At Austin-Bergstrom Worldwide Airport, hundreds of stranded and confused passengers massed all through the terminal in traces that snaked in all instructions.
One line, with no sign of ending, stretched to the Southwest ticket counter, the place maybe 10 or 15 brokers staffed counters as prospects queued as much as be taught their choices — if there have been any.
Lots of have been clustered on the extent under, grouped round a whole bunch of baggage, a lot of which had been dispatched again to Austin from canceled flights.
For some the influence was greater than only a canceled flight. Elicia Michaud of Austin, 45, mentioned 4 units of grandchildren — a complete of eight starting from 13 to 22 and coming from completely different locations — deliberate to shock their grandparents, of their 80s, in Los Angeles. It was to be their first reunion because the coronavirus pandemic started. A photographer was lined up for the event. Now, Ms. Michaud mentioned, it’s going to be canceled. “It’s going to be a large bummer,” she mentioned.”
Caleb Bae wakened earlier than 3 a.m. on Monday to make an early-morning Southwest flight from Philadelphia to Nashville on his option to Los Angeles to see his household. However when he arrived at Nashville Worldwide Airport, he discovered that the second leg of his journey was canceled as a result of, he was instructed, there was not a crew for the flight.
“At this level, I don’t even know what to do,” Mr. Bae, 27, who lives close to Boston and works in product help for a software program firm, mentioned on Monday afternoon after about eight hours caught within the airport. He had spent Christmas along with his spouse’s household earlier than planning to see his personal for a couple of days. “Now I’m not getting time with any of my household and am stranded by myself,” he mentioned.
He mentioned that Southwest had ultimately provided him a journey voucher, however, he mentioned, “I don’t essentially need to fly with them once more.”
