comment: >
  
  If it's anything like the last rounds of actions by the FAA/DOT it will be mostly refunds and compensations for passengers plus part of the fines getting used for additional refunds that aren't enforceable instead of going to the treasury.
context: Southwest's computer system hasn't been updated since the early 90s. Start there. >
  
  This is an issue with a LOT of companies. I used to work for a Fortune 50 company that had incredibly dated internal software and didn’t seem interested at all in changing things no matter how much IT pressed it. We’re talking hundreds of billions in valuation with a decades old system where you can’t even change basic settings without risking the whole thing crashing. But hey the boss got an 8 figure bonus every year 😬 >
  
  I know a guy who wanted to be an IT guy at his country's national bank. He was obsessed with getting the latest certs, anticipating that they may be running on cutting edge tech that he is not familiar. He got the job aaaand same thing as you said, hundreds of billions runs through there...on 25 year old systems. >
  
  The cost to upgrade these IBM iSeries/zSeries AS400 machines is in the hundreds of millions of US dollars.
  They have decades worth of code changes on them and would take 3+ years to swap out with endless teething issues. >
  
  
  3+ years to swap
  
  I've been in the software industry for 20 years. 3+ years is painfully optimistic. >
  
  I was literally thinking the same thing. Realistically is more around the 5 year ball park. >
  
  At the 5 year mark everyone will agree it is just best to start over. >
  
  Southwest had another meltdown like this last year. There was some planning hiccup where they didn’t have enough pilots at the right airports, and their scheduling software just froze. I got stranded in Denver airport for most of a day while all the other airlines were operating normally. These scheduling meltdowns have mostly made me stop flying Southwest. >
  
  The same thing happened this time, their scheduling software broke again. The weather obviously made it worse, but from what I hear the software was the original cause of the worst of the issues. >
  
  If this happened in an EU country, they would've had to pay passengers a lot of money. In America, it's just business as usual.. 😔 >
  
  Even if Buttigieg could find a way to force Southwest to give out full refunds, a bunch of GoP idiots would probably say that the refunds would "stoke the flames of inflation" or something like that. Someone may even use that exact quote. >
  
  Republicans say dumb shit no matter what. We need to stop pretending like it matters. >
  
  That’s when democrats have done their best. They ignore the right and move forward with their plans. They don’t address whatever crazy lie the right is saying. Instead of giving the lie airtime and giving Americans the ‘both sides’ the left gets done what they need to and Americans then see the benefits. The left is finally figuring out the right will always move the goal posts when they prove their point. Now the right doesn’t even bother coming up with excuses and just straight up lies. >
  
  I disagree. Republicans have been claiming we couldn't do all sorts of popular reforms because of "inflation". Heck we even had to pair down the child tax credit, effectively raising taxes on 100 million Americans.  All to fight inflation they say. And the Democrats who join with Republicans get called moderate centrists. 
  So if raising taxes on Americans is now moderate centrism, then I'm sure forcing Americans to eat their cancelled travel plans is to. >
  
  Yep, it’s disgusting.  We have Sinema and Manchin torpedoing everything beneficial to the middle class and the media calls them “moderate centrists”.  No, they are extremists. Extremists who sometimes do the right thing, but still they are absolutely not “moderate”. 
  Democrats can’t just ignore right wing and media bullshit - they’ve always done that.  They need to call it out for the bs it is. >
  
  When you take $4B hand out, you get to take the government’s phone call. >
  
  Well, to be fair….they may be waiting a few hours before they reach someone one. >
  
  Nothing made me more mad then realizing SW has two customer service lines. 
  The basic one, which can’t get refunds and basically is a person navigating the webpage for you. This useless line has a callback feature so you don’t have to sit on hold, they call you when it’s your turn!
  Conversely, the customer service line for refunds doesn’t utilize the same call back tech and forces you to wait on hold for hours. This is such an obvious affront to customers and should be punishable with heavy fines or something. >
  
  Report them to the DOT. I bet something will be done. >
  
  This isn't an isolated incident with SWA. I travel frequently for business. I used to fly SWA almost exclusively until this year, when I had 3 flights cancelled on me over the space of a few weeks this fall.  (Not for weather, which I can understand). 
  The service on Southwest has been degrading for some time, and there's been zero accountability. >
  
  Tbf, every American airline service has been degrading for decades now. SWA is just going downhill faster. >
  
  This is the type of situation that historically would tank a company entirely or force nationalization in others due to this private company being incapable of “updating with the times”. If the accusations from within are true (they are, lots of their IT infrastructure is just post y2k scare) then that’s ONE part of this story the other part is shitty management that refuses to update as they need to - ceo Bob what’s his face… this is on you and every yes man around you. I hope this hurts all of the administrators… I would be thrilled to see potential jail time if it turns out past malfeasance helped cause this. >
  
  The sticker says this computer is never obsolete so by god Frank you are going to shove this floppy disk in and get to work! >
  
  I'm gonna take my lunch while this new code complies. >
  
  Flight was canceled this morning. Just drove 10 hours to make it to a work meeting in the morning. Wasn’t fun. >
  
  Mine was cancelled around midnight mon/tues, so didnt find out till Tuesday and same. I was in NOLA, supposed to fly to Tampa. Nearest suggested airport was freaking St. Louis lol. I was lucky to find a decent rental at least. >
  
  Impressed you could find a rental. My buddy got one of the last "one way" rentals coming back from Florida on what will be a 14 hour drive home for him back north (he's on the day 2 leg now). >
  
  Does this mean an executive will become the face of the fiasco and be fired?  That's one thing that needs to happen in my opinion.  Otherwise there is no bite. >
  
  What does that even matter?  They made millions already and will have another gig lined up.  Being fired as an executive is not like being fired in a front line position. >
  
  It matters in how it's done.  Much like the cop we've been reading about making the feces sandwich.  He won't be a cop again do to public out cry.  That failure is public and attached.  The same should be done for executives in my opinion.  You think Elizabeth Holmes will get out and be trusted again? >
  
  I remember a time before Herb Kellerman retired when SWA was famous for their customer service, low fares, and doing the next right thing. I flew SWA in those times we all did the "cattle call" thing with slightly ironic grins.
  Thirty years later, SWA pricing is no longer particularly competitive, The cattle call has turned into class warfare, and nobody is grinning. BTW, they lie like rugs when offering free en-route flight changes. >
  
  Kelleher >
  
  Based on the response to this post. We are doomed to self inflict more punishment and we’ll be so close minded that we’ll say thanks for  the abuse from airlines too. >
  
  I would like to take this opportunity to point out that a month or so ago, there was a comment period from Congress that was open to all of us. It was in regard to making airlines provide more legroom in flight. Hardly ANYONE knew about it because it wasnt advertised at all - and that was intentional. 
  It was the perfect opportunity to tell congress that overselling flights should be illegal and that a maximum plane capacity should be maintained so that each flyer can be just a bit more comfortable during your flight.
  They actively do not want to get better about any of this.
  If we gave a damn, we’d have nationalized air and rail a LONG time ago. >
  
  Meanwhile, electric bills go up 400% in Texas. >
  
  As a Texan, I concur >
  
  Accountability will end up being a huge fine that the federal and state governments get whereas the people actually affected by it, the plane passengers, get shit.