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December 22nd, 2008
08:30 pm - The letter I wrote the FTA
There is something VERY wrong when an airline has 3.5 days of canceled flights, and other airlines are getting flights successfully out of Portland OR. Ergo my query that I am searching, does SWA have to get their passengers on the first flight out despite what airline that is?
Anyone with information, please come forward. I'm searching around and this is the letter I submitted to the FTA:
"To Whom It May Concern,
I am trying to find out if it is illegal for an airline to cancel your flight and then not get you on the next available flight, even if it on a different carrier. I am one of the hundreds affected by Southwest Airline's cancellation of every flight leaving Portland OR's airport over the last three days, 12/20-22/2008. I was in line with people who were back for their 4th day of trying to fly standby. SWA was unable to confirm a seat for me and my traveling companion until after Christmas, the reason for our travel. No other airline was afflicted in this extreme fashion at PDX. Is Southwest federally mandated to make sure their passengers are on a plane? Any plane where they might then catch a Southwest connection to their final destination? Thank you."
Should you be so inclined to send a letter of your own, I thank you.
I'm now off to file complaints with the Better Business Bureau and anyone of the SWA higher ups I can find online.
Current Mood:  determined
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Comments:
I think all they're obliged to do is to refund you your money.
Of all airlines I bet Southwest has the worst relationship with other airlines - it would probably be very hard for them to get other airlines to take you on when SW does not reciprocate this.
Just guessing on the second half but the first bit I think is right.
You are correct, and according to Aviation Consumer Protection, you can request their endorsement of a ticket on a different carrier, but there is no federal rule requiring them to do this.
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/6466732/1250961) | | From: | ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) terani |
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| Date: | December 23rd, 2008 01:27 pm (UTC) |
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| | | (Link) |
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Are you flying only standby, or did/do you have a confirmed seat on some flight?
Confirmed seats. They did notify us in a timely manner that our plane was cancelled, but then had no where to put us that would get us to Albuquerque by Christmas.
| | From: | terani |
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| Date: | December 23rd, 2008 06:51 pm (UTC) |
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| | | (Link) |
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Yeah. Looks like the only thing they guarentee is a refund if cancelled, if you go by their website.
Do any other airlines fly out of Portland?
And do you have any other airports in driving range?
Sea-Tac, but they're having similar problems. Other airlines are flying, but they're full up, and SWA won't endorse a ticket on another flight, so I'd have to pay the difference, which is a lot.
| From: | (Anonymous) |
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| Date: | December 23rd, 2008 06:00 pm (UTC) |
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| | Southwest's problem at Portland | (Link) |
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As the mom of two someones flying into Portland this week and after watching gazillions of hours of reports on the subject matter, I think Southwest's problems were these: they did not have enough de-icer chemical on hand (each airline is responsible for their own supply), all other flights were sold out due to Christmas travel, and high-level Gorge winds were restricting traffic both IN and OUT to one runway.
One of my sons made it in, the other is driving in from San Diego.
Good luck with your travel.
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/89944193/4717258) | | From: | purplenimue |
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| Date: | December 23rd, 2008 06:46 pm (UTC) |
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| | Re: Southwest's problem at Portland | (Link) |
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All of that is true. And apparently the company - I'm trying to find out which one - was unable to bring more de-icing fluid to SWA at pdx.
I also can't help wondering if part of the problem is not having enough de-icing machines. The SWA employee who assisted me explained it in a way that had only one machine working on a plane at a given time, so that by the time the de-icer made it around the plane, it's starting point was iced again.
When I worked at O'Hare Airport, I observed 2-4 de-icing machines working on a plane at a given time.
So, either the employee assisting me was incorrect (and this was a ticket agent not an engineer) or SWA doesn't have the quantity of de-icing machines needed to handle this kind of weather in Portland.
I'm glad your son's are making it. :)
| | From: | terani |
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| Date: | December 23rd, 2008 06:52 pm (UTC) |
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| | Re: Southwest's problem at Portland | (Link) |
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At O'Hare ice is very, very common. Thus we'd most certainly have more machines.
Last I heard, the weather you've gotten is extremely rare for that area.
| | From: | purplenimue |
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| Date: | December 23rd, 2008 08:08 pm (UTC) |
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| | Re: Southwest's problem at Portland | (Link) |
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This too, is also true. According to my neighbor it's the most snow they've had in 15-20 years. |
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