While the crowds decrease at Dallas Love Field Airport in the aftermath of Southwest Airlines’ meltdown this holiday season, and the company begins to reset operations, customers’ quests to reunite with lost luggage is still an issue.
“Our teams are working around-the-clock reuniting customers with their luggage,” Dan Landson, a Southwest spokesperson, said in an email. “Customers can find more information about reporting missing luggage as well as rebooking options and requesting refunds may visit Southwest.com/Tripdisruption.”
Southwest Airlines carries more bags than any other U.S. airline with over 10 million per month, according to Chris Perry, a Southwest representative. According to the Air Travel Consumer Report by the Department of Transportation, for January 2022 to September, Southwest enplaned 90,470,475 pieces of luggage, and typically 0.5% are mishandled, meaning lost, delayed or damaged.
On Thursday, when the Dallas Morning News asked what those numbers look like this week with the recent scheduling debacle, Perry said, “I don’t have a number per week.”
That doesn’t surprise Matt Arazia, who with his partner has been trying to get luggage back since Christmas after their flight to see family in South Texas was canceled.
“It feels very discombobulated,” said Arazia, who has made multiple trips to Love Field and called Southwest multiple times. Arazia still doesn’t know when he’ll see his bags again.
“For everyone we talk to, there’s a different story. The latest that we heard is, one bag is on its way and then the other bag is in Harlingen.”
After waiting on the phone with customer service for about an hour and a half, Arazia said that he heard from a Southwest representative that one of his bags is on the way to Dallas, but there isn’t an estimated time of arrival.
“It’s just so interesting because if it’s routed to Dallas, do you know what flight it’s on? Then we should have some sort of an ETA,” he said. “I don’t really know what to think or who really to believe.”
Natalie Gonzalez never got to go home to see her family in Houston for Christmas. Her flight was Christmas Eve and after spending almost a full two days at the airport, her flight was canceled.
Her car needed to be fixed and she ended up having to order a $100 Uber to get back to her home.
“My luggage, not having much, everything was in there,” Gonzalez said. “I’m very low on clothes and my medications, everything was in there. Not having my meds, for one, has been horrible. I really need them.”
Gonzalez said that she was nervous to come to Love Field Wednesday because she knew the Baggage Service Office line would be long and she didn’t want to have to leave empty-handed. However, by Thursday, she said she needs her medication back.
