Southwest – The News Desk

U.S. Fines Southwest Airlines $140 Million for Holiday Meltdown

18Dec

By adminNo Comments

Travel

U.S. Fines Southwest Airlines $140 Million for Holiday Meltdown

The Transportation Department on Monday announced a $140 million fine against Southwest Airlines over a meltdown last winter that disrupted travel for about two million people during the holiday season.Of the $140 million, Southwest Airlines will pay $35 million to the federal government. For the remaining amount, the department is giving the airline credit for providing frequent-flier points as an apology to customers affected by the meltdown, and for agreeing to give out tens of millions of dollars in vouchers to customers affected by future delays and cancellations.The fine is roughly 30 times what had previously been the department’s largest penalty against an airline for consumer protection violations, a $4.5 million settlement with Air Canada in 2021 over customer refunds.“Today’s a...

Phoenix Is in No Danger of Running Out of Water

Farmers in Arizona use far more of it than residents do, so demand declines as the population grows.

Mother Flying With Daughter Sues Southwest After Being Accused of Trafficking

Mary MacCarthy and her 10-year-old daughter, Moira, had just deplaned at Denver International Airport when two Denver police officers met them at the gate, calling them by name and notifying them that they had been reported for suspicious behavior.The mother and daughter had flown a Southwest Airlines flight to Denver for a funeral. Ms. MacCarthy’s brother had died suddenly the night before.Unbeknown to Ms. MacCarthy, a flight attendant had suspected Ms. MacCarthy, who is white, of human trafficking, Ms. MacCarthy said in an interview Monday. Moira, her daughter, is Black.The officers questioned them, Ms. MacCarthy said, adding that her daughter cried in her arms throughout the entire interaction. Ms. MacCarthy showed her driver’s license to the officers; they did not ask for identificati...