“It’s best to know you have options if something goes wrong,” said Stacey Ackley, president of Brentwood Travel.
st. LOUIS — From delays to cancellations to long lines, this weekend has been a travel nightmare for many across the country.
More than 16,000 flights were delayed and 5,000 canceled nationwide on Christmas Eve, according to flight tracker FlightAware.
So did passengers at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The airport’s website showed more than 60 delayed departures and about 10 cancellations.
Holiday weekends bring an unusual kind of hustle to airports, but winter storms brought more headaches than cheers.
Stacey Ackley, president of Brentwood Travel, said the airport chaos didn’t shock her.
“I’m not surprised. Vacation travel is always the busiest and most exciting time of the year, and winter storms, flight delays and staff shortages can cause things to go wrong.
5 Shots of Your Friend Meteorologist Tracy Hinson friday night video A row of bags wrapped around a baggage carousel at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
It was a different venue from the morning of Christmas Eve, but it was crowded and canceled one after another.
Acree says it’s best to know you have options in case something doesn’t go as planned.
“The biggest option is if you get to the airport early and realize something isn’t right, you need to know the next flight that’s leaving and what you can get on,” she said.
According to Acree, if you see a “cancelled” sign next to your flight number, your best bet is to act quickly.
“Take a deep breath. Patience is very strong at this time of year, so you need to be online, call your travel expert, and do your research.
“Come to the airport and work with the people at the front counter to at least put you on another flight or have your travel agent put you on another possible next flight,” she said. rice field.
There were several different stories of travelers in Lambert on Christmas Eve.
5 On Your Side spoke with one woman who was too heartbroken to be on camera, but her flight was canceled altogether.
She said she was going to Denver to visit her grandchildren. She hasn’t seen them in three years.
An employee at the ticket counter told her she wouldn’t be out in Denver until Tuesday or Wednesday.
Rebecca Clarahan and her family are some of the lucky ones, and they really preempted the storm.
“Originally, we were supposed to leave Chicago[on Saturday]but due to the weather, O’Hare was busy, the flight was canceled, and we were worried that the weather alone wouldn’t let us do it, so we decided to change the time.” Go out into the street,” she said.
Clarahan said they drove from Iowa so they could spend their vacation in warmer weather.
“We wanted to spend Christmas together. This is our second big family trip like this outside the country,” she said.
Everyone had a final message in the final before they headed out to soak up the sun in Cancun.
“I hope everyone has a safe trip and a Merry Christmas.”
Other tips to keep in mind while traveling is to have the airline’s app on your phone to receive flight alerts and learn about the airline’s cancellation and voucher policies.
