Southwest Airlines scrubs thousands more flights as it struggles to rebound

Southwest Airlines canceled thousands more flights early Thursday as the beleaguered carrier struggled to recover from a massive winter storm that has angered passengers, raised questions about its preparedness and drawn scrutiny in Washington, D.C.

As of 7:03 a.m. Eastern time, Southwest had scrubbed more than 2,350 flights, accounting for 96% of all canceled trips in the U.S., according to Flight Aware. Overall, data from the tracking service shows the airline has scrapped more than 15,000 flights over the past week, leading to chaos at Southwest facilities around the U.S. and forcing CEO Robert Jordan to apologize.

Exhausted Southwest travelers tried finding seats on other airlines or renting cars to get to their destination, but many remained stranded. People described waiting hours on the phone seeking help. Others found spots to sleep on the floor. Luggage piled up in huge heaps.