National
Almost 3,000 US flights canceled Monday as Southwest Airlines struggles
(CNN) — Last week’s winter weather travel mess is lingering like a hangover into this week — and the headaches are particularly bad for Southwest Airlines and its passengers on Monday.
Almost 3,000 flights within, into or out of the US had already been canceled by 2 p.m. ET Monday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, while more than 4,900 flights had been delayed.
Southwest accounts for a big share of those. The Dallas-headquartered airline has canceled more than half of its flights, or more than 2,000 total flights, on Monday, according to FlightAware.
On social media, customers are complaining about long lines to speak with representatives, problems with lost bags and excessive wait times or busy signals on the airline’s customer service telephone lines.
‘Disruptions across our network’
In a statement to CNN, Southwest Airlines said it is “experiencing disruptions across our network as a result of (the winter storm’s) lingering effects on the totality of our operation.”
Some of the airports seeing the biggest issue are Denver, Las Vegas, Chicago Midway, Baltimore/Washington, and Dallas Love Field where Southwest operates.
Calls to Southwest’s customer service attempted Monday afternoon by CNN did not go through, so customers couldn’t even get in the queue to speak to a representative. Southwest told CNN it is “fully staffed to answer calls.”
The airline also says, “those whose flights have been canceled may request a full refund or receive a flight credit, which does not expire.”
Meanwhile, in hard-hit western New York, Buffalo International Airport said in its most recent tweet that it plans to resume passenger flights at 11 a.m. ET Tuesday.
The temperature at the airport was 18°F (-8°C) around 2 p.m. ET with light snow falling on top of the huge amounts the area has already seen.
Bad road conditions
Road travel remained treacherous in parts of the United States because of extreme wintry conditions.
In New York state’s western Erie County, emergency restrictions on driving were lifted in some communities but remained in place in Buffalo, County Executive Mark Poloncarz said on Monday.
“The City of Buffalo is impassable in most areas, while mains may have a lane open for emergency traffic or two, most secondaries as well as side streets have not been touched yet,” Poloncarz said.
He adding that the cleared main roads are primarily for the use of life-saving measures to open up areas around hospitals and nursing homes.
A rough past week
A winter storm that swept across the United States was ill-timed for travelers who had started pushing Christmas week flying numbers back toward pre-pandemic levels.
On Christmas Day, there were 3,178 flights canceled and 6,870 flight delayed, according to FlightAware.
On Christmas Eve, there were a total of 3,487 flights canceled, according to FlightAware.
Friday was the worst day of this streak with 5,934 cancellations, while Thursday saw almost 2,700 cancellations.
This megablast of winter weather across the eastern two-thirds of the nation is forecast to slowly moderate this week.
More developments to come on this breaking news story.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
By: Ceci Partridge
December 26, 2022
Latest Instagram Posts
Who makes the NBC Top 3, winner will be announced Sunday night on NBC Palm Springs, with the player who makes the number one spot winning a $250 prize from @hondaofthedesert! Comment below if it will be 1 Silias Bloodworth with the scoop and score, 2) Eusebio Gallo with the kickoff touchdown, 3) Keymorie Rogers with the throw on the run, 4) Damian Durinzi with the rushing TD, or 5) Mario Gallo with the dot towards the endzone #fypage #fridaynightlights #football #hondaofthedesert #highschoolfootball
Hundreds gathered outside the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., for the “Hands Around the Kennedy Center” rally, protesting President Donald Trump’s handling of the performing arts center. The demonstration came after the Kennedy Center board voted to close the facility for repairs and amid an ongoing dispute over the center’s future. Actress and singer Lynda Carter was among those who addressed the crowd. apnews.com Watch the latest video on NBC Palm Springs.
Alice B. has announced it’s closing its doors. It’s cozy atmosphere and unique seasonal menu made it a must try and even landed it in the Michelin guide. @susanfeniger and @marysuemilliken left their mark on the desert over at Living Out and it will be missed. Here’s a clip from one of our last interviews with Susan.
Cathedral City City Council votes to rename “LGBT+ Days” to “Cathedral City Pride”. The council approved the change in a 5-0 vote during its latest meeting, updating the official name of the city’s annual celebration. Stay tuned with NBC Palm Springs to see what this means to the Coachella Valley Community #CathedralCity #pride #CityCouncil #CoachellaValley #LocalNews
Discover the Coachella Valley with the Everything Palm Springs app. From iconic attractions and hidden gems to local restaurants, shops, entertainment and even filming locations, the map-based app is designed to help both visitors and locals find more of what the desert has to offer. Creator Lindsay Kinkle is also expanding the app with video tours and narrated guides, giving users another way to explore Palm Springs and the surrounding communities. Local businesses like Buena Matcha are also getting a chance to connect with new customers through the platform. As Lindsay says, there’s so much to do and enjoy here — you just have to know where to look. #PalmSprings #CoachellaValley #EverythingPalmSprings #PalmSpringsApp #VisitPalmSprings DesertLife LocalBusiness CoachellaValleyBusiness NBCPalmSprings
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
What’s next for Palm Desert? Join community leaders, local businesses and regional stakeholders for the 2026 State of the City Address. Topics: • Economic Development • Infrastructure • Public Safety • Community Programs • Palm Desert’s Future CTA: Friday, September 18 | 11:30 AM JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort
Former Silvercrest CEO, William Rodriguez is expected back in court today in connection with the deadly 2024 Cathedral City hit and run that killed a woman. The murder charge was dismissed, but Rodriguez still faces felony hit and run and suspended license charges.
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
Murder suspect Vicky Kim has once again not been cleared to appear in court. Kim is accused of killing her husband at their Palm Desert condominium complex. Her arraignment has now been delayed three times. Stay tuned with NBC Palm Springs as we track the latest developments in this case. #VickyKim #PalmDesert #CoachellaValley #BreakingNews #CourtUpdate NBCPalmSprings