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☆ Southwest estimates its December meltdown will cost it up to $825 million in lost revenue, passenger reimbursements, and other costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Southwest estimated Friday that its December operational meltdown will cost it up to $825 million. Expected costs include lost revenue of up to $425 million and passenger reimbursements, the airline said. Southwest said Friday it expected a negative pre-tax impact of between $725 million and $825 million for the fourth quarter "as a result of the operation disruptions." It said a "significant proportion" of this would come from an estimated revenue loss of between $400 million and $425 million. The rest would come from passenger reimbursements, premium pay and additional compensation to employees, and other costs, it said.

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☆ A teacher in Wisconsin who missed her $4,000 honeymoon cruise after Southwest canceled her flight still hasn't gotten her luggage back after 11 days
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two teachers from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, were among thousands to have Southwest flights canceled. Marcus and Andrea Grasenick said they missed their honeymoon cruise after a canceled flight. Eleven days later, Andrea Grasenick was still waiting on her two suitcases to be returned. "I could see our bags outside in the snow from inside the airport," Andrea Grasenick told Insider. The airline canceled over 2,900 flights on December 26, accounting for about half of all canceled flights across the world that day.

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☆ Southwest Airlines hiring a new PR advisor after holiday mess but social media scoffs that even 'free flights' wouldn't make them apply
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Social media users are calling out the ad in the wake of the airline's holiday travel meltdown. Probably an easier job," one Facebook user wrote. Facebook users were quick to comment and joke about the ad, which the Dallas-based airline published on LinkedIn Tuesday. Probably an easier job," one Facebook user commented, according to the New York Post. Despite the high number of applicants, most commenters didn't seem interested in the wake of Southwest's travel meltdown.

☆ An increasing number of lawsuits are being filed against real estate agents as home prices continue to fall across the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lawsuits against real estate professionals increased 9% between 2021 and 2022 as home prices declined. Zach Vollmer, SVP of Real Estate at Victor Insurance Managers, expects the total to increase in 2023. Vollmer added that lawsuits targeting real estate professionals are common when home prices fall. The increasing frequency of lawsuits coincides with a slew of predictions from real estate experts who expect home prices to continue to decrease in 2023. In most cases, Vollmer said the lawsuits contain allegations that seek to trigger reimbursements under a real estate professional's liability insurance policy.

Southwest finished first in economy and budget airline rankings published by the consumer research firm last May. Analysts say that Southwest's position among consumers remains strong despite the airline leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded over the Christmas holiday weekend. "People think you're getting great value for the money," said Michael Taylor, managing director for travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. On Tuesday, the airline said it would issue 25,000 rewards points to anyone whose flight was affected. Taylor at J.D.

☆ Southwest is giving 25,000 frequent flier points worth $300 to passengers impacted by the airline's holiday travel meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The airline is currently offering affected passengers 25,000 frequent flier points valued at over $300. The offer has caused long wait times for some passengers trying to claim points, reports say. The estimate includes both lost revenue from refunds and reimbursements for expenses like hotels and rental cars, CNBC reported. While Griff reported a 15-minute wait to receive points, another traveler told WSJ he had an estimated wait time of over an hour to redeem the 75,000 points offered to his party of three. In the email, Jordan reminded recipients that Rapid Rewards points don't expire, have no blackout dates, and can be used on Southwest gift cards.

☆ U.S. Senate Commerce chair plans hearings after Southwest Airlines meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell on Wednesday said the panel intended to hold hearings after Southwest Airlines' (LUV.N) recent meltdown that led to nearly 16,000 flight cancellations in the week ending Dec. 29. The FAA's operations must be reauthorized by Sept. 30 and the measure has traditionally been used to advance aviation reforms. The Southwest flight cancellations have been cited by some lawmakers as evidence that Congress needs to strengthen protections for air travelers. Buttigieg has repeatedly vowed to hold Southwest "accountable" if it fails to fulfill commitments to customers for "controllable delays and cancellations." That one would require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers when passengers are unable to fly for certain pandemic-related reasons.

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So if workplace weight loss programs don’t actually improve employee health — what is it they are attempting to do? And yet, workplace wellness programs that focus on weight loss and other fatphobic-related measures like BMI and fat percentage persist. There’s not much evidence to suggest these workplace weight loss programs even reduce costs. So we’re shaming fat folks, excluding people with disabilities and triggering those of us recovering from eating disorders for ... absolutely no reason at all. And any workplace wellness program that specifically incentivizes weight loss should be acknowledged as harmful and ended immediately.

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☆ Southwest Airlines is sued for not providing refunds after meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Shelby Tauber/File PhotoNEW YORK, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) has been sued by a passenger who said it failed to provide refunds to passengers left stranded when an operational meltdown led the carrier to cancel more than 15,000 flights late last month. Capdeville, a Marrero, Louisiana resident, is seeking damages for passengers on Southwest flights canceled since Dec. 24, and who did not receive refunds or expense reimbursements. The meltdown at Dallas-based Southwest has been blamed on staffing shortages and outdated flight scheduling software. The carrier largely restored normal operations on Dec. 30, several days after other airlines had recovered from the storm. The case is Capdeville v Southwest Airlines Co, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, No.

☆ Southwest Airlines schedule stabilizes after holiday meltdown but costs are still piling up
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Pristine Floyde searches for a friend's suitcase in a baggage holding area for Southwest Airlines at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. Southwest Airlines stabilized its schedule over the weekend after about 16,000 cancellations, but its systemwide holiday meltdown could cost it hundreds of millions of dollars. For comparison, from Dec. 21 through Dec. 29 Southwest had scrubbed about 45% of its operation, a far bigger share than other major airlines, according to FlightAware. Now come two more difficult tasks for Southwest: going through thousands of passenger reimbursement receipts and improving the internal technology that contributed to the meltdown. The Dallas-based airline is scheduled to report results on Jan. 26 but is likely to preview the meltdown's costs before then.

☆ A family who was headed to Tokyo to visit Disney and celebrate their son's 21st birthday is 'devastated' and out $7,000 after Southwest cancelled their flight
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But after Southwest cancelled their flight from Tuscon to LAX, they missed their flight to Tokyo. They were going to visit Tokyo Disney and the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo, take a train to Kyoto and go sightseeing at historic temples. But Tokyo Disney, which is not owned by The Walt Disney Company, generally does not issue refunds. Tokyo Disney, which is owned by The Oriental Land Company, could not immediately be reached for comment. The Walt Disney Company, which licenses intellectual property to Tokyo Disney, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

"There'll certainly be an impact to the fourth quarter," Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Green told reporters on a call on Thursday. While other U.S. airlines got back to their feet relatively quickly, Dallas-based Southwest is still limping back to normalcy. Employee unions say they have repeatedly warned Southwest management that the airline's technology systems badly needed upgrades. Flight attendants have been complaining about technological failures at the airline for years, according to Lyn Montgomery, president of the Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Union, a local 556 of the Transport Workers Union. The comments echoed those of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, which said leadership had failed to adapt operations to address repeated systems failures, despite years of calls for improvements by the union.

☆ Southwest Airlines chaos sparks new calls to make airlines pay passengers when flights are delayed or canceled
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US airlines aren't legally required to offer any compensation for delayed or canceled flights. Lawmakers are pushing for change, spurred in part by the recent chaos involving Southwest Airlines. The chaos has sparked fresh calls for legally binding protection for passengers, as well as mandatory compensation for any travelers facing lengthy delays. Southwest has promised to pay for alternative travel, food and hotel stays for all stranded passengers, but it's not legally required to do so. Further, there are "no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed or cancelled," per the Department of Transportation.

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FollowNEW YORK, Dec 27 (Reuters) - A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday threw out the insider trading convictions of four defendants, including two former hedge fund partners, over leaks from a U.S. healthcare agency about planned changes to Medicare reimbursement rates. The court agreed with prosecutors that the May 2018 convictions could not stand after a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that clarified when alleged misuse of property triggered federal fraud laws. They said Blaszczak passed the information to Huber and Olan, who used it to make $7 million by trading healthcare stocks. The appeals court upheld the defendants' convictions in 2019, but the Supreme Court ordered a reconsideration after ruling in the so-called "Bridgegate" case. The court said the alleged scheme did not aim to obtain "property" within the meaning of the underlying fraud statute.

BRUSSELS, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Thursday it would hold back all 22 billion euros of EU cohesion funds for Hungary until its government meets conditions related to judiciary independence, academic freedoms, LGBTQI rights and the asylum system. The 22 billion euros is the amount of EU cohesion funds that Hungary is to get from the EU's long-term budget between 2021 and 2027. The 22 billion euros for Hungary are earmarked for programmes including education for disadvantaged children, rail transport upgrades, access to broadband and aid for regions affected by coal plant closures. We'll keep working with Hungarian authorities to overcome this situation," said Elisa Ferreira, EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms. On top of the cohesion funds, the EU is also holding back Hungary's 5.8 billion euros in grants from the EU's recovery fund until the government addresses concerns over the independence of courts.

☆ Holiday travelers are trapped in an Iceland airport because snow-covered roads prevented them from getting to their hotels — or out of the country
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Travelers are stuck in an Icelandic airport after a blizzard dumped snow on the country. Keflavík Airport, easyJet, and Icelandair did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. Despite multiple warnings from The Icelandic Meteorological Office, Iceland's government, and The Foreign Office, passengers told NBC that the airlines seemed under-prepared and barely communicated through the chaotic weekend of cancelations. Ryan Stevens, a traveler from London who is still stuck in Iceland, told Insider that Icelandair poorly handled the situation. Stevens is out 1,500 euros due to three nights in a hotel and two additional booked flights and said he hasn't heard anything about reimbursements or assistance.

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