Travelers wait to be accommodated, reconnected with luggage as hundreds more flights canceled at BWI
BALTIMORE — Southwest scrapped more than 60 percent of all scheduled flights Wednesday, the most of any carrier, FlightAware reported.
While many airlines made headway with recovery efforts Monday after a massive weekend winter storm swept across the country, Southwest is under scrutiny by both federal officials and passengers for the way it handled rescheduling trips.
For days, thousands of Southwest flights have been cancelled, including more than 200 Dec. 28 at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, according to FlightAware.
Thursday, another 186 of the carrier's flights are scrubbed in and out of Baltimore.
In a video statement posted to Twitter earlier this week, the airline's CEO Robert Jordan said Southwest would operate under a reduced schedule over the coming days but hoped to return to a sense of normalcy before next week.
While Jordan explained the storm heavily impacted the carrier's network of flights, he added that Southwest's approach to recovery from disruptions need to be upgraded to avoid a repeat, despite it working "99 percent of the time."
While some people have been able to make it to Maryland by plane or by rental car, challenges persist at BWI airport's baggage claim where luggage bags line the walls and dozens of people wait to speak to Southwest representatives.
"This is my second trip I'm making here. It's very inconvenient," said Bel Air resident Basithullah Khan.
Khan explained he made it back to Baltimore from Houston on Friday, narrowly missing mass delays and cancellations from the storm. But since arriving, he's been on the search for four missing suitcases.
"People have been flying Southwest just because they give two free suitcases. As a result of that, they're paying the price now," said Khan.
His wife and daughter are still stuck in Texas, faced with cancellation after cancellation.
Other people originally scheduled to fly Southwest, such as Eric Raabe, decided to hit the road to head home instead.
"No flights were available to get back here to Baltimore, so we rented a car in Columbus, Ohio and drove 7 hours. Our bags, we just found out, are in Chicago," said Raabe.
Southwest has opened a self-service tool to help those experiencing travel disruptions. If your flight has been significantly delayed or canceled, you can use this link to request a refund and other services that may be offered.
You can find flight cancellation and disruption information by visiting this link on the Southwest website.
"Try to show them grace, try to show your fellow humans grace and try to make the best of it. That's all we can do," said Raabe.
