Southwest Airlines canceled a staggering number of its flights Monday in the wake of last week’s winter storm, leaving customers stranded in airports across the country and its customer-service lines overwhelmed.
The winter weather affected a number of airlines, but Southwest’s were especially hard hit, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. As of Monday afternoon, Southwest had canceled 2,684 flights, accounting for roughly 66 percent of its total flight schedule for the day.
In a statement to CNN, Southwest said it was experiencing ““disruptions across our network.” Those cancellations played out live in airports across the country, where stranded passengers posted video on social media of huge lines at customer service and baggage claims filled with stacks of luggage.
Key airports for Southwest were especially affected by the cancellations, including Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Dallas Love Field, and Denver International Airport, according to CNN.
Angry customers complained on social media about canceled holiday plans, with a reporter claiming a Southwest agent announced that flights at one airport couldn’t be rebooked for four days.
Southwest’s online and phone customer service centers were also flooded with customers trying to rebook flights. In a Monday tweet, the airline said it was undergoing “high call and social inquiry volumes.”
