Expert sounds alarm on Southwest as many passengers still await lost bags: ‘Real cocktail for total confusion'
Southwest promised to return all lost luggage to its original owners by the end of this week
Southwest Airlines still working to return luggage to rightful owners
FOX Business' Grady Trimble reports from Chicago's Midway Airport, where Southwest Airlines claims lost bags will be returned to owners by the end of this week.
Although Southwest Airlines has promised to return all lost luggage to its original owners by the end of this week after the holiday "flightmare," one expert is warning some travelers may never see those personal belongings again.
"When nobody in the baggage area knows what flights are operating, what flights are not operating or where the customer is, we have a real cocktail for total confusion here," Boyd Group International aviation expert Mike Boyd told FOX Business’ Grady Trimble Thursday on "Varney & Co."
Southwest Airlines has offered bonus frequent flyer miles to customers impacted by the carrier’s recent widespread cancelations and ongoing lost baggage woes as it tries to restore its damaged reputation.
In an email to customers obtained by FOX Business Tuesday, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said the offer of 25,000 Rapid Rewards points worth upward of $300 was a "gesture of goodwill," asking that the recipients "please accept my personal apology."
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Despite returning to normal operations on Friday, a number of passengers’ checked bags remain missing, though Southwest would not disclose the exact amount to Trimble. The airline is reportedly using FedEx, UPS and volunteer services to return the lost luggage.
Southwest Airlines created a "real cocktail for confusion" after a winter holiday scheduling meltdown, Boyd Group International aviation expert Mike Boyd said on "Varney & Co." (Getty Images)
"We are making good progress in reuniting Customers with their bags," Southwest spokesman Chris Perry told The Washington Post in an email Tuesday. "Given the scale and magnitude of the disruption, it is taking some time but our teams are doing a tremendous job of sorting bags, scanning them and preparing them for return to Customers in the many different avenues we are exercising to do so."
Boyd noted that Southwest is likely spending tens of millions of dollars to sort the bags and successfully return them.
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"We're probably looking at $300 to $400 a bag trying to get it back to the customer," Boyd explained. "Then again, we have the other issue of lost bags. Some bags will never be seen on this planet again."
Some passengers are taking matters into their own hands, suing Southwest themselves for the operational meltdown that resulted in the cancelation of more than 14,500 flights between Dec. 23 and Dec. 28.
Eric Capdeville – whose flight was among those scrapped during the busy holiday week – is accusing the discount air carrier of violating its contract, and federal law, for "failure to provide prompt refunds for canceled flights" after the Christmas weekend winter storm impacted its operations, according to court documents.
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Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan on the state of the airline amid winter cancelations
Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan speaks on the state of the airline amid thousands of flight cancelations over the past week.
Other preventative action includes using Apple AirTags for luggage tracking – "AirTags for luggage" is currently a breakout search on Google, and the number one-selling electronics item on Amazon is an AirTag.
"I know that no amount of apologies can undo your experience," CEO Jordan had written in an offer to customers. "For those who have requested refunds, reimbursements and/or are waiting to be reunited with lost bag(s), those processes are being handled with great urgency, and we appreciate your patience."
FOX Business’ Breck Dumas and Danielle Genovese contributed to this report.