'We're crossing our fingers': Southwest travelers hope for best as airline promises return to normalcy
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - Nearly a week after that nasty winter storm, cancelations, delays and serious travel woes continue as Southwest Airline makes a big promise to travelers Thursday night.
An airline worker said only two flights left Philadelphia compared to 14 flights scheduled for Friday. Southwest is saying they are returning to normal operations.
"We’re very nervous, seeing all of the cancellations and the reports of bags going missing and stranded in the airport. So, it’s a little bit concerning," Southwest passenger Andrew Markowitz stated.
Markowitz visited with family in Delaware and is heading back home to Denver through Chicago Midway International Airport.
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According to FlightAware, Denver International Airport is ranked as having the highest number of cancellations with Midway ranked second worst. "I think part of the issues were definitely starting because of the weather, but a lot of that was just due to technical failures within Southwest, which you can’t really predict."
Southwest reportedly canceled more than 13,000 flights since December 22nd, impacting what’s believed to be more than 1 million people.
The airline said, in a statement:
"We are encouraged by the progress we’ve made to realign crew, their schedules and our fleet. With another holiday weekend full of important connections for our valued customers and employees, we are eager to return to a state of normalcy."
Travelers flying on other airlines are relieved to have dodged the Southwest meltdown.
"We’re traveling with two kids, a dog and we have a lot of luggage," Lauren Koves said as her husband Brett added, "It would’ve been a nightmare."
Markowitz is holding his breath until he reaches his final destination. "I mean, we fully expected to have to cancel the flight and not leave until next week and, you know, we’re just crossing our fingers and hoping that everything will be okay."
Anyone who was booked with Southwest and is in need of assistance due to lost luggage or flight cancelations can get more information at the Southwest Airlines website, here.