Skift Take
The fine is the latest in a string of DOT actions to hold the airline industry more accountable for consumer-protection violations.
The Department of Transportation has ordered Southwest to pay a $140 million fine for numerous consumer-protection violations that resulted from last year’s holiday travel meltdown.
The fine is 30 times larger than any previous DOT penalty for consumer-protection violations, and the majority will go toward compensating future Southwest passengers for delays or cancellations, the DOT said.
Of the $140 million, Southwest has