Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has felt the dire effects of Dallas-based Southwest Airlines’ (SWA) decision to cancellation many flights during the busiest travel period of the year.
Frustration and disappointment were evident among passengers looking to fly out of AUS on Monday as their travel plans have abruptly changed as a result of the disruption mostly caused by a massive winter weather disturbance that rumbled across the U.S.
“Children were asleep on the concrete floor in Christmas pajamas,” an unidentified passenger told Austin NBC affiliate KXAN in an email.
Citing CNBC, KXAN reported that more than 10,000 flights through New Year’s Eve on Saturday were cancelled, which impacted travelers and airline personnel alike.
Per the station, it took at least two hours for flyers in desperate need for assistance to reach an SWA customer service representative on the phone.
“While I don’t have figures from specific airports where we operate, we are still experiencing disruptions across our network as a result of Winter Storm Elliott’s lingering effects on the totality of our operation,” a spokesperson for the low-budget carrier told KXAN.
Austin CBS affiliate KEYE reported that more than 100 incoming flights to AUS on Monday were cancelled as were 50 outbound flights.
SWA said in a statement the encompassing situation is “unacceptable.”
“Our heartfelt apologies for this are just beginning,” the statement reads. “We’re working with safety at the forefront to urgently address wide-scale disruption by rebalancing the airline and repositioning crews and our fleet ultimately to best serve all who plan to travel with us … This safety-first work is intentional, ongoing and necessary to return to normal reliability, one that minimizes last-minute inconveniences.”
According to Austin FOX affiliate KTBC, Austin airport officials said in a statement they are grateful for passengers’ patience during what they called a “challenging travel period” of which they’re trying to negotiate.
The station reported that SWA said that customers with a reservation from Christmas Day through Monday, Jan. 2, 2023 may rebook or travel standby minus any additional charges.