Nation’s severe weather still hampering So. Florida travelers – Sun
The travel woes and delays that have gripped South Florida’s airports because of the severe weather across much of the nation were affecting flights at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport again on Tuesday.
The departure delays and cancellations that had been absent earlier Tuesday were starting to increase shortly before 10 a.m.
As of 9:45 a.m., there were 23 departure delays and seven departure cancellations, airport spokesman Greg Meyer said in an email.
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More travel troubles at South Florida’s airports
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Photos: South Florida feeling the chill
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Photos: Things that happen when it gets cold in South Florida
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JetBlue
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Numerous flights delayed, canceled at South Florida airports
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Video: More flight delays, cancellations due to winter weather
There were 14 arrival delays and 13 arrival cancellations.
Building in the lesser number from earlier Tuesday, there were a total of 26 cancellations and 38 delays so far Tuesday, according to Meyer.
The cascading effects on air travel stem from a bitterly cold air mass moved across the central and northeastern United States, halting ground operations for many airlines.
In Fort Lauderdale, the bad weather led to long lines, with some stretching outside onto the sidewalks as stranded fliers waited to try and rebook canceled flights.
At Palm Beach International Airport more than a dozen flights were listed as either delayed or cancelled Monday shortly before 5 p.m. according to the airport’s website flight-tracking tool.
Miami International Airport had 28 canceled flights and 20 delays around 4:30 p.m., spokeswoman Maria Elena Levrant said in an email.
To check your flight online, click here.
At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood’s terminal 3, JetBlue and American passengers were among the hundreds of affected travelers standing in the long lines.
Accountant Carlos Lino arrived Monday morning on a layover from Peru only to find that his connection with American to New York was cancelled.
“As soon as I landed I checked, and it was cancelled,” Lino said while waiting in line. “I tried to call the airline, [but] I just kept getting a recording saying that due to high call volumes, they are unable to answer.”
Retired teacher Olga Piropato sat guarding luggage as her husband attempted to reschedule their canceled JetBlue flight to New Jersey.
“We were supposed to leave Friday, and our flight was cancelled and rescheduled for [Tuesday], and then something on the computer told us to come [Monday]. So it rescheduled again, I guess,” said Piropato.
Passengers returning from cruises soon joined in line.
Alicia Kurlak arrived at the airport after her cruise and had to stand in line outside to rebook her JetBlue flight to New York.
“I may as well wait here. I have time,” said Kurlak, who wanted to speak with someone in person rather than over the phone.
Other frustrated passengers sought alternatives.
Kirsti Eurkholder, an oceanography professor at Stonehill College in Massachusetts, waited by the escalators as her husband called to order a rental car.
They had arrived from a Celebrity Constellation cruise last Thursday, and now their Monday afternoon flight to Boston had been nixed.
“We were flying JetBlue, but they can’t get us out until Friday,” said Eurkholder.”So we are driving up to Jacksonville, and we got a flight out of Jacksonville to Boston [Tuesday].”
Outgoing cruise passengers also were caught up in the mayhem.
Laverne and Richard Hall missed boarding their Royal Caribbean International cruise ship first due to bad weather in Chicago and then again because of flight delays after arriving in Fort Lauderdale.
They were supposed to fly Monday with JetBlue to Nassau to catch their ship but the flight didn’t depart as scheduled because of a flight crew shortage. Now they will fly to St. on Thomas Tuesday to meet the cruise ship.
Cruise specialists say during the winter months it’s especially important to travel to the departing city at least a day or two before the sailing date to account for flight delays.
“Winter weather creates havoc for travelers, especially when airports are shut down and travelers are stranded,” said Michelle Fee, CEO of Cruise Planners-American Express Travel in Coral Springs, which operates a network of home-based travel agents nationwide. “It’s a big headache, especially for the cruise industry.”
asatchell@tribune.com, 954-356-4209 or Twitter@TheSatchreport.
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