Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State Football Takes Southwest Flight to Tampa Despite Airline's Unprecedented Issues

The Bulldogs were not delayed by the airline's recent flight cancelations.

Elizabeth Keen

In this story:

Southwest Airlines may not be offering many flights right now, but Mississippi State football didn't have any problems securing a flight to Tampa.

The Bulldogs will face Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 2, but the team left for sunny South Florida on Tuesday to kick off a few days of practices and festivities. Mississippi State shared pictures of the team's departure on Twitter, but one thing stood out more than any of the players: a blue Southwest Airlines plane.

MSU made a strong point by sharing the picture of the plane. Southwest has canceled thousands of flights since Monday night, leaving passengers stranded and forcing many to change plans. According to an official statement released by the airline, the sudden travel issues arose due to drastic staffing changes in the wake of a life-threatening winter storm.

"These operational conditions forced daily changes of an unprecedented volume and magnitude to our flight schedule and the tools our teams use to recover the airline remain at capacity," the company wrote.

Luckily, Mississippi State didn't feel the effects of these sudden issues, since Southwest serves as a charter airline for the Bulldogs. The team landed in Tampa late Tuesday afternoon with no issues and should be on time for each of their scheduled practices and events.

As for Bulldogs fans who are planning to make the trip and have chosen to fly Southwest Airlines... establishing a backup plan might not be a bad idea!

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Elizabeth Keen
ELIZABETH KEEN

Journalist for Mississippi State Cowbell Corner

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