In our digest, ‘Southwest Airlines: Fallen From Grace?’, we stated that, “The success of Southwest Airlines is unmatched in many ways”. However, recently Southwest Airlines (Southwest) has been struggling to regain its footing after thousands of cancellations and delays as a result of an alleged failure in its electronic scheduling system.
It is widely known that Southwest is arguably the most successful airline by profitability in the United States, and is ranked among the top airlines in that country. However, as we stated in ‘Southwest Airlines: Fallen From Grace?’, “It is worth noting that tremendous success such as this is not without its equal amount of challenges. It is no doubt that Southwest had to overcome tremendous challenges in the past to become this successful”. Therefore, while things may be tough for a while, a betting person would put their money on Southwest coming out of this challenge as they have in the past. How long it will take, however, is anyone’s guess.
In this week’s On Aviation™ Digest, we share a few stories and articles on What has been going on with Southwest lately, giving some insights into how they are coping with their recent scheduling debacle, and shed some light on what we can expect from the airline juggernaut moving forward.
For related reading, see also: ‘Southwest Airlines: Symptoms of a Much Larger Problem?’
Can Southwest Airlines fix its tech problems? We asked aviation experts. The answer wasn’t encouraging
Will the majority of travelers forgive Southwest Airlines and start buying tickets on the major U.S. air carrier again? To answer the question, it helps to have a deep knowledge in commercial aviation information technology operations, which safe to say, is not something most travelers possess or travel websites offer to consumers researching the latest airfares. Southwest Airlines accepted the blame for its technological meltdown during the holidays, and it has committed over $1 billion to fixing it.
By Kaitlin Balasaygun | CNBC
Delta, Southwest airlines issue waivers ahead of major winter storm
MINNEAPOLIS — With a major snowstorm expected to hit Minnesota this week, some airlines are issuing travel waivers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. On Sunday, Delta Airlines announced the travel waiver is effective from Tuesday through Wednesday.
By WCCO Staff | CBS Minnesota
Southwest Airlines raises Wi-Fi fees for passengers with connecting flights
Southwest Airlines has announced a new pricing model for its onboard internet, raising Wi-Fi fees for passengers with connecting flights. Beginning on Feb. 21, onboard internet will be purchased per-leg and from “Takeoff to Landing,” replacing the airline’s current DayPass. Customers who hold A-List Preferred status can continue to access onboard internet free of charge.
By Julia Musto | FOXBusiness
Southwest Airlines Making a Pricey Change Passengers Won’t Like
Southwest only charges for a few extras after you buy a ticket. You can purchase “Early-Bird Check-in,” which automatically checks you into your flight 24 hours before takeoff and you can pay for Business Select seating which gets you a position among the first 15 non-preboard customers boarding the plane. You also get charged extra for alcoholic drinks on the plane and one other thing — in-flight internet service. Currently, Southwest charges $8 per day for one non-transferrable device connection (meaning that if you sign up on your phone, you can’t switch your connection to your laptop).
By Daniel Kline | The Street
Thank you for reading this week’s On Aviation™ digest. Do you believe that Southwest will be able to come back from this? Please share your thoughts in the comments below, and remember to continue the conversation on our Twitter and Instagram.
Orlando – On Aviation™
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Note: The views and opinions expressed in the content shared in this digest are for informational purposes only, are solely those of the original content creators, and do not constitute an endorsement by or necessarily represent the views of On Aviation™ or its affiliates.