Let’s be honest — holiday traveling is not for the faint of heart!

Orlando International Airport

With crowds at the airports, heavy traffic on the roads, and unpredictable weather conditions, there are a lot of things to consider before packing up and heading out this time of year. For some people, traveling is the only way that they can see their families during the holidays, and that holly jolly vacation may have just turned into a transportation nightmare.

Thousands of flights have been canceled since Wednesday, December 21st, but Southwest Airlines may perhaps be the biggest problem at the airports currently. On December 26th, the airline canceled a staggering 67% of its flights, but as of December 27th, it seems Southwest has canceled all flights departing from Los Angeles area airports until December 31st.

©Reuters

According to KLTA News in Los Angeles, all departures out of LAX, Hollywood Burbank Airport, Ontario International Airport and the John Wayne Airport are listed as “unavailable” until New Year’s Eve. Similar issues were reported at the San Diego International Airport as well. Due to the cancelations, rental cars are being snatched up quickly and prices for remaining vehicles are surging.

Southwest Airlines

On Monday afternoon, the United States Department of Transportation said it would be investigating the rate of cancelations and delays from Southwest to see if the airline is “complying with its customer service plan.” We’ll be interested to see the results of that study and hopefully learn more about the root cause of all these cancelations.

Southwest Plane

A similar announcement was made at the Orlando International Airport as well, according to theme park reporter Scott Gustin. Southwest Airlines customers who have had canceled flights are being told that they won’t be rebooked until December 31st “at the earliest.”

Same announcements at @MCO — Southwest is telling customers they won’t be rebooked until Dec. 31 *at the earliest.* 👀😬 https://t.co/VG1oKtsKS8

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) December 27, 2022

We’ll keep you updated with more information as its released, including any updates or cancelations from other airlines this holiday season, so stay tuned to DFB. If you’re planning some holiday travel, it might be best to get a backup plan just in case.

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