社评1230 西南航空之大灾难

西南航空之大灾难

全美各地経过了五天冰天雪地之恶劣天气候后， 许多大航空公司包括联合、 美国航空公司之班机都已経回帰正常。唯有总部设在达拉斯的西南航空公司取消了二千五百个航班， 而且这些班次还无法回覆 ，以致造成成千上万的旅客造成极大之困扰及金钱上之损失。

西南航空是全美最大之航空公司 ，近二十年来 它是以点对点之飞行方式抢佔了许多中小城市之商机。

代表超过一万名飞行员的公会人士表示， 由於电脑系统之失控， 许多驾驶及航空服务员在地面等候许多小时 ，并被迫在机场和旅客就地过夜， 公会曾経从九十年代建议公司更新电脑软件， 但至今尚未改进。

多年来，我也是西南航空之常客， 経常往返於休斯敦和达拉斯之间， 由于每小时都有航班 ，可以早出晚帰， 非常方便。

近年来这家公司之迅速发展及开拓国际市塲， 让它成為全美最大之航空公司 ，也许是扩充太快 ，管理上出了问题， 因而造成大部分之班次被迫取消。

事关许多消费者之权益 ，交通部及国会也将展开调查， 也要保障消费者之权益。

                                                Airlines Flight Disaster

After more than five days of a record-breaking winter storm, many airlines are back up and running. Only Southwest Airlines canceled 2,500 flights, 62% of their planned flights. The airlines said they will plan only one-third of scheduled flights for the time being. Some passengers who could not rebook their flights rented cars and spent thousands of dollars to buy tickets on other airlines.

Over the past several years, Southwest Airlines has used a plot-to-point route model that often lets passengers fly directly without having to stop over a central hub so that they can save many hours of travel time.

For many years I have also been a regular passenger of Southwest Airlines. I often travel between Houston and Dallas because there are flights every hour. I can leave early and travel late. It is very convenient.

In recent years the company’s rapid expansion of the international market has made it the largest airlines in America.

It is related to the fights of consumers and the Department of Transportation and Congress are ready to look into it.