(NewsNation) — Travelers plagued by last year’s mass flight cancellations may have better luck this holiday season as cancellation rates continue to fall, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
Nationally, 2023 saw the lowest cancellation rates in five years and less than 1% of flights were canceled over the Thanksgiving holiday, despite record travel, a DOT spokesperson said an in email to NewsNation.
That could be good news for travelers whose plans were upended last year when thousands of Southwest Airlines travelers experienced canceled flights over the Christmas holiday. Many complained of short notice, days-long delays and lost luggage.
The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection is currently investigating several domestic airlines for unrealistic scheduling of flights, according to the DOT.
Since last year’s meltdown, Southwest Airlines saysit’s reinforced airport infrastructure, increased staff at airports where extreme cold requires rotating employees working outside and reprioritized upgrades to technology that helps them recover more …