Southwest CEO maps out a recovery after holiday meltdown: ‘We have work to do’

Southwest CEO maps out a recovery after holiday meltdown: ‘We have work to do’

CEO Bob Jordan's message, after a holiday derailed the travel plans of millions, is clear: "I can't say it enough. We messed up." His focus now is ensuring a similar crisis never happens again. The airline has hired consulting firm Oliver Wyman to review its processes, interview staff and union members, lay out what went wrong, and how to avoid it in the future. The low-cost airline is working with to improve the capabilities of software that helps Southwest work out crew reassignments. The airline's board has created an operations review committee to help managers work through such events. The event was jarring for many travelers used to Southwest customer service, which includes policies like free checked bags, a rarity for domestic U.S. travel. Lawmakers and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said they want to into the disruptions. into the airline's top job, in the aftermath of travel chaos he hadn't seen in his more than three decades at Southwest, Jordan is now tasked with making things right with passengers and . "We took good will out of the bank. We know that," Jordan said in an interview earlier this month. "We have work to do to repair trust, but our