Southwest Airlines appears to be closer to returning to near normal operations, as the hunt for luggage continues. Meanwhile a North Texas couple extended kindness to those caught in the “flightmare.”
The travel nightmare appears to be easing for Southwest Airlines and its customers.
On Thursday, 2,300 Southwest flights nationwide were canceled, including 197 at Dallas Love Field alone. That might seem like a lot, but after a weekend of travel chaos, it's an improvement.
SOME FLIGHTS ARRIVE AT DESTINATIONS WITHOUT A HITCH
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A flight from Baltimore was one of the few not canceled Thursday. The Mercer family was pleasantly surprised to land in Dallas without a hitch.
"I kind of glanced around the web and saw everything else, but it was perfect," said Lydell Mercer.
"There were no issues with bags, delays or anything like that," said Crystal Mercer. "Customer service was great and we arrived safely."
LUGGAGE REUNIONS CONTINUE FOR SOME
Meanwhile, some passengers and suitcases are still stranded. Walkers and strollers sit at Love Field unclaimed.
Eduardo Sanchez and his wife drove to Texas from New Mexico when her parents got stuck in Houston. Their connecting flight to Albuquerque was canceled seven days ago.
The family stopped in Dallas on the way back to Albuquerque after being told their luggage was at Love Field.
"We're just following the luggage across America," said Eduardo Sanchez.
Happy reunions at the airport become about travelers finding their luggage and reuniting with their belongings.
Kyle Heath's 11-year-old spotted their bag that Southwest left in Denver.
"Like three-fourths of our plane was without bags," said Heath. "They called us at six this morning, and said 'your bags are here.' Here we are!"
NORTH TEXAS COUPLE SHARES GIFT OF KINDNESS
And in the middle of the controlled chaos, acts of kindness.
"Southwest is having a horrible time and people (customers) are having a worse time, so we thought we can bring them treats and books and magazines and help them get through it," said Marilyn Lawson.
David and Marilyn Lawson of North Richland Hills weren't flying anywhere, they simply stuffed suitcases with small gifts to hand out.
"They're so happy and shocked," said Marilyn Lawson.
"Very, very appreciative," said David Lawson. "I've got a whole library in here of books, so they get to pick their own book. We ask them to pass it on to somebody else."
NBC 5 watched as the Lawsons handed out a blanket and a hug to a visibly upset traveler who had been on the phone with the airline for hours.
SOUTHWEST APOLOGIZES FOR PROBLEMS, EXPLAINS NEXT STEPS
Southwest has canceled just 39 flights for Friday. Essentially promising a return to a normal schedule going into what could be a busy New Year's travel weekend.
In an off-camera briefing Thursday, Southwest Airlines' executive team once again apologized for problems but said they had repositioned more than 100 different aircraft and crews to be in position for almost their entire schedule Friday.
Southwest also said it is making every effort to get checked baggage back to customers. The airline said it would be paying for shipping via FedEx, UPS or in some cases flying it on its own aircraft.
For passengers, Southwest said customers can change flights through January 2, 2023.
Anyone whose flight was canceled is entitled to a full refund, and Southwest said it will reimburse travel expenses including tickets on other carriers, rental cars, gas, hotels and meals. The Dallas-based carrier has created a website to help with the refund process but will look at each request on a case-by-case basis. Southwest said the reimbursement process could take several weeks.
Under Department of Transportation regulation, Southwest is required to reimburse passengers up to $3,800 for provable direct or consequential damages resulting from the disappearance of, damage to, or delay in delivery of a passenger's baggage.
