Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan has vowed that Christmas travel will be smoother this year after last year’s meltdown that saw thousands of flights cancelled and customers stranded.
“We’re ready for winter, absolutely ready,” Jordan told Bloomberg this week.
The comments come a year after one of Southwest’s most embarrassing periods, when it cancelled thousands of flights and “significantly” reduced its schedule to “catch up” after days of bad winter weather. The airline was later forced to apologise, refund customers and even give 25,000 Rapid Rewards points to affected customers.
The whole debacle cost the airline nearly $1.2 billion, according to Bloomberg.
“It was an ugly week,” Jordan said of last year’s fiasco. “But that week does not define Southwest Airlines.”
Jordan told Bloomberg that Southwest has improved training and added new cold-weather equipment such as de-icing trucks. The airline has also created a “disruption pod” to respond more quickly to problems, and developed new software to coordinate potential changes in aircraft and crew schedules.
“Winter is not going to be perfect,” Jordan said in a CNBC interview also this week, but noted that the airline is prepared.
Earlier this year, Southwest also said it would significantly reduce mid-week flight capacity, cutting flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And Jordan said the airline would consider offering red-eye flights in the future, a service it doesn’t currently offer.
Southwest is also in the process of upgrading its in-flight experience and is working to improve its in-flight Wi-Fi. The airline has also made it easier for customers to earn status in 2024.
Jordan’s latest comments come as airlines prepare for a busy and record-breaking holiday season. According to AAA, a record 7.5 million travellers are expected to fly during the December and January holidays, and airports are expected to be the busiest they’ve ever been during the holiday season.