Back to Squawk list
  • 26

Southwest passengers get no damages for flights canceled by de-icer shortage: U.S. judge

Übermittelt
 
Southwest Airlines Co won the dismissal of a proposed class-action lawsuit seeking damages for stranded passengers on hundreds of winter flights it was forced to cancel because it ran out of de-icer fluid. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis in Chicago ruled on Tuesday that Southwest's ticketing terms did not imply that the Dallas-based carrier had a legal duty to always stock enough fluid. She also said the terms explicitly excused Southwest from liability, because passenger safety could be… (www.yahoo.com) Mehr...

Sort type: [Top] [Newest]


patpylot
patrick baker 6
southwest does not get off my hook so easily: if the oversight was not entirely theirs, the callous response was entirely theirs and not so very pretty is it.
jammen737
jammen737 1
Their response was the policies they have in place. The policies are available when you book your ticket. People have a choice on the airline they choose. Thought sh*t. Nothing happened to the people who sued that didn’t happen to many more people.
BrianNasset
Brian Nasset 4
Hey SWA Winter is Coming!
brock55
brock55 5
SWA operates more flights out of MDW than anyone else so the statement about other airlines running not running out is completely invalid. I would be willing to be those other airlines use a ground handling company to provide those services and SWA has their own employees. I would not call improper or inadequate when the amount of flights by SWA vs other airlines. There could have been a delay by the supplier due to the weather. Don't assume SWA did not order enough.
aecsdr
Chris DiCenso 1
I can't speak for other airlines but I know that when I worked for NWA as a Mechanic (1992 - 2005) they had deicing crews made up strictly of NWA Cleaners and Baggage Handlers. These were seasonal billets of course. I worked MSP and DTW and Northwest never ran out of deicer fluid. It's a MUST HAVE item for the northern stations. If SWA ran out it's because they were trying to cut costs ( read "being Cheap") and ordered the bare minimum. That stuff is ordered months in advance and stockpiled. It was Chicago for Pete's sake, not Tampa. To say other airlines don't fly as many flights out of MDW as SWA really isn't a valid point as you stock for your anticipated usage plus unanticipated conditions. If you don't use it all then it's there for next years use.
keywestjj
It just never ends - the reasons and ways airlines come up with to abuse their customers .... "time to spare, go by air". I only fly if I don't need to be there AND it's free on my credit card points. Drove 36,398 miles last year in 46 states and 7 Canadian provinces and enjoyed every mile and kilometer! On track for slightly less this year.
f4fntm
john doe 2
Oh, interesting. I'd always assumed that de-icing is a function of the airport, not the carrier. Guess I know different now.
devsfan
ken young 2
I side with the carrier on this one.
Unanticipated events causing the depleted de icing liquid is a rare occurrence and is not the fault of anyone.
There is no negligence here.
The bottom line .." is it safe to operate the aircraft in such weather conditions?" SWA decided to err on the side of caution.
tranderson2
Tommy Boy 2
When a consumer pays for a product with very specific attributes, then the business fails to deliver the product, everyone else sides with the consumer. When the consumer fails to plan ahead, have enough gas in the car, plan for traffic, leave early due to snow, and arrives late, the consumer loses. When the airline can't check you in, doesn't have a mechanically sound plane available, doesn't have a pilot available, can't de-ice your plane, the consumer loses, AGAIN.

The airline always have a choice between doing what they are legally obligated to do and doing what is right. All too often, they make the wrong choices

strickerje
strickerje 1
How is this different from a cancellation due to maintenance/mechanical failure? By this logic they get to claim those are rare and unanticipated and wash their hands of any responsibility.
dck787
Donald Knowles 4
Southworst Airlines can't control the weather but they should have the required equipment (including de icing fluid) to deal with the winter challenges in Chicago . Southworst should compensate their customers y'all
btweston
btweston 3
Going to court to avoid doing right by your customers. Good look.
patpylot
patrick baker 4
is southwest obliged to have enough hydrolic fluid in reserve, sufficient tires with tread, engine oil, clean jet fuel? of course, just not noted in the ticket that acts as a cartage contract. This judge is looking the wrong way. Because southwest did an improper , inadequate performance of ordering a winter-sensitive material, its customers suffered added expenses, and southwest ought to , in my opinion, man up and do the right things, especially for better publicity. Southwest should never use Ryanair as a model for corporate behavior.....
jammen737
jammen737 1
Trust me. Southwest doesn’t model any other airline! That’s why they’ve made it this long. And like I said above, people have a choice when they choose their airline carrier. The policies and procedures are in place and are made available when you book a ticket. People should do a little research.
kerimparrot
Mike Williams 1
Somebody should get their Scout badges burned. BE PREPARED!

Anmelden

Haben Sie kein Konto? Jetzt (kostenlos) registrieren für kundenspezifische Funktionen, Flugbenachrichtigungen und vieles mehr!
Wussten Sie schon, dass die Flugverfolgung auf FlightAware durch Werbung finanziert wird?
Sie können uns dabei helfen, FlightAware weiterhin kostenlos anzubieten, indem Sie Werbung auf FlightAware.com zulassen. Wir engagieren uns dafür, dass unsere Werbung auch in Zukunft zweckmäßig und unaufdringlich ist und Sie beim Surfen nicht stört. Das Erstellen einer Positivliste für Anzeigen auf FlightAware geht schnell und unkompliziert. Alternativ können Sie sich auch für eines unserer Premium-Benutzerkonten entscheiden..
Schließen