Buttigieg writes a brutal letter to Southwest CEO, requesting that they follow through on their promise to reimburse travelers.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Blasphemy Southwest Airlines In a Thursday letter to CEO Bob Jordan, Jordan demanded that the company immediately take action to reimburse passengers who were left behind.

The carrier had announced plans for resume normal operations On Friday, nearly two-thirds (or more) of the flights cancelled during busy Christmas travel season were canceled, even though severe winter weather conditions in the United States had subsided. The company’s executives announced that they would reimburse passengers whose flights were cancelled, as well those who had to stay in hotels or rent cars or buy tickets with another carrier.

Buttigieg calls the “level of disruption” Southwest customers have reported experiencing the following week “unacceptable” in his letter Jordan was warned by him that his agency would continue to exercise its powers “the fullest extent of its investigative and enforcement powers” Customers will be reimbursed

“While weather can disrupt flight schedules, the thousands of cancellations by Southwest in recent days have not been because of the weather. Other airlines that experienced weather-related cancellations and delays due to the winter storm recovered relatively quickly, unlike Southwest,” The former Democratic presidential candidate wrote. “For many, Southwest’s severe flight disruptions have resulted in missed time with loved ones during the holidays and in being separated for a prolonged period from their luggage even if they never boarded a flight.”

Southwest is a major airline that uses a route method that avoids hubs. This allows them to offer quicker flights to those who live in smaller cities. A flight delay or cancellation can impact the entire network, as staff members and planes don’t report to the next leg.

“Travelers are stuck at airports, facing the possibility of spending significant amounts of money to find another way of getting where they need to go. No amount of financial compensation can fully make up for passengers who missed moments with their families that they can never get back,” continued Buttigieg. “That’s why it is so critical for Southwest to begin by reimbursing passengers for those costs that can be measured in dollars and cents.”

The company has made it a point to provide meals for employees when they are away from home. “controllable cancellation or delay” According to Buttigieg passengers can wait for three hours to get a new flight. He said that the Transportation Department will “take action to hold Southwest accountable” If the company “fails to fulfill commitments” The airline included customer service plans.

Southwest cancelled 57% percent of its flights Thursday while other carriers like American Airlines or United Airlines cancelled less than 1 percent of their flights, according the Southwest website. data FlightAware. On Friday, cancellation rates for all three airlines were similar.

As flight crews return home, executives have attempted to control damage. “Our network is highly complex and the operation of the airline counts on all the pieces, especially aircraft and crews remaining in motion to where they’re planned to go,” Jordan said that in statement This week, earlier. “We’re focused on safely getting all of the pieces back into position to end this rolling struggle.”

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