sailingfun

Does anyone know what is happening with Southwest in ATL today. I realize there is weather but probably 80% of their flights are cancelled. Delta is running a near normal schedule.

e6bpilot

There was a big line of wx that went through this morning. Looks like they canceled all departures for a two hour window. It’s the new SWA way, cancel in advance and rebook everyone later, resulting in fewer disruptions and more angry customers. I personally hate it, but its way above my pay grade.
Delta hates canceling flights, so they just take the delay, sometimes for hours and hours. Not really sure which is worse.

Grumpyaviator

I get the same experience between bwi and clt. SWA will cancel most flights at the drop of a hat and aa will run a full schedule on time.

at6d

It didn’t used to be like that. Back in the day if SWA cancelled, it meant **** was getting real around here!

ipdanno

You can thank the Tarmac Delay fines. Can’t fine an airline for a cancelled flight.

WHACKMASTER

Oh yeah? So Delta is not subject to that?

sailingfun

My concern was SWA pax’s we’re booking themselves on Delta messing up my non rev plans. In my past experience SWA rarely cancels. This was extreme. The weather was not a factor after about 7am. Just light rain at that point.

iHateAMR

Nobody said Delta took the delay off the gate. More often than not, they wait to board. No boarding, no tarmac delay, no fine.

e6bpilot

ATL was in a ground stop about half the day.
The “new” SWA cancels flights at the drop of a hat if they think there is a chance of bad weather affecting ops. Some accountant has figured out that it looks better on a spreadsheet to just reaccomodate pax later without all the delay drama and ensuing and cascading delays that last hours in a station where you are constrained by gates (ATL). Delta has the infrastructure to handle the ground delays. SWA would just end up leaving the pax sitting on the ramp waiting for a gate. HQ has made it very clear that a tarmac delay is an unacceptable outcome. Note also that SWA is about 40 airplanes short right now, so freeing up aircraft is also a priority.
I personally don’t agree with it. I think you lose a lot of customer goodwill and it is left to the crews and ground ops to try and explain it to ****ed off pax, but it is what it is.

GuardPolice

SWA stopped all ops at Dallas Love from 1800-2200 on the evening of the 18th due to forecast storms, too. That certainly helps with validating this new trend.