It's 2021 and for the first time in nearly 50 years, Southwest Airlines posts an annual net loss. Amid the crisis, thousands of Southwest workers head for early retirement. The next year, Southwest is short on staff as Americans return to the skies. Pilots and flight attendants complain of being overworked. A winter storm cripples Southwest’s operations, exposing the airline’s underinvestment in technology. Millions are stranded. Lawmakers and the public ask: Will Southwest ever straighten up and fly right?

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