Southwest operations return to normal at Midway Airport
CHICAGO (CBS) – After more than a week of chaos, Southwest Airlines promised a return to normal operations.
So did they deliver? CBS 2 Noel Brennan went back out to Midway International Airport where passengers were navigating the backlog.
There were just five canceled Southwest flights on Friday.
But there was also still a line of passengers waiting on their bags from flights canceled earlier in the week.
Still, Midway felt like a much different place on Friday compared to earlier in the week when the line to the Southwest help desk stretched across the airport and kept passengers waiting for hours and hours.
The word "canceled" appeared on every airport screen. Canceled Southwest flights turned baggage claim into a sea of suitcases that seemed impossible to navigate.
But on Friday, Southwest said things are back to normal. The baggage claim area at Midway had been cleared out.
There were few cancellations and flights were arriving and departing on time. Passengers had noticed and those flying on Friday were grateful.
"All the alerts from Southwest kept coming through as they are doing everything they can to make sure all flights are on time and so it seems like things were running a lot smoother," said Jim Legare. "The Southwest crews were very friendly, and I feel bad for them, too frankly because I'm sure they took the brunt of a lot of people's unhappiness."
The airline's CEO said Southwest is investing in operational areas, offering refunds to passengers and covering expenses.
Southwest was operating on its normal schedule on Friday.
Passengers hope things stay normal heading into the new year.