U.S. passengers stranded by winter storm
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. travelers faced thousands of flights over the Christmas weekend, combined with long lines and lost luggage at airports after a massive winter storm disrupted airport operations across the country. Cancellations and delays occurred, causing frustration.
Travel disruptions continued into Monday, with airlines canceling more than 2,500 flights in the early afternoon, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Yes, Delta had more than 250 cancellations.
Flight delays within, to, and from the United States totaled more than 4,500 in the early afternoon, as FlightAware showed.
Alaska Airlines customer Kyle Gourke, 29, said he could be stuck in Seattle for days after the airline canceled a scheduled flight from Seattle to Missoula early Monday morning. .
He had traveled from Washington DC to Seattle late on Sunday and had made arrangements to stay in Seattle instead, so he hadn’t slept all night.
“Fortunately, I have friends in this city who can help me. Many others are just left alone,” he told Reuters.
Customers took to social media to express their dissatisfaction and seek a response from the airline.
David Sharp said on Twitter that the Southwest Airlines flight from Denver to St. Louis has been canceled and the next flight will be unavailable for another two days. He said he would rent a car and drive to his destination.
Voice actor Gray DeLisle tweeted to Southwest Airlines: The service line is busy. Help me!”
Southwest Airlines said on Monday that it was facing a number of calls from customers asking about travel and was “doing its best” to get its network back to normal after the storm.
“My brother’s Southwest Airlines flight back from Philadelphia to El Paso was canceled today. The best they could do was leave Baltimore on Tuesday morning. There is nothing anyone can do.” but a lot of travel madness,” another Twitter user named Alex Garvasi tweeted.
Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport had luggage in its baggage claim that had been in storage for two days, and some passengers were unable to find it, local media reported.
Madeline Howard, who had not received her luggage, said on Twitter that she had already been told by Southwest Airlines that her luggage was being flown to another airport, even though her flight was cancelled.
A massive winter storm wreaking havoc on travel has claimed at least 55 deaths in the United States since late last week, according to an NBC News tally. (Reported by Kanishka Singh of Washington; Heather Timmons) and edited by Sandra Maler)