Thousands of flight cancellations, delays put damper on Chrismas holiday for many
QUEENS, New York (WABC) -- Airlines are continuing to cancel thousands of flights in what is becoming a Christmas nightmare.
Over 5,000 flights worldwide were canceled Monday alone and 15,000 were delayed, according to the tracking site FlightAware.
On Monday, Paul from Glen Head on Long Island was at John F. Kennedy Airport picking up his family's luggage after their Christmas Day flight was canceled causing them to miss a cruise in Europe.
"The whole thing has been a complete nightmare, ruined our Christmas, ruined our trip, missed our flight, missed our boat, so the whole thing has been canceled and it's really a shame," Paul M. said. "Delta is the new grinch."
It's not just Delta, Southwest Airlines is having a systemwide meltdown as they canceled more flights than any other airline.
On Monday, more than a third of the company's flighters were canceled.
Avremel Turen, a second grade teacher from Crowne Heights, Brooklyn missed his Southwest flight to see his family in Chicago on Friday.
"I just have to stay here for the weekend. It wasn't a big deal, but it's annoying. I would've liked to be with my family for the weekend," Turen said.
Cheryl Senior shared a similar sentiment to Turen. She was looking forward to bringing her three year old daughter to the Philippines to meet her family for the first time.
Instead, Senior is at an airport hotel.
"Christmas in the Philippines for us Pilipino people is a very big deal. Everybody prepares and does catering and a lot of good stuff and then we miss it. And it's been 7 years since I've seen my family back home so it's really really sad that we're been here for five days," Senior said.
She says Philippine Airlines paid for her hotel stay and food. Her husband said the plane had engine problems.
"We just got a notification that the earliest will be the 28th, before we can leave this hotel," Christopher Senior said.
Many people are still at JFK waiting.
"Talk to other people. There are people who slept here for three days. It's incredible," Paul M. said.
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