Southwest’s flights are organized point to point to give people cheaper pricing. Does not use the HUBs the feds try to force them into doing so they can control an airline through threats.
Southwest is a bus line of the air, and the weather is what did this in— something they cannot control, NOR can the fedgov and morons like mayor butt gig who is STILL vacation with the “other” .
When the smaller non-hub airports shut down for winter storm, that’s when the system started breaking down. There is also an added factor of butt gig insisting pilots— experienced pilots MUST be retired by 65, not 67 as most unions do. Serious staffing shortages in all airlines caused by liberal a@@holes getting in to the hiring practices of airlines— diversity, age restrictions and a whole lot else they’ve no business dictating. Period.
There’s an excellent description of how SWA got to where it is.
The previous CEO was an accountant that focused on ROI and ignored operations even when other much smaller meltdowns occurred. He basically milked the system the CEO before him built.
That CEO was very focused on operations. SWA’s 1990’s technology failed. They lost track of crews, flights, everything when the system went down.