WASHINGTON, D.C. – Illinois U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth was one of those who called top officials from Southwest Airlines out on the carpet for how they did — or, didn’t — respond to massive delays caused by last December’s winter storm at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Thursday.
Duckworth — a veteran military pilot and chair of an aviation safety subcommittee — says it’s important for those executives to know just what they did, even at their second largest hub, Chicago’s Midway Airport.
“One Chicagoan, who was scheduled to fly with two young children to see their grandparents, checked their coats and the children’s car seats, only to be told their flight was cancelled, and because with staffing shortage, there was no one who could bring those essential items to them,” said Duckworth. “Imagine going without coats in Chicago in December.”
The Democrat says she wants writing from Southwest’s CEO that things won’t be as bad during the next winter storm.
“Please explain the specific benchmarks Southwest must hit in the coming months and years to fulfill your promise that this will never happen again,” said Duckworth. “And, make sure to address how the company will transparently measure progress, and hold executives accountable for missing those benchmarks.
Duckworth says Southwest was ultimately playing with people’s lives, not just their lost luggage.
The carrier would not specifically say how better they can address potentially large volumes of customer complaints in the event of a similar situation.
“We must crack down on carriers that have gotten away with predatory practices that treat customers like suckers and view passengers with disabilities as disposable,” Duckworth said. “In recent years, [the aviation industry] has suffered from complacency and a desperate drive for profits that has placed the needs of Wall Street above all else.”
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