Chaos persists for Southwest passengers after airline cancels hundreds of more flights
OAKLAND, Calif. - Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds of more flights on Monday following a weekend of chaos and disruptions.
For a third straight day, thousands of frustrated passengers traveling from California to the East Coast were either stranded or delayed after the airline canceled more than 350 flights.
Monday’s cancellations amounted to 10% of Southwest’s schedule, and at least 1,400 other flights, or roughly 40%, were delayed, according to the FlightAware tracking service.
Randell Torres who flew back into Oakland International Airport on Monday said he was supposed to meet his wife in Las Vegas on Sunday, but that didn't happen.
"My wife was coming up Sunday morning for the Raiders game and her flight was canceled. She couldn't get re-booked until 10 p.m., the game is at 1 p.m., so she wasn't coming," Torres said.
Passengers at Oakland airport also expressed frustration with having to wait for their baggage only to find bins coming down the luggage chute.
Aarti Bhatnager shared video on Sunday of the empty bins on the conveyor.
"Southwest Airlines filled baggage claim at Oakland International Airport with these bins at 12:30 am after a day of cancellations and massive flight delays, while herds of passengers waited for their bags," she wrote on Twitter.
Southwest blamed the cancellations on bad weather and air traffic control issues. The Federal Aviation Administration said it had adequate staff over the weekend. The administration also said many airlines experienced cancellations because planes and crews were out of position.
The airline maintained that there was no evidence that indicated the disruptions were caused by any sort of employee protest.