Nearly 400 flights delayed or canceled at Philadelphia International Airport amid FAA ground stop fallout

PHILADELPHIA - The travel nightmare continues at Philadelphia International Airport, where hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled Saturday as passengers dealt with the lingering fallout from Friday’s nationwide FAA ground stop.

A total of 389 flights arriving at or departing from Philadelphia International Airport had been canceled or delayed Saturday, and that number continued to climb. The disruptions were approaching the roughly 450 flights affected at PHL the day before.

An airport spokesperson said the longest lines Saturday were not at baggage claim, where passengers have been waiting hours for their luggage. Instead, the biggest crowds were at airline customer service counters, where travelers were trying to rebook flights and figure out how to get to their destinations.

Stranded passengers describe multi-day delays 

What they're saying:

For many passengers, the problems have stretched across multiple days.

Tosha Beaty flew all the way from Japan, where her husband is stationed in the military. She and her family spent three hours sitting on a runway with their 13-month-old before their flight was ultimately canceled.

After finally making it to Philadelphia, the family was exhausted and ready to get home.

"Finally got here. Now we’re waiting for an Uber. He’s not happy, tired, you know, jet-lagged for sure," Beaty said of her young child.

She said the extended travel delays have made an already difficult trip even harder.

"It’s definitely been hard. Jet lag for sure. He’s up all night, wants to sleep all day, and then, so it’s hard," she said. "He just wants to play. Can’t do that when we’re sitting on an airplane for three hours."

Other passengers described spending hours waiting for flights and luggage, with some stranded at the airport for as long as 24 hours.

One traveler, India, said she had no choice but to try to sleep in the airport.

"I had to try to sleep at the airport. On the chairs. What did I do? Look at my phone," she said.

Some travelers struggled to find hotel rooms, while others were forced to extend their stays and make multiple attempts to get home.

Sarah Mietkiewicz said she has been booked on five different flights, three of which were canceled. Her journey from Miami to Boston has turned into a frustrating combination of planes, trains and automobiles.

"I think we’re pretty resilient, but I will say it is odd that they’re letting us book flights that it seems like have no chance of taking off, so that’s been difficult," she said.

Luggage arrives in Philadelphia without passengers

The backstory:

 

The disruptions have also left some passengers dealing with luggage that made it to Philadelphia even when they didn’t.

Logan Wilder was in town for a guys’ trip and the Rocky Run. His friends, however, were stuck in Denver after their flights were canceled, while their luggage ended up at Philadelphia International Airport.

Wilder said he was trying to help his friends track down their bags and figure out how to get them back.

"I was literally trying to FaceTime my friend, holding up the camera. Can you see your bag? Going through this mess," he said.

He said his friends were told to leave the Denver airport after their flights were canceled, but their luggage continued traveling without them.

"So your friends’ bags are here, but they’re not? How is that possible? That’s what we’re so stumped on," Wilder said. "Because their flights were canceled, they were told to leave Denver airport. Their luggage went to Reno, Nevada, and then here to Philadelphia, so it’s been a whole mess."

What's next:

Airport officials expect the travel disruptions to continue for several more days as airlines work through the backlog of passengers and flights affected by the nationwide ground stop.

PhiladelphiaTravel News