Southwest Airlines Operational Blunder

Over the 2022 Christmas holiday, reports circulated for what some were calling the, “Once in a Generation” winter storm. Layer that storm with an influx of holiday travel you’re bound to run into some logistical issues. Leaving many travelers stuck at the airport due to cancellations, checking into nearby hotels or booking on competing airlines to get to their destination.

What’s unique about this travel blunder was Southwest Airlines execution of the situation. Unfortunately, leaving 2500 flights cancelled per day, which was roughly 62% of planned flights. For perspective, Delta only cancelled 15 flights at the height of one of those days.

There were many factors that played into this Southwest blunder, but since our specialty is project and operations management, we will focus on the operational elements.

  • Reasons it Failed

    • Proper Systems Not in Place

      • Chief Executive, Bob Jordan of Southwest Airlines made it known, “we’re behind…as we’ve grown, we’ve outrun our tools.”

      • The current system in place has been around since the 1990’s

      • The union has requested system updates for years

    • No Automation

      • Not only do those system issues cause problems, but it leads to an extensive manual process

      • Southwest Airlines does not have an automated way to contact teammates who are reassigned. Its literally manual and managers have to chase them down in airport to report updates

    You vs. Southwest Airlines = No Difference

    Do you find yourself as a business owner knowingly allowing your business to fail?

    You’re aware that backend operations, planning, and tools are just not where they should be, but you continue with business merely “getting by” by the grace of the Entrepreneur God’s. As a result, you cost your business more time and money and you more energy constantly trying to band-aid internal issues.

    It’s time to sit back and identify that you need experts like The PM Suite to repair those wounds. We’re able to identify those gaps at a much faster rate. A thorough Operational Audit allows trained experts like us to make sound decisions in the strategic growth of your business.

    Bring the new year in with a little less weight on your shoulder. Your business deserves a revamp so you can continue to scale.

Plan & Organize, ToolsNicole Jones