After thousands of U.S. flights were canceled or delayed over the holidays in 2022, most holiday travelers this year are off to a cheerier start this Christmas. But a few trouble spots were emerging on Christmas Day.
Roughly 135 flights to, from or within the U.S. had been been cancelled as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time, while just over 1,100 were delayed, according to tracking service FlightAware.
Airlines had canceled only 1.2% of U.S. flights so far this year as of Dec. 22, the lowest in five years. Nearly 3 million passengers were expected to pass through domestic airports during the busy holiday period, up 16% from 2022.
Southwest flights canceled
Not everyone got off so lucky. Some passengers at Chicago’s Midway International Airport this Christmas Eve were left stranded on Christmas Eve, according to CBS News Chicago, with the U.S. carrier most disrupted during last year’s holiday period — Southwest Airlines — again experiencing problems. Southwest attributed the delays to foggy weather in Chicago, but passengers also told CBS2 that a shortage of workers was a factor.
Those snafus also affected passengers at Denver International Airport, with Southwest canceling 293 flights on Sunday, while nearly 1,300 trips were delayed, FlightAware data shows.
“We had dense fog in Chicago that forced us to discontinue operating last night and into this morning,” Chris Mainz, a Southwest Airlines spokesman, told CBS News Colorado.
Southwest on Monday morning canceled 101 flights, or 2% of its daily trips, while 397 flights were delayed, FlightAware data showed. By comparison, Delta and United Airlines canceled five flights.
“[Y]ou guys ruined my Christmas two years in a row,” one person posted Friday on X.
Meanwhile, a winter storm in the Northern Plains is bringing snow, ice and riskier road conditions Monday to the region stretching from northern Kansas through Nebraska, the Dakotas and parts of Minnesota, the Weather Channel reported.
Southwest earlier this month agreed to a $140 million settlement with the federal government over the chaos last year that stranded more than 2 million travelers over the holidays. Southwest has previously agreed to pay more than $600 million in refunds and reimbursements to customers.
“This is a message to the entire airline industry: They must take care of passengers, or we’ll use the full extent of our authority to hold them accountable,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted on Dec. 18.
Hurricane Idalia is causing major flight disruptions across Florida and beyond after making landfall on the state’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday.
The storm, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, by Wednesday morning had canceled more than 1,000 flights and delayed nearly 900 more traveling to and from U.S. airports, data from flight-status tracker FlightAware shows.
The hurricane has since been downgraded to a Category 1 about 2 1/2 hours after landfall, as wind speeds decreased to 90 mph. Its rating was previously changed to Category 2 roughly an hour after landfall.
Three major Florida airports, including Tampa International Airport, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport closed on Tuesday ahead of the storm, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) Tuesday that it was re-routing and limiting flights in Florida.
Tampa International Airport is reopening to incoming flights only on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Eastern time, it said in a post on social media. The airport plans to resume full operations at 3 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, according to a notice on its website.
“TPA is fortunate to have avoided the worst effects of such a dangerous storm, after acting in an abundance of caution to protect the safety of our passengers, employees and facilities,” Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano said in a statement on the site. “We’re focused now on returning to full operational capacity to continue serving our community and to assist in recovery efforts for our fellow Floridians.”
🚨 TPA TO REOPEN TO ARRIVING FLIGHTS ONLY AT 4 PM TODAY 🚨
⛈️ TPA sustained minimal damage from Hurricane Idalia
✅ Departing flights and normal operations will resume early Thursday morning
In a 12:30 p.m. press conference, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the eye of the storm had left Florida. But storm surge was expected to continue and worsen as the tide rose later in the day.
Gainesville Airport and Tallahassee Airport, both of which closed on Tuesday, will reopen Thursday “first thing in the morning,” DeSantis said in the briefing.
Other area airports, such as Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, are experiencing heavy travel disruptions, the FAA’s airport event tracker shows.
Residents walk through floodwaters from Hurricane Idalia in Gulfport, Florida, on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023.
Bloomberg
Idalia touched down in Florida’s Big Bend region early Wednesday, whipping the state’s Gulf Coast with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour.
Southwest Airlines on Wednesday reported that 211, or 5%, of its flights have been canceled while another 202 trips were delayed, according to FlightAware data. The hurricane has also affected flight schedules for Delta and American Airlines, each of which has reported more than 200 combined flight cancellations and delays, the data shows.
Those airlines, alongside other major American carriers, such as United, have issued travel advisories for the storm and are allowing affected travelers to rebook their flights for free, their respective websites show.
Flights aren’t the only form of travel Hurricane Idalia has thwarted. Amtrak has canceled passenger train trips for 10 of its East Coast routes scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, the company’s service alert shows.
London — Many Americans who visited Europe in 2022 saw their summer vacation plans marred by travel chaos. Strikes, staff shortages and canceled flights mired the first full-fledged season of summer travel after the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic ground tourism to a halt.
This year, Americans and Europeans alike are still clearly eager to get back out and explore the world. Data from online travel agency Hopper shows demand for international trips already outpacing the summer of 2022. Despite the average cost of airfares increasing to a six-year high, Europe is still the number one region of choice for Americans planning vacations.
Lingering staff shortages in the wake of the mass layoffs and career changes among airline and airport support staff during the coronavirus lockdowns, coupled with rebounding demand, made for grueling waits at security checkpoints last year. With gaps in rosters and new staff lacking experience, many major airports were simply unable to cope with the demand after COVID restrictions were lifted.
But Senior Vice President of Communications for the European division of Airports Council International (ACI) Virginia Lee told CBS News that those staffing issues have been “largely overcome” and people should “travel with confidence.”
“Airports have been going to extraordinary lengths to improve [employment] packages where they can, to look at employment conditions where they can, and doing everything in their power to make them attractive places to work,” Lee said.
But staffing isn’t the only concern, and there have been warnings that Americans flying around Europe this summer may not find things much better than last year.
Passengers line up to board a Ryanair flight at Paris-Beauvais airport, June 20, 2023, in Tille, France.
Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty
Eurocontrol, the agency that manages airspace and flight traffic control for most of the continent, has warned that the war in Ukraine and the subsequently higher number of military flights around Europe have reduced the space for civilian flights by as much as 20%.
Britain’s The Times newspaper said important regions like Marseille, Athens and Budapest would likely experience “high overloads” of air traffic on most days, and that many other European travel hubs, including London, Barcelona and Brussels, could also experience major congestion on peak days such as Fridays and weekends.
There’s also the looming threat of industrial action by air traffic controllers, security workers, baggage handlers and other vital staff, particularly in France and Britain, which have both been hit by repeated strikes over the last year and which both have airports that serve as key entry points and hubs for travelers from the U.S.
Aviation consultant John Strickland told CBS News that while strikes are unlikely to affect flights arriving from the U.S., they could disrupt people’s travel plans within Europe.
“If [passengers] are flying on flights like, U.K. to Spain, Portugal, or Italy, those are more susceptible if there is a French air traffic control strike or manpower shortages,” Strickland said. “It can certainly cause delays and, maybe in extreme, force cancellations.”
Strickland said there’s little passengers can do to avoid getting caught up in strike action, so “it’s more about being informed and aware, than concerned.”
“Sometimes we don’t know about these strikes until the last minute, or if you get a combination of bad weather and manpower shortage, that can cause problems, but they’re a bit unpredictable.”
Supply chain issues similar to those currently affecting U.S. airlines could also cause problems in Europe. New aircraft not being delivered on time means airlines are “having headaches” planning their peak season schedules, according to Strickland, while a lack of spare parts is delaying repairs.
But despite the warnings, airports in Europe have expressed confidence that the scenes of chaos seen at check-in lobbies and baggage carousels in the summer of 2022 will not be repeated this year. Thousands of Americans with itchy feet will be hoping that confidence is not misplaced.
According to Eurocontrol data, travel between Europe and North America has already returned to pre-pandemic levels with around 1,500 flights crossing the Atlantic daily, while most other regions have been slower to recover.
Claire Irvin, who leads travel coverage for The Times and The Sunday Times, said the soaring demand is to be expected.
“Post-pandemic pent-up demand continues with demographics less affected by the cost-of-living crisis intent on living out the adventures they dreamed of during lockdowns,” she told CBS News. “They are taking their families with them, with multi-generational trips on the rise around the world.”
Irvin pointed to another growing trend that could reflect some level of heightened caution on the part of globetrotters after the mayhem of last summer: More people appear to be opting for the help of travel agents and tour operators, who can provide extra reassurance and support in the event of unforeseen disruptions.
Another day of severe weather in the Northeast has caused thousands of flight delays and cancellations ahead of the July Fourth weekend. Stranded passengers have been forced to either pay for a hotel or sleep at the gate. CBS News’ Errol Barnett reports from Newark Liberty International Airport.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
If your flight gets delayed or canceled and the weather is not to blame, then U.S. airlines may soon have to compensate you. A new proposal from President Biden would require airlines to go beyond just a ticket refund. Brian Sumers, founder and editor of The Airline Observer, discusses what passengers can expect.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
The winter storm that disrupted travel plans over the weekend and created an epic pile-on of flight cancellations for Southwest Airlines left the carrier’s passengers “beyond frustrated,” as one put it to CBS DFW. Thousands of families were stranded, with some waiting days to board planes.
Southwest customers at Dallas Love Field expressed disappointment, frustration and anger Monday after facing multiple flight delays and cancellations since before Christmas.
Talia Jones, a Southwest Air customer, told CBS DFW she was “beyond frustrated and hurt because I can’t see my dad. So yeah, it’s very disappointing.”
As of 5 a.m. ET Tuesday, Southwest was responsible for an overwhelming majority of U.S. cancellations for the new day, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.com: 2,495 out of 2,809 for all carriers.
Two-thirds of Southwest’s flights had been canceled as of Monday afternoon, according to FlightAware.
On Monday afternoon, the board at Dallas Love Field, showed every single arrival had been canceled, according to reporter Kelly Laco.
At Chicago’s Midway International Airport – where Southwest is the main carrier – the wait times were high, and patience was running low Monday night, CBS Chicago said.
The situation was described by one traveler as nothing short of a mess. In addition to long lines taking up space, hundreds and hundreds of bags were waiting to be claimed as the cancellations and delays kept piling up.
“It’s been hell,” said Denzil Smothers, whose flight was canceled.
The federal Department of Transportation on Monday said it would investigate the meltdown, saying it was “concerned by Southwest Airlines’ disproportionate and unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays as well as the failure to properly support customers experiencing a cancellation or delay.”
“As more information becomes available the Department will closely examine whether cancellations were controllable and whether Southwest is complying with its customer service plan as well as all other pertinent DOT rules,” the department said in a statement.
Traveler Michael Bauzon and his family planned on flying out of Orlando International Airport on Friday to return home to Indianapolis in time for Christmas on Sunday. Instead, the four spent the holidays in a hotel after their flight was canceled, Bauzon told CBS affiliate WKMG, and were back at the airport on Monday — where they continued to wait.
“This morning we got here at 4:30 for a 7:05 flight, we looked it up, and oh it had just been canceled,” he said, gesturing to a line snaking in front of the Southwest service counter. “It’s a four- to five-hour line … before they can get us on a flight — if they can get us on a flight,” he said.
Passengers lined up by the Southwest Airlines counter at San Francisco International Airport on Dec. 26, 2022.
Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Widespread storm, outdated tech
In a statement Monday that opened with “heartfelt apologies,” Southwest said that its geography made it “uniquely” vulnerable to the storm, with half of the airports in which it flies affected by winter weather.
“We were fully staffed and prepared for the approaching holiday weekend when the severe weather swept across the continent, where Southwest is the largest carrier in 23 of the top 25 travel markets in the U.S. This forced daily changes to our flight schedule at a volume and magnitude that still has the tools our teams use to recover the airline operating at capacity,” the statement said.
“We anticipate additional changes with an already reduced level of flights as we approach the coming New Year holiday travel period,” it noted.
The company also blames a lack of technology. “Part of what we’re suffering is a lack of tools. We’ve talked an awful lot about modernizing the operation, and the need to do that,” CEO Bob Jordan said in an internal message on Sunday that was reported by several media outlets and the flight attendants’ union.
Jammed phone lines, systems
Southwest directed customers away from jammed phone lines, noting that it was experiencing “system issues” amid elevated demand.
Spokesperson Chris Perry said the airline’s online booking and check-in systems are still operating, but were also jammed because of “abnormally high” volumes of traffic on their site. “We are re-accommodating as many Customers as possible based on available space,” he told CBS News.
As Southwest blamed technological issues, the flight attendants’ union, Transit Workers Union 556, accused the airline of contributing to the problem by underinvesting in technology for years.
“The lack of technology has left the airline relying on manual solutions and personal phone calls, leaving flight attendants on hold with Southwest Airlines for up to 17 hours at a time simply to be released to go home after their trip, or while attempting to secure a hotel room or know where their next trip will be,” the union said in a statement. “While reroutes and rescheduling are understood to be a part of the job in the airline industry, the massive scale of the failure over the past few days points to a shirking of responsibility over many years for investing in and implementing technology that could help solve for many of the issues that plague flight attendants and passengers alike.”
The union and airline have been in contract negotiations for four years.
— With reporting by Zel Elvi, Kathryn Krupnik, Kris Van Cleave and Brian Dakss.
The winter storm that disrupted thousands of travel plans over the weekend has created an epic pile-on of flight cancellations for Southwest Airlines, leaving thousands of families stranded, with some waiting for days to fly back home.
Two-thirds of Southwest’s flights were been canceled as of Monday afternoon, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware — far more than any other airline. With some 2,700 Southwest flights canceled, another 700 were delayed Monday, FlightAware found.
On Monday afternoon, the board at Dallas Love Field, the airline’s main hub, showed every single arrival had been canceled, according to reporter Kelly Laco.
The airline canceled more than 1,600 flights on Sunday, and 1,300 each day last week on Thursday and Friday.
Traveler Michael Bauzon and his family planned on flying out of Orlando International Airport on Friday to return home to Indianapolis in time for Christmas on Sunday. Instead, the four spent the holidays in a hotel after their flight was canceled, Bauzon told CBS affiliate WKMG, and were back at the airport on Monday — where they continued to wait.
“This morning we got here at 4:30 for a 7:05 flight, we looked it up, and oh it had just been canceled,” he said, gesturing to a line snaking in front of the Southwest service counter. “It’s a four- to five-hour line … before they can get us on a flight — if they can get us on a flight,” he said.
Widespread storm, outdated tech
In a statement Monday that opened with “heartfelt apologies,” Southwest said that its geography made it “uniquely” vulnerable to the storm, with half of the airports in which it flies affected by winter weather.
“We were fully staffed and prepared for the approaching holiday weekend when the severe weather swept across the continent, where Southwest is the largest carrier in 23 of the top 25 travel markets in the U.S. This forced daily changes to our flight schedule at a volume and magnitude that still has the tools our teams use to recover the airline operating at capacity,” the statement said.
“We anticipate additional changes with an already reduced level of flights as we approach the coming New Year holiday travel period,” it noted.
The company also blames a lack of technology. “Part of what we’re suffering is a lack of tools. We’ve talked an awful lot about modernizing the operation, and the need to do that,” CEO Bob Jordan said in an internal message on Sunday that was reported by several media outlets and the flight attendants’ union.
Jammed phone lines, systems
Southwest directed customers away from jammed phone lines, noting that it was experiencing “system issues” amid elevated demand.
Spokesperson Chris Perry said the airline’s online booking and check-in systems are still operating, but were also jammed because of “abnormally high” volumes of traffic on their site. “We are re-accommodating as many Customers as possible based on available space,” he told CBS News.
As Southwest blamed technological issues, the flight attendants’ union, Transit Workers Union 556, accused the airline of contributing to the problem by underinvesting in technology for years.
“The lack of technology has left the airline relying on manual solutions and personal phone calls, leaving flight attendants on hold with Southwest Airlines for up to 17 hours at a time simply to be released to go home after their trip, or while attempting to secure a hotel room or know where their next trip will be,” the union said in a statement. “While reroutes and rescheduling are understood to be a part of the job in the airline industry, the massive scale of the failure over the past few days points to a shirking of responsibility over many years for investing in and implementing technology that could help solve for many of the issues that plague flight attendants and passengers alike.”
The union and airline have been in contract negotiations for four years.
