SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Southwest Airlines has canceled thousands of flights across the country in previous days, including at Sacramento International Airport (SMF).
The company canceled a combined total of more than 145 inbound and outbound flights on Tuesday alone, leaving some travelers suddenly stranded.
“I know that it was going to be a little hard during the holidays, but I didn’t think it would be like this,” said Caia Flath.
She was trying to fly home to Texas Tuesday morning, but her flight got canceled after hours of delay. Now, she’ll have to return to the Sacramento-area family she visited for the holidays while she tries to find another flight home.
“It’s kind of scary, but it’s more frustrating than anything because I just want to get back home – and especially for school too. I don’t want to miss any school because of this,” she said.
The Terminal B baggage claim at SMF is a sea of luggage.
“It’s just incredible that all of this luggage belongs to people that aren’t here right now,” said Walt Banham, who lives in Rocklin.
He was at the airport picking up his daughter, whose Southwest flight from Dallas went smoothly, with no delays or problems.
“But we obviously can see around us, this is anything but normal. I have never seen all this luggage stacked up from passengers that aren’t here or luggage that didn’t get on planes to go wherever it’s supposed to go, Banham said.
ABC10 watched as travelers browsed the rows of luggage, looking for their bags. Southwest employees also checked their ID to make sure the bag belonged to them.
A SMF spokesperson said, “Luggage is the responsibility of the airlines but SMF has offered to open up secure rooms to hold luggage, we also have stepped up security of guarding that luggage on the ground floor with our sheriffs team and Operations staff.”
This comes after reports of stolen luggage. Traveler Erica D. Schwartz told ABC10 a Good Samaritan-esque person found her luggage strewn by the side of the road, with some items missing, she said. Schwartz has filed a report with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office tells ABC10 multiple people had their luggage stolen early Monday morning—and they’re actively looking for the suspect or suspects.
In the meantime, travelers like Rebecca Duncan, of Texas, are trying to rebook canceled flights—but the next available flight isn’t for awhile.
“They said maybe Jan. 1,” she said, after her flight to Austin was canceled Tuesday. “So we’re thinking we’ll try some other airlines, but we haven’t gotten to that point yet because we had to get down here and then try to find our big suitcase. We found it and so now we’re going to the next step.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation is now looking into the situation with Southwest Airlines, telling ABC10 in a statement:
“The rate of cancelations and delays on Southwest Airlines is unacceptable and dramatically higher than other U.S. carriers. This afternoon, Secretary Buttigieg spoke with the CEO of Southwest Airlines and conveyed that he expects the airline to live up to the commitments it has made to passengers, including providing meal vouchers, refunds, and hotel accommodations for those experiencing significant delays or cancelations that came about as a result of Southwest’s decisions and actions. Southwest, as all airlines, is also obligated to provide a cash refund for passengers whose flights were canceled and decided not to travel.
“The Secretary also spoke with union leaders that represent Southwest’s flight attendants and pilots. They conveyed to him that many flight attendants and pilots are stranded alongside passengers, sleeping on cots or having to book their own hotel rooms. He also conveyed to Southwest’s CEO that he expects Southwest to do right by their pilots and flight attendants—and all their workers— in these situations.
“The Department will take action to hold Southwest accountable if it fails to fulfill its obligations and we will stay engaged with Southwest Airlines to make sure the airline does not allow a situation like this to happen again.”
President Joe Biden tweeted about the situation on Tuesday, saying, “Thousands of flights nationwide have been canceled around the holidays. Our Administration is working to ensure airlines are held accountable. If you’ve been affected by cancellations, go to @USDOT’s dashboard to see if you’re entitled to compensation.”
That site is HERE.
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