Funviralpark TPA Flight Delays Strand Christmas Travelers
Jordan Bowen reports
Tampa, Florida – Instead of gathering around the tree on Christmas Eve this year, many were stranded at Tampa International Airport.
The AAA expects a record six million Floridians to travel this holiday season, and TPA said Saturday after winter storms brought record cold and snow to much of the country. A cancellation was like a lump of coal for a hundred travelers.
Major winter storms have affected about 250 million Americans. So far, the snow and frigid temperatures have cut power to over a million people and killed at least 17 people.
Meanwhile, as of Saturday night, TPA had reported at least 94 flight delays and 28 cancellations.
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“We arrived about 3:00, found out about 4:15 that we were late, until 8:45,” said Eric Martin, an Indiana native traveling to Chicago. rice field.
The chairs were filled with passengers glued to the flight monitors.
“It’s definitely a hassle. It’s just time. I think it’s like doing a 12-hour shift at work,” says Martin.
Saturday night’s travel woes were still a major headache for many, but improved compared to Friday. Tampa Airport reported at least 175 flight delays and 75 flight cancellations.
For those traveling in the next few days, be sure to double-check your flight times before heading out and make sure you’re at the airport at least two hours before departure.
“At TSA checkpoints, it averages about 5-10 minutes. You don’t want to test that on vacation. It’s going to be a little longer,” said Tampa International Airport spokesperson Emily Nippes.
