Southwest Airlines is one of the companies that issued the worst news people would receive this Holidays 2022 season, and it is with the canceled flights that means they cannot go to their destinations this time. And while one of the top reasons for this is the harsh Winter conditions in several states, an "outdated" software is another problem it faced.
This information came from a pilot that went on to blame these notorious flight cancellations on the software of its systems, one that keeps track of its staff.
Southwest Airlines' Holiday Cancellations: Outdated Software?
(Photo : Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 28: Travelers search for their suitcases in a baggage holding area for Southwest Airlines at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. More than 15,000 flights have been canceled by airlines since winter weather began impacting air travel on December 22.
Insider's interview with Southwest Airlines Pilots Association Vice President and pilot Mike Santoro revealed another reason for the company to cancel flights during the holidays. The pilot mentioned that schedulers had a problem with their outdated systems, with the technology not being able to keep track of its crew at all times.
Santoro claimed that a handful of flight attendants and pilots were available to fly amidst these cancellations and are only hanging back on the back of the planes, waiting for deployment.
The "outdated" software caused some of these delays and cancellations, one that could be averted if it could properly track its crew to fly the passengers during the season.
Harsh Winter and Outdate Software Means NO Holidays
According to Gizmodo, Southwest previously admitted that its system gave the company challenges in the scheduling of its flights and securing calls for the company. And this old system, paired with the harsh winter conditions in several regions of the country are several recipes for disaster, which eventually caused people to cancel their holidays in specific destinations.
Flight Cancellations and Airline Problems
This is not the first software and tech rodeo for Southwest Airlines, as a previous incident in its systems also caused cancellations for its passengers and crewmembers. As many as 500 flights faced cancellations from the company in this incident alone, and that only shows that it needs to improve it before further actions.
And while this is not the only reason for flights to get canceled, it is something that Southwest has been having a problem with for several years now.
Previously, the company also saw the overbooking of its flights, something which it already promised to fix to avoid future blunders with its system.
With different airline problems already something that people and companies expect during the holidays, especially for areas that face harsh winters, that is not always the case. Southwest Airlines is in dire need of a software update to help its systems properly accommodate flights, crewmembers, and passengers who use their services.
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