Southwest flight cancellations continue at PHL
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The travel nightmare continued Thursday for some airline travelers after continued cancellations by Southwest Airlines. Refunds, meal vouchers and other accomodations were being offered to impacted travelers waiting to get to their destinations in the aftermath of Southwest canceling flights.
Thursday, 22 Southwest flights had been canceled at Philadelphia International Airport. Nationwide, more than 2,300 have been canceled.
Wednesday, Southwest cancellations made up more than half of all flight cancellations Wednesday at PHL.
Southwest's CEO has said it could be next week before schedules return to normal.
It's been an agonizing few days for travelers. CBS3 spoke with some people who were in tears, others stranded for days.
"Everything with Southwest was a disaster," Alabama resident Jeff Brassart said. "You couldn't get anywhere quickly or reasonably."
Patience is wearing thin and relief is still days away as Southwest Airlines continues to cancel flights across the country.
"So I'm here today to pick up my bags and to cancel the return trip that was scheduled on this coming Saturday back to Birmingham," Brassart said.
On Wednesday, luck was on Bridget Gaughan's side despite the numerous cancellations. Her Southwest flight from Philly to Chicago got off the ground in the afternoon.
"So far both of my flights are on time, not canceled or delayed, fingers crossed feeling like the proverbial unicorn now," Gaughan said.
Some travelers that used Southwest to travel also have been able to get their checked bags back from the airline, including Vangie White.
White was attempting to fly from Phoenix to Philly with a stop midway in Chicago, but the flight was canceled, so she had to fly to PHL via American. But her luggage is stuck in Chicago.
"It's going to take a week," White said. "They shutdown all operations for week until the end of the year."
As Southwest works to recover from thousands of cancellations ever since a winter storm hit last week, experts say there are a few steps you can take. to avoid getting stranded.
"If you can book non-stop, always book non-stop," Kyle Potter said, an executive editor of the travel website Thrifty Traveler.
Potter says another good tip – always book the earliest flight that you can.
"Nobody wants a 4 a.m. wake-up call, but the data is very clear that the earlier your plane departs or is scheduled to depart the greater your odds of getting on and off the ground on time," Potter said.
Piles of lost luggage are lined up neatly down in baggage claim after what the Department of Transportation calls a meltdown of Southwest's system.
Especially with winter just getting started -- Potter said don't put important items in your checked bag.
"If you think of something you can't live without, I would probably put it in a backpack or a carry on rather than checking it in a bag because even in good times bags get lost," Potter said.
Potter added that travel insurance is worth the extra money, but always read the fine print.
Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said department will hold Southwest accountable for its responsibilities to customers including providing meal vouchers, refunds and hotel accommodations.
Travelers impacted by the disruption can request a refund on Southwest's website. Reimbursements for hotels, meals and other expenses can also be requested at that link. The airline is also waiving rebooking fees through Jan. 2, 2023, though it cautions that its inventory of available flights may be limited.