Southwest Airlines has had a terrible end to the year after a major winter storm forced more flight cancellations than industry rivals. Then, somehow, the PR nightmare got worse.
At Nashville International Airport on Christmas night, police officers threatened to arrest stranded Southwest passengers if they did not leave a secure area of the airport. A video of the incident went viral on social media after it was posted by a passenger on TikTok.
In the video, which has been viewed more than 900,000 times since it was posted two days ago, the officer warns passengers that they must leave the area or they will be “arrested for trespassing.”
“Now,” he continued. “Everyone goes to the unsafe side. The ticket counter will help you with any questions.
Shelley Morrison, who was among the passengers with her three daughters, had been waiting in line at the Southwest gate hoping to get more information about what happened to the plane, according to to Tennessee.
After he and others waited nearly an hour for clarification, one of the workers announced over the intercom that he was leaving—and called security. Nobody told passengers they had to leave if they had a canceled ticket, Morrison told a local newspaper.
‘Southwest is calling us’
Two police officers from the airport’s public safety department arrived at the scene, which is when Morrison’s daughter, Amani Robinson, began recording the video.
Officers told passengers in the video, “If you don’t have a ticket, you don’t need to be on the safe side.” In response to someone saying he had a ticket, he replied, “Your ticket has been cancelled.”
Morrison asked the officer again about the possibility of arrest, and he repeated, “If you don’t have a valid ticket and you’re on the safe side and refuse to leave, you’re going to be arrested… If your ticket is canceled, you’re not. have a ticket. You know that, right?”
“Right now, Southwest is calling us because you’re congregating here, and they’re trying to close those gates,” he said.
The officer grew impatient as Morrison tried again to “make a legitimate connection,” as he said in the video, saying he was a lawyer.
“Aren’t you willing to leave the safe side?” he asked, pointing.
“No, I don’t refuse to go,” he replied. “I would like additional information. Can you name the statue for me?”
“It’s airport and plane security,” he replied.
“You don’t have a part?” he asked.
“I don’t need to give a code. If you’re a lawyer, you can look it up.”
Morrison thanked him and continued with the others to the place indicated.
fortune reached Southwest Airlines, Nashville International Airport, and the Department of Transportation about the airport incident but did not receive an immediate reply.
Southwest passengers trying to find alternative routes face jacked-up prices from other airlines, some of which—in the face of public backlash—have announced price caps on affected routes.
The Department of Transportation said this week it will open an investigation into Southwest Airlines. That wrote in a tweet who is “concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rates of cancellations and delays & lack of prompt customer service reports. The Department will check whether the cancellations can be controlled and if Southwest complies with the customer service plan.
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