Southwest cancels hundreds more flights Sunday after weekend weather, tech issues
Sean Cudahy is a reporter covering general assignment news on travel, aviation and points and miles. He joined the TPG team in 2022 after nearly eight years as a local television news reporter.
April 02, 2022
•
3 min read
Southwest cancels hundreds more flights Sunday after weekend weather, tech issues
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This story has been updated with new information
Southwest Airlines is still working through residual operational issues Sunday, a day after a combination of technological problems and bad weather led to the airline canceling 15% of its flight schedule Saturday.
As of 8:15am Sunday, data from FlightAware showed 385 Southwest flights canceled for Sunday, 10% of the airline's schedule.
It's been a difficult weekend for the carrier. According to a statement Southwest posted Saturday evening, the flight disruptions started earlier Saturday when the airline had to "briefly pause" its service amid an "intermittent technology issue." The problem, coupled with severe weather in Florida, caused mounting problems.
On top of the hundreds of cancellations, FlightAware data also shows 43% of Southwest's flights were delayed Saturday.
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“We offer our heartfelt apologies for any inconvenience,” Southwest said in a statement Saturday, adding that it’s continuing to work with customers experiencing disruption to their itineraries.
Related: Tips to overcome delays and cancellations
It's not just Southwest impacted by Saturday's severe weather, though.
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Orlando International Airport (MCO) saw 30% of its flights canceled Saturday, with more than quarter of flights canceled at Tampa (TPA) and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Ft. Myers, according to FlightAware data.
Southwest customers impacted by this weekend’s disruptions can re-book within the original class of service they were traveling in or travel standby within the next 14 days without paying any additional fees, the airline said.
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