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Southwest Airlines flight problems have left many Utahns stranded and unable to reach their destinations. Many Utah fans who planned to travel to California for the Rose Bowl are unsure of their flight.
Passengers continue to receive messages about delays and cancellations. Several flights from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles or Burbank were canceled Wednesday.
The airline’s CEO said the company is working to return to normal before next week. But with Monday’s 3 p.m. opener scheduled in Pasadena, many Utah football fans don’t want to take a chance.
Lifelong Utes fan Matthew Barrett’s flights to and from Los Angeles were not canceled, but his family decided to forego flights and drive. Relying on a Southwest flight to take off, they said they were unwilling to take it.
Lifelong Utes fan Matthew Berrett spoke with KSL-TV on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 about traveling to Pasadena to watch the Utah football team play in the Rose Bowl. Although the flight was not canceled during the interview, Berrett refused to risk his trust in Southwest Airlines.
“We canceled flights as a precaution,” Barrett said. “We don’t want to wake up on New Year’s Eve, go to the airport – which is already crazy – wait in line and suddenly it’s ‘oh sorry it’s cancelled’ and then it’s 8 o’clock. We have to drive late to LA now on New Year’s Eve.”
Berrett and his wife bought Southwest plane tickets weeks ago.
“The PAC-12 championship was on Friday and we bought them to LA on Sunday,” he said.
Berret drove to the game last year and got stuck in a snowstorm on the road. He and his wife and father decided they would rather fly this time.
“We had to fly from Salt Lake to Denver and then from Denver to LAX,” he said. “It’s a five-hour flight time there and back both times, but hey, it beats a 14-hour drive, was our initial thought.”
Anger continued to rise Thursday over a wave of Southwest Airlines flight cancellations. The company further apologized for the problems it faced on its eighth day with hundreds of thousands of passengers shut down or delayed, and senior officials called for action.
On Monday, they heard about the disappearance of Southwest Airlines and were monitoring the situation.
“I just texted my dad saying he’s not doing well,” Barrett said. “My dad even texted me and said, ‘The CEO made a video.’
They saw the cancellations and piles of luggage, but their Southwest flight was still scheduled to take off.
“They were still reportedly on time. I was still getting emails from Southwest saying, ‘Get ready for your flight to LA! It’s going to be awesome!’ And inside we were all like, ‘Maybe not,'” Brett said.
They decided Wednesday morning to drive instead.
“We got some refunds and credits, which we’ll use who knows,” he said.
He said the road trip would be worth it.
“You have to see them win, you have to,” said Barrett. “And if they do, and I hope they do, it will be one for the history books.”
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