Pete Buttigieg was warned about airline chaos MONTHS ago

Four months before Southwest Airlines stranded tens of thousands of passengers at airports over the Christmas holidays, the nation’s state attorneys general warned Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about airline delays.

New York Attorney General Letitia James first wrote to the Secretary of Transportation on Aug. 2 about an “increasing pattern of airlines delaying and canceling flights,” noting that during the first half of 2022, an estimated 33 percent more flights than during a comparable period in Pre-pandemic 2019.

By July, Southwest had delayed 29 percent of its flights.

“Airlines that knowingly advertise and book flights that do not have adequate staff to operate are breaking the law,” James said at a news conference.

Later that month, a bipartisan group of 38 state attorneys written to leaders in Congress by telling them that Buttigieg’s department “failed to respond or provide adequate resources” for an increasing number of flight delays and cancellations for which passengers were not compensated.

The letter said that state attorneys general have little authority to hold airlines accountable, so without proper action from the Department of Transportation (DoT), major airlines have been able to “rough up” customers.

“Americans are justifiably frustrated that the federal government agencies charged with overseeing airline consumer protection are unable or unwilling to hold the airline industry accountable and promptly investigate complaints filed with the Department of Transportation,” the letter said. of August.

In his letter, James makes a number of recommendations, including requiring airlines to only sell and advertise flights they know have the right crew on staff, imposing heavy fines for domestic flight delays of more than two hours, and requiring airlines that offer full refunds and refunds for passengers whose flights are delayed and incur extra costs.

New York Attorney General Letitia James first wrote to the Transportation Secretary on August 2 about a “growing pattern of airlines delaying and canceling flights.”

A young traveler wades through fields of unclaimed bags at the Southwest Airlines baggage carousels at Denver International Airport, Tuesday, December 27.

Stranded Southwest Airlines passengers search for their luggage at baggage claim at Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, on December 28.

People wait in long lines for Southwest Airlines check-in counters at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, where flight delays and cancellations have stranded passengers in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., on December 26.

On September 7, Buttigieg said on The Late Late Show with James Corden: “I think it’s going to get better by the holidays.” We are really putting pressure on the airlines to provide better service.”

Southwest canceled another 2,357 flights on Thursday, bringing the total number of cancellations to more than 12,000. All other airlines combined canceled fewer than 100 flights on Thursday, according to FlightAware.

Buttigieg told Good Morning America that the “collapse” at Southwest could no longer be attributed to bad weather.

“We’re past the point where they could say this is a weather-driven problem,” Buttigieg said. “What this indicates is a system failure, and they need to make sure these stranded passengers get where they need to go and that proper compensation is provided.”

In August, the Department of Transportation announced a proposed rule that would narrowly define “significant changes” that required airlines to issue refunds, including delays of more than three hours for domestic flights, six hours for international flights, changes in the airport of departure or arrival, increasing the number of connections or changing the type of aircraft to degrade the flight experience.

The rule was never finalized, and customers now say Southwest has been offering them credits instead of refunds for canceled flights and they have to spend thousands of dollars buying last-minute flights on other airlines or camping out in airports for days.

Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Pilots Association, said the airline was “not ready” even before the holiday season and said much of the blame could be placed on “outdated technology”.

William McGee, a former airline dispatcher who is a senior fellow at the American Economic Freedoms Project, told The Hill that Buttigieg had been slow to respond to airline practices known to cause flight cancellations.

“What is happening this week is just the latest and perhaps the worst manifestation of the problems that have been occurring since Buttigieg took office,” McGee said.

“We had high hopes for him and I think, frankly, he has been a huge disappointment. He could be doing so much more, and for some reason he has chosen not to use the authority that he clearly has.’

The 40-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is running for president in 2020 and is widely viewed as a future contender on the Democratic ticket. But some see the chaos at the airlines and other internal crises such as supply chain bottlenecks as a stain on his reputation.

Progressive Democrat Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator and congressional candidate, suggested Buttigieg is not up to the job because he has his sights set on the White House.

“What is happening with the railways, airlines and supply chain is the result of a small town mayor being appointed Secretary of Transportation as a means to enhance his resume for president,” Turner tweeted.

“Secretary Buttigieg is a prime example of failure.”

House Republicans also blamed Buttigieg, tweeting on December 28: ‘Where is @SecretaryPete? #Southwest Airlines.’

Buttigieg tweeted: ‘Good morning! Right now I’m on Capitol Hill, not far from his office. We will continue to get results for passengers using our authorities and resources as an agency.

“If you are asking for policies that deepen those resources, please be specific: I would appreciate the dialogue.”