PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — More flights were canceled in Philadelphia and across the country on the third day of the Southwest Airlines mess.
There were 22 Southwest cancellations at Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday, which accounts for 84% of the airline’s flights in and out of PHL. Only three flights were canceled among all other airlines at PHL.
Nationwide, Southwest canceled 2,355 flights on Thursday as it works on getting crews and planes into position following last week’s winter storm that gripped a large portion of the country.
In response to passenger outrage, Southwest released a second video message from a top executive, who offered an apology and a promise to get things right.
“All the flexibility and planning we put in place to deal with the storm just wasn’t enough,” said Ryan Green, Southwest’s chief commercial officer.
The airline’s customer service lines have been swamped since the travel troubles began, so Green said affected passengers can make changes directly on the website.
According to Southwest’s website, “Customers holding any Southwest reservation from Sunday, December 25 through Monday, January 2, may rebook in the original class of service or travel standby (within 30 days of their original date of travel between the original city-pairs and in accordance with our accommodation procedures) without paying any additional charge.”
Those who are trying to track down their luggage can also fill out an online form. Customers can request a refund for canceled flights, and Green said the airline will reimburse people for some of the costs they endured during the chaos.
“If you have any travel expenses due to the disruption, you can submit those receipts directly on our website,” Green said.
Southwest’s website, under the frequently asked questions, said it would honor “reasonable requests for reimbursement for meals, hotel, and alternate transportation.”
There were no other specifics listed, so it is not clear how far the company will go to reimburse people under certain circumstances. Officials did not say how long it would take for customers to receive reimbursements.
Airlines are not required to issue refunds for cruises, vacations, tickets for concerts or other shows or lost wages, according to the Department of Transportation. The department could, however, force Southwest to pay refunds for all flights that were canceled for reasons within the airline’s control.
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Thursday afternoon, Southwest announced it expects to return to normal operations Friday.