Like every airline, Southwest struggled with summer crowds as they suddenly tried to ramp up the hiring of pilots and airline personnel after laying off many employees during the pandemic.

So the news that Southwest had the worst on-time performance and the greatest percentage of canceled flights of any of the nation’s four major airlines in June and July wasn’t a big surprise.

 

Besides disgruntled flyers, pilots, flight attendants, and mechanics have all voiced complaints about Southwest’s operations. Flight attendants report they are ‘near breaking point.’

So starting in September the airline said it is reducing its schedule by 27 flights a day in September, taking it to an average of 3,304 flights a day across its system. For October it is reducing its schedule by an average of 162 flights a day — an average of 3,420 flights.

If you’re holding a tix on a Southwest flight this weekend, we wish you luck.