Flight Cancelled by Southwest TERRIBLE SERVICE!!!

[serraroz]

I had a connecting flight in Pheonix that was cancelled. The crew were in a group talking about how they might not be able to work the flight because they wouldn’t have 10 hours between their other flights. We were assured the airline was looking for a crew for the flight. Half an hour later, we get a text and announcement that the flight was cancelled due to “weather and other reasons.” This was very clearly a staffing issue. It was already 11:30pm. The flights we were given were for the following morning. We were not offered a hotel or vouchers for our inconvenience. The flight I was given had an extra stop, making my flight home longer (in total three take offs, three landings). Most of us paid out of pocket for a hotel because it was late. We were not offered vouchers or compensation in anyway because the cause was “weather.” You have lost a customer forever!

[TheMiddleSeat]

This is a customer to customer forum.  You can send your comments using the contact us link at the bottom of the page and send a message.

--TheMiddleSeat

[serraroz]

Yes. My intention is to let other customers know how they will be treated.

[dfwskier]

Federal rules specify that crew members MUST have an interval of at least 10 hours between times on duty (not just flight time) . Once an employee has spent 14 hours on duty, that employee is prohibited from spending any more time on duty. This is called "timing out." That is likely what you heard the employees talking about.

https://www.paramountbusinessjets.com/faq/crew-duty-time-private-aviation.html#:~:text=The%20max%20c....

It might not have been a staffing issue. Airlines don't  keep   "extra" crew at each airport they fly to. So Southwest had to get a new crew to you in order to make your flight possible. If weather prevented them from flying to your airport., then the issue was in fact "weather" caused.

So weather not only affects planes, but crew availability, too. Weather was an issue yesterday as one article pointed out, and there were other problems, too.

https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/over-100-southwest-flights-delayed-at-san-diego-internationa...

https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/08/14/flight-delays-expected-after-false-shooting-report-las-vegas-ai... 

All airlines handle cancellations the same way. If the cancellation is due to "an act of god" like weather, then the airlines do not provide things like free of cost lodging, but if the airline is solely responsible for the flight's cancellation (for example, the plane is broken) then the airline do provide such things.

[serraroz]

Yeah well they left a 75 year old man to fend for himself in the airport overnight. It was obvious none of the employees there that evening cared an ounce.

[dfwskier]

---

@serraroz wrote:

Yeah well they left a 75 year old man to fend for himself in the airport overnight. It was obvious none of the employees there that evening cared an ounce.

---

Did he ask for help? Was he refused help?

edit add: also, not all seniors are helpless.

[jksobonya]

There's not much you can do at 11:30PM ... when was your flight originally scheduled to depart?

--Jessica

[serraroz]

It was supposed to leave earlier in the evening… 7 or 8 o’clock hour. It was delayed to after midnight, and then cancelled.