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Southwest Airlines is Expected to Return to Full Schedule Tomorrow; FDA: Sesame Joins the Major Food Allergens List on January 1; Top Sports Stories of 2022. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired December 29, 2022 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:00]
SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: We may -- it may finally be over, Southwest's epic systems meltdown. Finally, some relief potentially tomorrow. Passengers are receiving emails saying the airline is expected to return to full schedule tomorrow. CNN's Nick Valencia is at Atlanta's airport. Nick, Southwest has issued a couple of apologies. Another one today, offering new ways for customers to get reimbursed. How are things going?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this issue of reimbursement, Sara, is a major concern from passengers that we've spoken to, and in some cases, they've been having to cough up money the last eight days while dealing with this all during the holiday, and in some cases it's money they don't have.
Earlier this week I spoke to a woman who said she had been sleeping in the Atlanta airport for the last two days because she was broke, she said. She didn't have money to buy a new ticket to get her back to Columbus, Ohio. And she told us that she wasn't getting a refund from Southwest. But now today we're hearing that Southwest is laying out new options online for passengers like that to put in for full reimbursement for their expenses, reimbursement for canceled flights as well as putting in missing baggage info. We know that that has been a huge issue throughout this entire ordeal. Listen to what the chief commercial officer for Southwest airlines had to say about the issue of reimbursement in a Twitter video he posted on Wednesday night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN GREEN, CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, SOUTHWEST: You can submit a full refund request for any canceled flights, and if you have any travel expenses due to the disruption, you can submit those receipts directly on our website. My personal apology is the first step of making things right after many plans changed and experiences fell short of your expectations of us. We're continuing to work to make this up to you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALENCIA: For the second straight day in a row, there was virtually no line here at the Southwest ticket counter. A reflection of how few flights are taking off here from Atlanta, and officials with the airline telling passengers to just bear with them for just a little bit longer. Saying that normal operations will continue with minimal disruptions, they claim, as early as tomorrow. I think a lot of passengers here, Sara, though say they'll believe it when they see it -- Sara.
SIDNER: Yes, proof is in the pudding. Nick Valencia, thank you so much.
VALENCIA: Yes.
SIDNER: Joining me now is Tom Nekouei. He is currently the second vice president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association. Tom, Southwest Airlines planning to operate under a full schedule tomorrow. Do you see that happening?
CAPTAIN TOM NEKOUEI, SECOND VP, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES PILOTS ASSOCIATION: Hi, Sara. Thanks for having me on. As of about an hour ago, we had a phone call, our analyst did, our scheduling analyst and that seems to be their plan, to restore the schedule to a full schedule tomorrow.
SIDNER: What is that going to mean? Because there are all these people that, of course, have the issues of, they have been canceled, they're trying to rearrange flights. Has that all been sorted out now and they can run their regular schedule or is there still a whole bunch of backup, people that need to get on those planes?
NEKOUEI: Well, I can tell you that we've canceled over 16,000 flights in the week that this has been going on, and I don't know what the company plans on doing. To be honest with you, the flight ops, the management who we deal with has been completely silent. We haven't really talked to them. We've tried to reach out but we don't know where the backlog is, we don't know what they're doing to accommodate the passengers.
[15:35:00]
And so, we're kind of in the dark, but we're monitoring what's going on with cancellations and just kind of monitoring what the crew aspect of it is, and that's what caused this entire thing last week was being able to connect pilots and flight attendants to airplanes.
SIDNER: We heard that some of the employees were having to do that by hand because the IT systems weren't up to snuff. I do want ask you, just on behalf of the passengers, I mean, do you think passengers should expect that they will be able to take their flights, whatever flights that they are supposed to be on, tomorrow?
NEKOUEI: I would hope so. I would hope that based on the conversation that we had, that they do fully plan on getting those passengers that are on those flights on those flights and running a full schedule tomorrow. I can tell you that today we canceled over 2,500 flights just to get everybody situated. I don't know if those passengers are the ones that were booked on those flights originally or if there's a backlog of passengers. Like I said, this was all caused by an outdated IT system and not enough infrastructure to be able to get those pilots and flight attendants on. You know, the impetus was weather, but what happened afterwards was definitely IT and infrastructure related. So, I'm not sure who those passengers are that are on those flights tomorrow that are a full schedule. Whether there backlog passengers or people that booked originally on those days to travel.
SIDNER: Got you. I want to talk to you quickly that, you know, Southwest airlines has apologized. They're saying they're going to reimburse people. That's going to cost a pretty penny. But also fixing the problem from ever happening again, as well. What do you make of what happened to the airline that you fly for?
NEKOUEI: Sure, and I can tell you that we pointed this out very analytically back in 2016 and dating all the way back to 2014 actually. Back then, Gary Kelly, we pinpointed the problem that the IT infrastructure and specifically the scheduling software that they were using is not up to snuff if you will. It does not -- it's inadequate in doing what they would like to do. And you can see where the increase in meltdowns and then how severe the meltdowns have become. We had one in October of 2021 with 2,000 cancellations that cost the company $75 million.
And now they've recovered from these meltdowns are becoming more and more cumbersome. And it is very much that Mr. Waterson or chief operating officer is finally specifically talking about that program which is that sky solver program. And he said -- I'll quote.
In our desired state we have a solver that would be able to do that quickly and very accurately. Our system today cannot do that.
So, it's the lack of infrastructure spending and reinvesting back into the company that's gotten us there. Whether or not this is going to be kind of an impetus for them to turn around and do a very rapid and expeditious reinvestment back into the company with a new program or better program, and not be assigned pilots and flight attendants. That's another part of the problem is that as soon as the weather event or an air traffic control event happens, any kind of irregular operations, they start massively re-signing.
SIDNER: I mean, it sounds like what you're saying is unless those systems are fixed, this could happen again and people should be prepared for that. Captain Nekouei, thank you so much for sharing that. It is stark to me that 2,000 flights cost them $75 million I think that you said that were canceled. I cannot imagine the number with 16,000 flights. We appreciate your time.
Beginning of the new year, the FDA will label sesame as a major food allergen in the United States. How that may change the way you dine out, coming up next.
[15:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: News today from the FDA, beginning January 1st foods containing sesame will be subject to new regulations. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen joins us with more. I'm going to tell you right now that we are lamenting in the NEWSROOM here. Why is sesame dangerous for some people?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, people are allergic to sesame just like people are allergic to peanuts or to other kinds of foods. It's not as well known, but it really is a problem for some people. First of all, it's not labeled, and so you don't have to put sesame on a label all the time. It can just be, like, natural flavorings or spice or something. So, you don't even know that it's in there. It's like this hidden ingredient in many different foods. And here's what can happen, Sara, if you are allergic to sesame.
It can bring on wheezing, throat tightness, certain GI Symptoms, your blood pressure can drop. It said that there is, you know, more than a million nearly 2 million people who have sesame allergies. So, that's a lot of people. So, sesame will be added to the list of eight other food ingredients where there has to be labeling so that people can see that it's in there.
The other one -- this is just as familiar to anyone who reads labels -- is milk, eggs, fish, certain types of shellfish like shrimp, crab, lobster, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and now sesame. And you know what, Sara, people with sesame allergies do need to beware when January 1 comes in, you're still been a have products on there on the shelf that haven't had to label. So, it's not as if you're going to wave a magic wand and it changes quickly. So, people need to keep that in mind -- Sara.
SIDNER: Elizabeth Cohen, things I didn't know. You always bring us good, new information. I appreciate you.
The January 6th Committee is releasing more transcripts of their witness interviews, including Donald Trump Jr., and Kimberly Guilfoyle. Details on that just ahead.
[15:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: From the Olympics in Beijing to the World Cup in Qatar, 2022 was a remarkable year for athletes on and off the field. Here's Andy Scholes with a look at the top ten sports stories of 2022.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR : In 2022, we saw records fall, an epic World Cup and many sports legends say goodbye. But the story garnering the most attention was one star athlete's battle for her freedom.
Number 10, Aaron Judge homering his way to a historic season. The Yankee slugger becoming the American League all-time home run king, hitting 62 long balls, breaking Roger Maris's record.
AARON JUDGE, BASEBALL OUTFIELDER: Getting a chance to have my name next to, you know, someone as great as Roger Maris, Babe Ruth, those guys is incredible.
SCHOLES (voice-over): Before the season, Judge, bet on himself, turning down a contract extension. In December, the gamble paid off as he received the richest deal ever, a reported nine-year, $360 million to return to New York. And Judge's Yankees were swept by the Houston Astros in the ALCS. The Astros went on to win their second World Series title in six years.
Number nine, Steph Curry and the Warriors also becoming champions once again. Steph with an all time performance in game four of the finals against the Celtics, scoring 43 points in Boston. The Warriors would take the series four games to two, with Steph winning his first ever NBA Final MVP.
STEPHEN CURRY, AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER: Every so once in a while, you got to remind yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to remind yourself.
CURRY: We got four.
[15:50:00]
SCHOLES (voice-over): In the WNBA, the Las Vegas Aces claimed their first championship in franchise history, beating the Connecticut Sun in four games, crowning coach Becky Hammond as the first rookie coach to win the WNBA title.
Number eight, the NFL playoffs in 2022 was one of the best we've ever seen. Patrick Mahomes, with just 13 seconds on the clock, got the Chiefs in position to tie the Bills, who they would eventually beat in an overtime thriller, 42 to 36. The Chiefs, though upset by the Bengals, who made it to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1989.
And Super Bowl 56 was another home game for the NFC champion. The Rams, playing at SoFi Stadium, made a comeback, led by Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp to beat Cincinnati 23 to 20, giving the city of Los Angeles their first Super Bowl title since 1984.
The city of L.A. would get to celebrate another title in November, as LAFC won the MLS Cup in dramatic fashion in just their fifth season. Actor and part owner Will Ferrell, enjoying the team's first title.
WILL FERRELL, ACTOR: Greatest game in MLS history. And if you don't agree with me, I will fight you in the parking lot right now.
SCHOLES (voice-over) will: Number seven, despite COVID concerns and lockdowns in China, the Beijing Olympics were held in February. Figure skating under the spotlight once again after it was discovered that 15-year-old Russian skating phenom, Kamila Valieva, tested positive for a banned substance before the game. Valieva helped the Russians win gold in the team event but no medal ceremony was held. Nathan Chen, meanwhile, shining for Team USA, winning the men's gold.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, Novak Djokovic, the world's top ranked men's tennis player, has been ordered to leave Australia.
SCOTT MORRISON, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: If you're not double vaccinated and you're not an Australian resident or citizen, well, you can't come. SCHOLES (voice-over): Djokovic, who said he'd rather miss tournaments than get vaccinated against COVID, only competed in two Grand Slams in 2022, winning Wimbledon for his 21st Grand Slam title.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: In our sports lead, an historic agreement for U.S. Soccer and equal pay, the men's and women's U.S. national teams will both now receive equal pay and equal prize money, including at World Cups.
SCHOLES (voice-over): With the U.S. men's team reaching the knockout phase in Qatar, the U.S. women's team received more money in 2022 than it did in its previous two World Cups combined, netting $6.5 million.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a lot of behind the scenes work for years now to get to where we are.
SCHOLES (voice-over): Number four, less than 15 months after his severe car crash that required multiple surgeries on his right leg, Tiger Woods was back at the Masters with a huge gallery following him. Tiger coming through with what he called the most impressive performance of his career making the cut, he finished 47th, which would be his best finish at a major in 2022. Tiger only competed in three events this year but he did fight for the PGA Tour off the course.
The new Saudi backed live golf poaching notable PGA Tour players Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau with the lure of massive multimillion dollar contracts in their first year.
TIGER WOODS, AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: To play there, I disagree with it. They've turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My dad said to me a long time ago, once you make your bed, you lie in it. And they've made their bed.
SCHOLES: Number three, 2022 was a banner year for sports stars retiring and unretiring.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Tom Brady, as seen by so many as the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, is retiring after 22 seasons.
SCHOLES (voice-over): Well, less than two months later, Brady changed his mind.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Breaking news right now just in to CNN, a surprise word from the NFL that the goat is coming back. Tom Brady could only step away from the NFL for a month and a half before announcing his return.
SCHOLES (voice-over): While Brady did come back, other sports legends did ride off into the sunset. Coach Mike Krzyzewski retiring from Duke as the winningest men's coach in college basketball history after 42 seasons but not before one more final four run.
MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, AMERICAN BASKETBALL COACH: I want to be in this moment. This team has given me so much joy.
SCHOLES (voice-over): And in tennis, after battling injuries the past few years, 20 time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer decided to call it a career.
ROGER FEDERER, SWISS TENNIS PLAYER: I love tennis, everything about it. I will miss the competition. The fans cheering for or against me, they usually been with me all the way, so it's been great.
SCHOLES (voice-over): Serena Williams, meanwhile, declared that she was going to be evolving away from tennis, leading to one of the most anticipated U.S. Opens ever. The 23-time Grand Slam winner wowing the crowd one more time, advancing to the third round before saying goodbye.
SERENA WILLIAMS, AMERICAN TENNIS PLAYER: Honestly, I'm so grateful that I had this moment and that I'm sorry.
[15:55:00]
SCHOLES (voice-over): Number two, the first ever winter World Cup in Qatar, ending in what is being called the greatest sporting event in history. Arguably the best ever, Argentina's Leonel Messi going head to head against the game's brightest young star in France's Kylian Mbappe.
After more than 120 minutes of thrilling back and forth action, the final went to penalty kicks tied at three in his fifth and last World Cup, Messi finally getting the one trophy that has eluded him for so long, winning it all for Argentina.
And at number one:
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: So, this is the breaking news right now, we're getting news that Brittney Griner is free.
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: Homeward bound, the WNBA superstar Brittney Griner out of a Russian penal colony heading for American soil.
SCHOLES (voice-over): Griner was arrested for possession of cannabis oil at a Moscow area airport in February and sentenced to nine years in prison. Athletes across sports advocated for months, encouraging the Biden administration to find a way to bring Griner home. And two weeks before Christmas, it happened.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She's safe. She's on her way home. After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones. And she should have been there all along.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: We can't help but mentioning we lost one of the greatest soccer players ever, Pele died during this hour. He was 82 years old. "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" starts after this short break.
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