Travel delays, cancelations extend into 2nd week after holiday as passengers voice frustration
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - It has been a rough week for travelers. Just Friday, more than 230 flights were delayed and 14 were canceled. Airlines say the problems are caused by the weather, low staffing and high demand for the holiday week.
The week of the Fourth of July tends to bring lots of travelers looking to get away, but with that, the risk of flight delays and cancelations, and that is exactly what passengers at Philadelphia International Airport were dealing with Friday.
"We arrived two hours early, like you’re supposed to and we were waiting and then we get a notification that the flight gets delayed a couple hours. We grab some food, we’re coming back and it’s canceled," Cale Kreamer explained.
Kreamer and his family were booked on a Frontier flight to Puerto Rico. With the cancelation, it forced them to re-book on another airline.
"I cried. I was having a panic attack because then we would have to take a layover and it’s a mess," Olivia Dougherty said.
Jack Dougherty added, "I’m a little frustrated and, you know, I’ve been looking forward to this."
RELATED: Philadelphia Int'l sees massive delays during busiest July 4th travel weekend
Julian DeLeon, from New Jersey, was just another traveler on a canceled flight. "I was waiting for my flight. It was supposed to be at 4, but then they delayed it for later and later and then they canceled it."
His situation, unfortunately, not unique.
Juan Rivera was supposed to be on the same flight back home to San Juan after visiting with family. He told FOX 29 this was the second time his flight was canceled, leaving him stranded with no options.
In Spanish and translated, Rivera explained, "The only thing [the airline] they said was to come to the line to change the flight for another day."
Adding to his worry, he’s stranded with his eight-year-old autistic grandson.
FOX 29’s Shaynah Ferreira asked Rivera, in Spanish and translated," What are you gonna do now?
"Well, frustrated because I’m here with my autistic grandson and now I have to pay again and the people that brought us here now have to come back to get us. More money spent on my end and they couldn’t even offer a hotel or anything for us," Rivera replied.