"Southwest Airlines Slapped with $140 Million Fine for Holiday Meltdown"
The U.S. Transportation Department has fined Southwest Airlines $140 million, the largest penalty ever imposed on an airline for consumer protection violations, for a holiday season meltdown last winter that disrupted travel for about two million people. Southwest will pay $35 million to the federal government, while the remaining amount will be credited for providing frequent-flier points and issuing vouchers to affected customers. The department stated that Southwest violated federal law by failing to provide prompt customer service, flight notifications, and refunds. The airline, which disagreed with the government's conclusion, agreed to the penalty to avoid litigation. Southwest has since made efforts to improve its service and plans to implement a policy requiring the issuance of at least $90 million in vouchers to customers experiencing severe disruptions caused by the airline.