TAMPA, Fla. — Southwest Airlines leads the way nationwide for the number of flight delays and cancellations largely blamed on the winter storm that brought bitter cold and snow to much of the country, data from FlightAware shows.
At Tampa International Airport, the airline canceled or delayed at least a quarter of all its flights, according to the flight-tracking website. There have been at least 2,600 Southwest flights canceled and 700 flights delayed as of Monday afternoon across the country.
In Southwest's latest media update, published on Christmas Eve, it says the company is "uniquely affected" by the storm that has hampered operations at many airports given its "size and structure." Affected customers are encouraged to use its online tools to change or cancel their flights.
People who call 1-800-I-FLY-SWA could reach a busy signal, though Southwest says it doubled its phone call capacity.
"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and please know we have all available hands on deck working to serve our customers," the company said in a statement.
While cancellations at Southwest represent about 24 percent of all of its flights across the U.S., by comparison, competitor Delta Air Lines canceled 8 percent of its schedule Monday, according to FlightAware. Spirit Airlines and United Airlines canceled 14 percent and 4 percent of their flights, respectively.
Being stuck without a flight isn't ideal, of course. To find alternate flights or transportation, consider using sites like Google Flights and Kayak — they'll allow you to price-compare options and explore other ways to get around, like a rental car, train or bus.