>> Live on KPRC TV. I’m the
KPRC
2. Plus livestream. The news
starts now as the storm
continue to sweep across the
continue to impact many of our
larger stations. And so the
cancellations just compiled
one after another 20250 to 1000.
>> Major travel headaches for
those trying to just get home
airlines canceling thousands of
flights today. Southwest
Airlines canceling more than
2300 flights alone. A mess.
Customers facing long lines
just to speak with reps in person.
>> Or even over the phone, some
waiting as long as 4 hours.
The airline announcing today
that anyone with a canceled
flight will not be able to
rebook until this Saturday at
the earliest. Let’s take a look now at how this affected our
now at how this affected our
Houston based airports today.
Bush Intercontinental Airport,
69 cancellations, 350 delays at
Hobby Airport.
219 cancellations. 65 delays.
Thank you so much for joining
us tonight. I’m Daniella
>> And I’m Brandon Walker in
tonight for Keith Garvin.
We do want to head straight to
KPRC. Two’s Deven. Clarke is
live at Hobby Airport with more
on the daylong frustration for
people. They’re Devon.
>> Bringing Danielle, if you were with us earlier, you
were with us earlier, you
probably remember the huge
crowds of folks lined up here
at Hobby Airport. Well, as you
can see, the crowds have
dwindled, but not necessarily
because they’ve gotten to the
destination. A lot of them have
gone to hotels for the night
after what’s being considered major disruptions with
major disruptions with
Southwest Airlines.
>> Guys made hotel rooms.
Anyone need a hotel room.
Thousands of Southwest
customers from all over found themselves at Hobby
themselves at Hobby
Airport Join together by one
common problem. Our flight was
canceled while some can’t get
out allows money. I mean, I
know we invite as many others
found it hard to get in or
disease. We schedule on
Thursday back. And so the lake.
>> 4, 5, times over and over in we’re going to be picking up.
we’re going to be picking up.
Our love is here, Eric and
Solace and Elsa after
cancellation force them to
spend Christmas Eve.
>> And Christmas in Denver’s
airport. They only made it back home to Houston today after
home to Houston today after
abandoning their southwest
itineraries and buying flights
on united with 10 united to
Dallas. And we took the bus
home. Southwest representatives
say the disruptions stem from
inclement weather obviously
facing some operational challenges this evening with
challenges this evening with
winter storm that has kind of
moved on to include some some
challenges that our flight
crews, big second not where
they need to be along with the aircraft. FlightAware dot com
aircraft. FlightAware dot com
reporting today alone. Hobby
Airport saw 218 cancel
Southwest flight and 52 delayed
Southwest flights. I think
everybody is going to be
looking at how can we improve
this? But again, it’s tough when you get these really,
when you get these really,
really intense weather systems.
>> In addition to bad weather,
a union rep for Southwest
Airlines says the airlines
scheduling system is was
partially behind all of the
disruptions.
>> Meanwhile, Southwest
Airlines saying that it
understands the inconvenience
and he’s doing everything
possible to make things right.
We’re live at Hobby tonight.
Deven Clarke, KPRC 2. How
frustrating?
>> Most definitely Devon.
And this is such a big deal
that new tonight, the U.S.
Department of Transportation
says.
>> It’s now looking into
Southwest Airlines issue saying
in a tweet, quote, It’s
concerned by Southwest an
acceptable rate of
cancellations and delays.
>> And reports of a lack of
prompt customer service.
The department will examine
whether cancellations were
controllable and if Southwest
is complying with its customer
service plan again, that
problem is not just here in >> That’s right. Absolutely.
>> That’s right. Absolutely.
Thousands of passengers are
stranded across the country. >> With nowhere to go reporter
>> With nowhere to go reporter
Michael Aereo talked with some
really frustrated customers and
how their problems will not be
going away anytime soon.
>> From Chicago, no clothes, no nothing. Nothing. And Christmas
nothing. Nothing. And Christmas
at the airport.
>> To Denver, I was on the
phone yesterday for 2 and a
half hours just trying to get
ahold of somebody before I gave
up to Atlanta.
>> Just a delay, delay, delay, rinse and repeat.
rinse and repeat.
>> Holiday travelers stranded
as airlines struggle to recover
from the massive winter weather
system that swept across the
country. More than 3,700
flights canceled as of late
Monday afternoon and more than
6,400 delayed. The bulk of
those cancellations hitting
Southwest Airlines.
>> Southwest Airlines with
staff to its employees were
ready to go to work, but when they chose to take flights into
they chose to take flights into
the middle of this storm or
not. Granted, we can slow
enough flights. Their systems
have not been able to keep up.
>> In a statement, Southwest
said, quote, We’re working with safety at the forefront to
safety at the forefront to
urgently address wide-scale
disruption by rebalancing the
airline and repositioning
cruise and our fleet ultimately
to best serve all who plan to
travel with us. Kathleen Bangs,
a flight aware says Southwest Short and medium-range routes
Short and medium-range routes
can lead to planes spending
more time on the ground,
unloading and boarding
passengers combined that time
with frightful weather airport
operations can slow down way
down.
>> Not making any money not
efficient when you’re on the
ground and that has helped to
slow them down, unfortunately. And in hard-hit New York,
And in hard-hit New York,
Buffalo, Niagara International
Airport is set to remain closed
until at least Wednesday
morning after getting more than
49 inches of snow. >> I’m Mike Valerio reporting.
>> I’m Mike Valerio reporting.
>> And tonight we wanted to
come from is Southwest Airlines
was not accepting any new
reservations until December
31st. So we’re looking at
booking a flight from Houston to Miami. You’re looking right
to Miami. You’re looking right
now at a live look at Southwest
Dot com. As you can see
tomorrow, no flight Wednesday,
no flights.
>> Thursday, no flights Friday,