Biden says his administration will hold airlines 'accountable' after nationwide flight cancellations

President Joe Biden said his administration will hold airlines accountable after nationwide flight cancellations following an extreme winter storm this past week. “Thousands of flights nationwide have been canceled around the holidays. Our Administration is working to ensure airlines are held accountable,” Biden wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. “If you’ve been affected by cancellations, go to @USDOT’s dashboard to see if you’re entitled to compensation.” Thousands of flights were canceled this week, with many being from Southwest Airlines. About 4,000 domestic US flights were canceled Monday, according to the tracking website FlightAware, which tracks flight status in real time. More than 2,900 Southwest flights were canceled Monday, more than 2,500 flights were canceled Tuesday, and nearly 2,500 are canceled for Wednesday, according to FlightAware. The Department of Transportation said Tuesday that it would look into the flight cancellations that left thousands stranded at airports. "USDOT is concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service," the department wrote in a tweet. "The Department will examine whether cancellations were controllable and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan." A Senate committee also said that it will investigate the causes of the cancellations at Southwest Airlines. “The Committee will be looking into the causes of these disruptions and its impact to consumers,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation said. “Many airlines fail to adequately communicate with consumers during flight cancellations. Consumers deserve strong protections, including an updated consumer refund rule,” Cantwell added.<br/>