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Flight cancellations have led to scores of unclaimed luggage : NPR


Unclaimed baggage at William P. Hobby Airport on Thursday in Houston, Texas.

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Unclaimed baggage at William P. Hobby Airport on Thursday in Houston, Texas.

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A winter storm caused Southwest Airlines to cancel thousands of flights during the holiday at the last minute. And a large portion of the hundreds of thousands of stranded or delayed passengers still don’t know where their luggage is.

Airlines get ready for a tumultuous travel season expected to generate revenue similar to what airports experienced before the pandemic. Dangerous winter storms across the country only exacerbated the situation, leading to all major airlines have to cancel or delay flights when the weather rages.

And one airline in particular – Southwest Airlines – has been significantly affected. A blizzard caused the company cancel 60% of flights, leaving hundreds of thousands of tourists stranded. But regardless of whether passengers can reach their final destination or spend the holiday at home, it seems many are still trying to find their luggage.

William J. McGee, senior fellow for Aviation and Travel at the American Economic Freedom Project, said: “I’ve never seen a crisis of this scale, that’s the thing. worst we have ever seen.

McGee, who has studied aviation since 1985, called the mass flight cancellations from Southwest “unprecedented”.

“There is no relief in sight,” he continued. “It’s impossible to predict when things will return to normal.”

On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan public apology for its customers. Jordan said the airline had decided to cancel the flights “after several days of trying to squeeze out our schedule during a busy weekend”, adding that he had been in contact with the Transport Secretary. US Transportation, Pete Buttigieg.

“I want everyone who is working on the problems we’re having, whether you can’t get where you need to go or you’re one of our heroic employees who are doing their best to be okay. determine the airline. “And also please hear that I’m really sorry.”

Bri Murphy and her husband, Peter Ferguson, plan to fly from Nashville to Denver on Christmas Day. While at the airport, the couple watched Southwest continue to delay their flight before canceling it altogether. Now, they are waiting to board another flight.

A traveler inspects unclaimed baggage at William P. Hobby Airport on December 28 in Houston, Texas.

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A traveler inspects unclaimed baggage at William P. Hobby Airport on December 28 in Houston, Texas.

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But their luggage, the couple quickly discovered, made it to Denver without them. Murphy’s father-in-law, who lives in Denver, was able to drive to the airport and find their two suitcases. But a third – containing Murphy’s Christmas presents and potions – is still in the pile somewhere.

And while Murphy waits to be reunited with her suitcase, she continues to spend hundreds of dollars in expenses, transporting herself to and from the airport and replacing some of her belongings.

“Having all these kinds of side effects makes it difficult to deal with,” she said.

As McGee explains, Southwest Airlines is different from other major airlines, like Delta or American, because it follows a point-to-point model.

“What you’re doing with Southwest is you’re checking a bag from the first city to the second city, then checking it back in the third city,” he said. “Whereas with American, Delta or United, you’re checking baggage from the original city to the destination.”

Travelers queue for help finding lost luggage at William P. Hobby Airport on December 28 in Houston, Texas.

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Travelers queue for help finding lost luggage at William P. Hobby Airport on December 28 in Houston, Texas.

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The point-to-point system, in which planes fly from one smaller airport to another, used to be the standard for airlines until the federal government deregulated airlines in 1978. Now, most major airlines instead follow the hub and spokes system, where routes are connected to a large hub.

Another problem, according to McGee, is the lack of oversight by the aviation industry. McGee and the rest of the American Economic Freedom Project proclamation of the model law in September, that would remove the Department of Transport as the industry’s sole regulator.

“After a summer of flight cancellations, delays and withholding of refunds, removing airlines’ liability shields will shift power back to consumers, state AGs, courts and state legislatures, forcing airlines to finally stop mistreating and cheating passengers,” McGee said in a statement. a press release announcing the model law.

After Brittney Buckley’s flight from Denver to Chicago, where her family lives, was cancelled, she was able to rebook another flight that would take her there a few days before Christmas.

Although the airline told her her bags would be waiting for her in Chicago, the gas tags, an Apple tracking device, on her luggage – contained winter clothes, gifts, and more. Christmas and her prescriptions – show that they’re still in Denver. She suspects that they are somewhere buried under the mountains of bags currently scattered throughout the airport’s baggage claim area.

And as she prepares to fly back to Denver, she’s not sure when she’ll see them again.

Airline employees search for unclaimed baggage at William P. Hobby Airport on December 28 in Houston, Texas.

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Airline employees search for unclaimed baggage at William P. Hobby Airport on December 28 in Houston, Texas.

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“I am just one of millions of people waiting in this corporate machine for answers,” she said. “And I know we don’t have that much power. I’m just waiting for a few days to pass so I can get another update on my baggage. At this point, I’ve removed them all. “

And in case her flight home gets cancelled, she has another plan: she’ll bravely drive 14 hours home with a friend.

Although her husband frequently travels for business with Southwest, Murphy isn’t sure if she will ever fly the airline again.

“For me, it depends on what kind of change is really happening over the next few months,” she said.

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