Southwest Cancellations Continue Into Tuesday After Christmas Holiday

DALLAS, TX — Thousands of Southwest passengers traveling after the Christmas holiday weekend were left wondering whether they would be affected by the airline's mass cancellations that continued into Tuesday morning with the airline saying it would operate roughly a third of its schedule over the next several days.

Of the more than 2,883 flights within, into, or out of the United States Tuesday that have been canceled, more than 2,500 are with Southwest Airlines, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

In addition, according to FlightAware, the total number of delays within, into, or out of the United States is 983.

The continued cancellations come following an even larger series of cancellations the day after Christmas. On Monday, 3,989 flights were canceled, 2,909 of which were Southwest flights. Flights departing smaller airports, such as Palm Springs International and Ontario International in Southern California were "hit or miss" with cancellations as the airline struggled to run roughly 30% of its fleet Tuesday morning.

Scenes from airports shared on social media showed bags piled up at airports across the country as customers were left stranded. Customers also faced long hold times when trying to reach the airline over the phone.

"Due to adverse weather events and their resulting effects, we are currently experiencing operational disruptions and are working diligently and safely to restore normal flight schedules as quickly as possible," the airline wrote in an advisory on its website.

Related:

• Southwest Airlines Flights From Palm Springs, Ontario Canceled Tuesday

In an update Monday, the airline said it was fully staffed and prepared for the holiday weekend when the severe weather hit.

Southwest Airlines added that customers could get their tickets refunded but warned those who plan to immediately rebook that availability is limited.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said it would examine whether the cancellations were controllable and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan.

The airline's woes come after a massive winter storm pummeled large parts of the country with heavy snowfall, high winds and bone-chilling temperatures. The storm knocked out power to millions and wreaked havoc on Americans' travel plans.

In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul described the situation in Buffalo—one of the hardest hit areas—like a “war zone”, calling it an “epic, once-in-a-lifetime” storm that has killed several people.

This story will be updated.