The summer flight journey with Southwest Airlines left a lot to be desired for many. The company is addressing these issues with a unique solution: reducing the number of flights. Southwest isn't just any airline; they currently offer the highest number of daily flights among their major competitors.
However, with the surge in post-lockdown travel demand, several airlines, including Southwest and American Airlines, are struggling to keep up. Southwest's plan to reduce daily flights by 27 in September and down to 3,420 by October, is their attempt to cope with this situation.
The high demand isn't the only challenge Southwest is facing. A sizeable labor shortage has made recruitment efforts a priority. Initially, Southwest along with other major airlines, reduced their workforce during the pandemic. Now, as the demand picks up, they are looking to re-hire.
The pilots' union, though welcome to the news of fewer flights, expresses concern about the impact on their members. The union president, Kathy Murray, believes in reducing the flight schedule to improve cash flow but emphasizes the need for effective solutions to reduce cancellations and lighten the load on the crew.
The flight attendants are another group feeling the brunt of the labor shortage. Union president Lyn Montgomery reports that flight attendants are at a breaking point due to the staffing crisis. The situation has been exacerbated by 1,000 flight attendants taking early retirement offers. Montgomery explains that flight plans are frequently altered, flight attendants are often asked to work extended hours, and even some flights are run without any crew onboard.
Southwest acknowledges the challenges with hiring flight attendants during this time. To encourage them, Southwest is offering double pay for flights around the 4th of July. Despite the issues, other airlines are also grappling with staffing, as travel recovery has been faster than anticipated.
The flight schedule reductions also account for the anticipated slowdown in post-summer air travel demand. Southwest had initially expected a rebound in business travel, but with COVID-19 cases surging and many companies delaying the reopening of their offices, that hope has been deferred.
Southwest issued warnings to investors about the decline in booking numbers and the increase in cancellations for the third quarter. This week's announcement reflects the growing impact of the Coronavirus on bookings.
