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DALLAS - After thousands of flight cancellations that stranded holiday travelers across the country, Southwest Airlines announced plans to return to normal operations with minimal disruptions on Friday.
Last week, a powerful blizzard and bomb cyclone caused flight delays and cancellations that had a ripple effect across the U.S. While most airlines were quick to recover, Southwest Airlines wasn't as fortunate and was forced to cancel thousands of flights.
This, in part, was due to the weather. However, in an apology from Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan, it was announced that the airline's large fleet of aircraft and flight crews weren't where they needed to be.
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Southwest CEO releases statement
Bob Jordan, the CEO of Southwest Airlines, released a video statement after thousands of flights were canceled across the country on Monday and Tuesday.
"With our large fleet of airplanes and flight crews out of position in dozens of locations, and after days of trying to operate as much of our full schedule across the busy holiday weekend, we reached a decision point to significantly reduce our flying to catch up," he said in the video apology.
In a news release Thursday, Southwest Airlines said it plans to return to normal operations Friday.
"We are encouraged by the progress we've made to realign crew, their schedules and our fleet," the statement read. "With another holiday weekend full of important connections for our valued customers and employees, we are eager to return to a state of normalcy."
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Backlash continues following Southwest Airlines cancellations
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Jordan said he spoke with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday to provide an update on the unfolding situation. He shared all the details on what the airline is doing to "make things right" for Southwest Airlines customers.
"We know even our deepest apologies – to our customers, to our employees, and to all affected through this disruption – only go so far," the Southwest statement read.
Southwest Airlines passengers can file claims for reimbursement
Southwest Airlines passengers affected by the mass flight cancellations and delays can now submit information for a possible refund or reimbursement.
Southwest Airlines has created a travel disruption website dedicated to passengers seeking reimbursement for affected flights.
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There, you can add your reservation number and name and submit the request to Southwest.
If you've incurred additional expenses, like booking a hotel, travel on another airline, a rental car or food, Southwest said it would "honor reasonable requests for reimbursement."
You can send Southwest an email with receipts or check out their website for more information.