US waives $11m fine for Southwest Airlines over 2022 holiday meltdown

Southwest Airlines is breathing a sigh of relief after the Trump administration announced on Saturday that it will waive an $11 million fine over its handling of a massive meltdown during the 2022 holiday season. The airline had faced criticism for its chaotic response to a perfect storm of issues, which stranded over two million passengers.

As part of a larger settlement worth $140 million, Southwest agreed to pay $35 million in cash fines and provide travel vouchers to affected passengers. The company also invested more than $1 billion in improving its operations and performance, a move that appears to have paid off according to the US Department of Transportation.

In a written order, the department cited Southwest's decision to invest heavily in its operations as the reason for waiving the remaining fine, which was originally due by January. The gesture suggests that the administration is willing to take a more lenient approach towards airlines that are taking steps to improve their services and reliability.

finally some good news for SWA! they dodged that bullet by like 11 million bucks no wonder they went all in on improving ops hope it pays off, been saying it since last year when they had that meltdown think it's awesome the USDoT is giving them a break now, shows they're willing to help airlines improve and not just collect fines forever

I gotta say, this is a huge win for Southwest Airlines ! I mean, $11 million in fines is no joke, but it's clear they were willing to listen to the complaints and make some serious changes. Investing over $1 billion into their operations? That's like, major game-changer . And now, they're getting a pat on the back from the US Department of Transportation .

I think this is all about showing that airlines can't just get away with being super sloppy during the holidays . They need to step up their game and prioritize customer satisfaction. And it looks like Southwest has definitely taken those lessons to heart. Plus, they're actually doing something about it - providing travel vouchers and whatnot .

It's all about accountability, you know? Airlines can't just rely on luck or hope that everything goes smoothly during peak seasons. They need to be proactive about improving their services and reliability. And if the government is willing to help them out by waiving fines when they make those changes, then that's a win-win for everyone!

awww yay!! southwest is getting a break gotta give 'em props for takin' responsibility and makin' some serious investments in their ops it's great to see the admin bein' all lenient and supportive of airlines tryin' to get things right especially after that crazy holiday meltdown back in 2022 140 million bucks is a pretty sweet settlement too can't wait to see southwest flyin' high again

OMG this is such a huge deal!!! I'm so glad Southwest gets to breathe a sigh of relief after everything they went through last year. It's crazy to think about how chaotic it was for those 2 million passengers... I mean, can you even imagine being stuck on the tarmac with no idea what's going on? But I guess the airline really did learn from their mistakes and took steps to improve, like investing in operations and all that. And now they're getting rewarded for it? That's just good business sense, right? The fact that the admin is being lenient with them shows they care about passenger experience too... it's not all about profits anymore!

I don’t usually comment but I think it’s pretty cool that Southwest got off scot-free . Like, they totally messed up during that holiday meltdown and stranded like 2 million people – that’s not okay! But I guess the administration saw how they took responsibility by investing a billion bucks in fixing their problems, and decided to cut them some slack .

It's also kinda interesting that this move is being seen as a "lenient approach" to airlines taking steps to improve... like, shouldn't we've been expecting that from our government? I mean, it sounds pretty standard practice to hold corporations accountable for their mistakes, but whatever. At least Southwest gets to avoid paying the full fine and can focus on getting their act together .

I'm pretty stoked about this news . So, you gotta think about it, an airline like Southwest is gonna have a major meltdown like that, with millions of people stranded, it's like, a nightmare scenario. And then to face a fine of $11 million? It's just too much, especially when you consider the impact on their business and reputation.

But here's the thing, this decision by the Trump administration shows that they're actually listening to the airlines and trying to find a balance between holding them accountable for their mistakes and giving them space to improve. The fact that Southwest is now investing over $1 billion in improving its operations? That's like, a huge win-win . It sets a precedent for other airlines to take notice and make changes too.

And let's not forget about the passengers – they're getting some serious compensation here . $35 million in cash fines and travel vouchers? That's like, a major apology gift. So yeah, this news is definitely a positive one .

man i guess this is good news for southwest airlines they were really hammered last year with all those flight meltdowns it's awesome that they got to pay off some of the debt and invest in improving things now the fact that the gov't is being a bit more chill about it too is a win i mean we don't need any more air travel nightmares so fingers crossed that southwest can keep up with their new efforts

Wow Southwest Airlines must be super relieved, 140 million dollars is a lot of cash to pay off in fines! Interesting how they had to shell out 1 billion for ops improvements tho... guess all that effort paid off in the end?

man I remember when we used to fly with Air Canada and they'd always have those crazy delays like 5-6 hours, but you know what? at least they had hot meals in the cafeteria haha! anyway back to southwest, I'm just glad they're getting a break after all that drama. $140 million is still a lot of cash, I mean who's got that kinda money?

I think it's cool that they're investing $1 billion into improving their ops, that's some serious effort. It's like, what happened back in the day when airlines were just trying to get people from point A to point B without too much fuss? those were the days!

anyway, I guess this shows that even with all the chaos, they're taking responsibility and making changes. so yeah, I'm kinda happy for southwest

Just heard this news about Southwest Airlines and I gotta say, it's like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders . $11 million in fines is no joke, but for them to get that waived is a huge relief. And the fact that they're investing over a billion bucks into improving their operations? That's what we call progress . It shows that there are people in power who actually care about passenger safety and satisfaction.

I'm glad to see that the admin is being more lenient towards airlines that are willing to step up their game. It's not just about throwing fines around, but also about giving them a chance to make things right . Southwest is definitely taking advantage of this opportunity and it's great to see. Now, let's hope they can put this behind them and keep flying smoothly .

Finally some good news for us passengers who've had to deal with all that stress on Southwest flights . I mean, can you believe they were slapped with an $11 million fine back in 2022? That's just crazy! But I guess paying $35 million and investing over a billion dollars into improving their operations was enough to talk the administration down from that price tag.

It's about time we saw some change around here, but it's also interesting to see how the administration is taking a more lenient approach towards airlines. Maybe they're realizing that these companies do need some help to improve their services and reliability. I'm not saying I'll be flying with Southwest anytime soon (I've had my fair share of issues), but it's good to know they're on the right track now.

OMG, have you seen those airline food ads on TV? They're so cheesy! I mean, who thought it was a good idea to serve "in-flight pizza" at 30,000 feet? I swear, if I'm gonna get some major motion sickness just thinking about it... anyway, back to Southwest Airlines... yeah, nice move by the Trump admin, but you know what's even crazier? The prices of avocados lately! Like, $5 for one tiny thing?! Ridiculous.

man this is good news for southwest lol they totally deserved it after what went down last year . i'm glad they're making changes to improve their ops and stuff, it's about time too. $1 billion is a huge investment and hopefully it'll pay off for them. the fact that the gov't waived the fine shows they're willing to work with airlines who are trying to do things right . plus $35 million in cash fines ain't too shabby either . now we just gotta see if they can actually deliver on those promises and not mess up again