NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Up to 104 flights are canceled in and out of the Nashville International Airport on Monday, according to airport officials.
Of those, the bulk of the cancelations belongs to Southwest. United, Spirit and Jet Blue have only a handful of cancelations. Other flights are simply delayed due to the weather. Nashville was previously under a winter weather advisory until noon.
Despite being at a place known for travel, people in the full service Southwest Airlines line have barely moved an inch.
"A lot of frustration for sure," said Ezevion Christian — a Clarksville native hoping to travel back home to Arizona.
"It’s taken us all day to get here and we still haven’t gotten to the front desk," said Wendy Katsbulas, who was originally traveling to Raleigh, but got stuck after her connection in Nashville was canceled.
The line may have consisted of travelers from various originations, but they were all dealing with the same frustration — dozens of canceled flights.
"First they said, they didn’t have a pilot, then they said they didn’t have someone else. Then they said they’re just going to cancel it," said Christian. "They’re not really letting us change our flights on the app so we literally have to wait in this line."
Katsbulas and her parents have been stuck at BNA for more than 24 hours.
"My dad’s a diabetic, they’re not providing water, they’re not providing food," she said.
They've given up on their vacation, and are now just trying to get home to Topeka, Kansas. But even that hasn't been easy.
"I travel for business all the time, and I have never, ever experienced this," said Katsbulas.
Kaili Schwan is chasing a dream.
"I made All-American cheerleading at my cheer camp, and we’ve been planned to do this since June," she said.
But the Smith County native is currently living a nightmare as they race against the clock to make her international flight to London so she can appear in their New Year's Day Parade. "I just think it would be a lot easier if you know, people would just do their jobs," said Schwan.
The problem appears to be unique to Southwest Airlines, and other airports across the country have reported similar issues at Southwest terminals. Of Nashville's 104 canceled flights, all but four belong to the LUV airline.
In a statement to NewsChannel 5, they sent us the following statement:
We are re-accommodating as many Customers as possible, based on available space, whose itineraries have been disrupted. Those whose flights have been canceled may request a full refund or receive a flight credit, which does not expire. Information for Customers with lost baggage is here: https://www.southwest.com/help/baggage/lost-damaged-baggage [southwest.com] ... Customers can also speak with a representative at the baggage service office in an airport where we operate or contact Southwest customer service, though we are experiencing abnormally high call volumes.
We are not having staffing issues, but we had experienced problems connecting flight crews to their scheduled aircraft. It is a scheduling issue, not a staffing issue.
And the troubles have continued even after finally landing. "We’ve just been told, if it’s a connection, then you’re not going to get your bag -- even it’s here," said Natasha Henry, a traveler stranded in Nashville for the last three days.
People like Henry that want their bags can't get them, while a lot of the bags that arrived, got here without their passengers.
"It’s time to get your stuff in order, and that’s being nice," said Katsbulas.
These travelers just hope their words of frustration can travel, even if they're stuck at BNA. "We understand sometimes this can be hard, but you know, we have places to be," said Schwan.
This is the @SouthwestAir @Fly_Nashville line just to get to the full service counter.
— Chris Davis NC5 (@ChrisDavisMMJ) December 26, 2022
There are so many cancellations, many people have been in this line since the wee hours of the morning.
It would be an understatement to say — people are frustrated. @nc5 pic.twitter.com/pU24Pywg0p
Those whose flights have been canceled may request a full refund or receive a flight credit, which does not expire, Perry said.
If you have lost your baggage, you can connect with Southwest online.
Breakdown of canceled flights by departure:
Jet Blue - 1
United - 1
Southwest - 47
Breakdown of canceled flights by arrival:
Spirit - 1
United - 1
Southwest - 57
