlines, therefore if your flight is canceled, you cannot be rebooked on a different airline.
If you must go, think about selecting a different airline for your flight.
Although you might have to pay a walk-up fare, points and miles could be able to assist you to defray part of the expense.
No matter why a flight is canceled to, from, or within the United States, you are always entitled to a refund (not credit).
Throw in the towel
If you can, try to avoid traveling right now if possible.
It is obvious that it will take Southwest's operation days, if not a week or more, to recover completely.
There's no guarantee that you'll be able to get home on time, even if you do manage to reach your goal.
Save and submit your receipts
Southwest Airlines has stated in its travel disruption FAQs that it will "respect reasonable requests for payment for meals, accommodation, and substitute transportation" from passengers who are affected by a canceled flight or a major delay between December 24, 2022, and January 2, 2023.
The Southwest website allows you to upload copies of the expenses incurred and describe your position in order to send those receipts "for consideration."
In conclusion
Christmas 2022 might end up being regarded as one of the biggest operational meltdowns the American aviation sector has ever experienced.
The worst may still be to come for Southwest even though the majority of carriers are on the road to recovery.
The Dallas-based airline has canceled or delayed thousands of flights in the days leading up to Christmas, and until Friday, roughly two-thirds of its schedule has been abandoned.
Additionally, through Friday, the airline will halt proactively rebooking passengers while it seeks to restart its operation.
Even though it's too soon to say what kind of long-term harm this will cause Southwest, one thing is certain: this catastrophe has already wrecked this year's holidays for hundreds of thousands of travelers.
FACEBOOK