SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — "I am not surprised by this meltdown because we have experienced meltdowns in the past," said a Southwest flight attendant back in 2022.
It's been a year since ABC 10News Anchor Aaron Dickens spoke to a flight attendant, who has worked for Southwest for 20 years. The airline staffer based in California wanted to remain anonymous.
"It all centers around our legacy and archaic IT," said the flight attendant.
Fast forward to Dec. 2023, the airline issued a statement.
"We did make upgrades to our crew scheduling technology and communications. Our issues primarily resulted from an underinvestment in winter operations resiliency," the statement reads. "Our investments to boost that, and other steps we've taken to improve reliability for our customers and employees."
RELATED: DOT orders Southwest to pay record $140M over 2022 holiday meltdown
Customers ABC 10News spoke with at San Diego International Airport say they have noticed an improvement.
"My flight was on time. People were very courteous," said a customer.
"As of today, they did a lot better," said another customer.
Travel experts say Thanksgiving was smooth sailing. When it comes to Christmas week, it's wait and see.
"They have been training. They have been doing a lot of things with their systems. They have rehearsed for this upcoming travel season," said Sarah Kopit, Editor-in-Chief of Skift.
Southwest also sent out an email to employees on Monday.
"By April 30th, 2024, Southwest will provide vouchers of at least $75 upon request when controllable cancellations or significant delays cause customers to reach their final destinations, three or more hours after scheduled arrival times," the email says.
