The winter season brought chaos to airports across the United States as Southwest Airlines canceled thousands of flights at the last minute, leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers stuck in limbo. Many passengers were left with no way to get to their destination or any knowledge of where their luggage may be.
What a mess. This is the Southwest Airlines baggage claim at Tampa International. There’s 24 more Southwest flights canceled this morning. Many tags on these stranded bags are from travelers from Denver, Houston and Baltimore @BN9 pic.twitter.com/4C6XFA9eib
— Angie Angers (@angie_angers) December 27, 2022
Southwest passengers can file lost luggage claims here: https://www.southwest.com/help/baggage/lost-damaged-baggage
This travel season was expected to be one of the busiest since before the pandemic, and airlines had already been preparing for higher traffic. But when treacherous winter storms hit, all major airlines had no choice but to cancel or delay flights due to safety concerns. Then, the Southwest “meltdown” compounded the situation.
The process is slow going, with thousands of bags still unaccounted for across multiple airports. While there are some suggestions from experts on how travelers can keep track of their belongings while traveling during bad weather, most customers have found themselves in limbo while they wait for Southwest’s customer service centers to help them out.
In response, Southwest Airlines has issued a statement apologizing for any inconvenience caused and assuring customers that they are doing everything they can do help get luggage returned quickly and safely. They’ve also created a dedicated team of workers assigned solely to helping these lost luggage cases. In addition, many airport personnel have stepped up to provide additional assistance.
We’ve let our Customers and Employees down, and we pledge to do everything we can to make it right. If you still need assistance rearranging your travel, getting a refund, or tracking down your luggage, please visit https://t.co/II3YgdPy7J. pic.twitter.com/64Fdt8jJPn
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) December 29, 2022
