As toddler Benjamin Marcano crawled outdoors San Diego Worldwide Airport on Tuesday afternoon, his dad and mom Nick Marcano and Caitlin Richmond took turns to maintain a watchful eye on him between steps.
Since Friday, the household of three had been left behind in San Diego together with hundreds of different vacationers amid the cancellation of greater than 2,700 Southwest Airways flights throughout the nation.
All through Terminal 1, individuals have been mendacity in corners to relaxation, infants have been crying, younger kids have been complaining of boredom and vacationers have been ready with their baggage to see when or if they might board.
Each jiffy, workers learn bulletins about canceled flights, suggesting San Diego residents go residence to cancel or rebook flights on-line. The earliest stranded passengers may e book new tickets, advertisers mentioned, could be for Saturday or Sunday.
Nick Marcano, alongside together with his son Benjamin and his spouse Caitlin Richmond await phrase on a flight out of San Diego. The household discovered themselves stranded in San Diego after the cancellation of the second leg of their flight to Nashville. Now they’re simply attempting to get residence to Sacramento.
(KC Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Marcano and Richmond initially deliberate to journey from Sacramento to Nashville final Thursday so their son, who turned one on Dec. 9, may meet his cousins and have a good time Christmas with their household for the primary time. Their authentic flight was canceled, and when their rescheduled flight lastly arrived in San Diego on Friday, so was the second leg of their journey.
Whereas the household’s checked baggage managed to have a good time Christmas in Nashville with out them, Marcano mentioned they stayed in resorts and lived with their backpacks whereas failing to e book a flight East.
To make issues much more depressing, Benjamin began teething 4 enamel at a time because the household left for the airport final week. After lacking the holiday with their household, Marcano mentioned they have been simply able to lastly go residence.
His dad and mom have been crying on the telephone that they hadn’t been capable of see him, Marcano mentioned. They’ve a bunch of wrapped presents for him underneath the Christmas tree and extra meals than their entire household can eat anticipating us all to get collectively. It is simply terrible.
Danny Dodson, left, and his spouse Nikki watch their kids play playing cards whereas ready to be notified of their flight to Denver from San Diego.
(KC Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Barbara Madden of Sarasota, Florida, who was visiting her son in San Diego over the Christmas weekend, came upon Monday night time that her flights have been canceled. She tried calling a number of instances, however when the automated system introduced that she wanted to talk to a consultant, the decision dropped as an alternative of connecting her to 1.
Madden tried to discover a flight on one other airline, however found it could price her over $2,000 to fly to Sarasota with Delta Air Strains.
By midday, she had solely waited in line for about quarter-hour to see if various flights to anyplace in Florida have been accessible as her son strolled outdoors. However greater than an hour later, Madden had barely crossed the road an inch.
I am staying with my son and I can keep longer, however I actually wish to return to Sarasota, she mentioned.
John Zimmerman, a retired pilot who had flown for Delta and UPS, was returning residence together with his spouse to Vancouver, Washington, after taking a Princess cruise from San Diego for Christmas.
Noelle Christensen and her brother Jonah wait to be notified of their flight again to Albuquerque from San Diego Worldwide Airport.
(KC Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
They arrived on the airport early after having to disembark from their ship on Tuesday morning, however as they sat on the airport their flight was more and more delayed, however he remained affected person.
I believe Southwest is doing its finest within the circumstances, Zimmerman mentioned. I’ve flown for airways for 37 years, so I’ve seen issues like this occur, however to not this diploma.
Many different stranded vacationers felt that Southwest was not as clear or communicative as they could possibly be, even given the circumstances with climate delays.
Tom Rogers speaks together with his spouse Sheila on the rental automobile heart. The Rogerses have been like many stranded vacationers on account of Southwest Airways flight cancellations. They’ve already spent an additional night time in San Diego attempting to get residence to Sacramento. They determined to strive renting a automobile, however have been turned down as they have been all offered out. They now plan to journey by prepare which can hopefully deliver them again by Thursday night.
(KC Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Diana Francisco typically flies backwards and forwards between Honolulu and San Diego to go to her 4 kids, however mentioned this was the primary time she’d made the journey on Southwest as an alternative of Hawaiian Airways. Whereas attempting to determine the standing of her delayed flight and whether or not she ought to examine her baggage, Francisco mentioned she interacted with unfriendly workers.
I do know there’s so much occurring on the East Coast with the storm, however they might have no less than ready a mass e-mail for everybody, she mentioned. I am not going to fly Southwest to Hawaii anymore.
Outdoors the rental automobile heart behind the airport, two basketball coaches from Oakland’s Bishop ODowd Excessive Faculty waited whereas one other of the groups’ coaches waited to obtain the keys to their three vans hire.
Touring with the varsity boys’ basketball group for the Vacation Basic Invitational Event at Torrey Pines Excessive Faculty, Dante Patterson and Lou Richie found Monday night time that their Tuesday morning flight to Southwest Oakland had been cancelled.
The group teamed up with the Oakland Technical Excessive Faculty basketball group, which can also be taking part within the event and was scheduled on the identical canceled flight, to constitution a bus for an 8.5-hour journey to San Diego. Each groups didn’t arrive in time for Oakland Tech to play their recreation, however it was rescheduled for 9:55 p.m. Tuesday night time so they might nonetheless play.
On Tuesday, individuals line as much as hire a automobile on the rental automobile heart at San Diego Worldwide Airport. Many have been turned away in the event that they did not have a earlier reservation on account of lack of automobiles.
(KC Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
In the meantime, the Bishop ODowd group arrived simply in time to examine into the lodge to relaxation whereas the coaches collected the vans.
We definitely would have preferred extra data sooner, it is only a disgrace, Patterson mentioned. The day it occurred, all the highschool groups have been away, so it impacts us a bit stronger.
Others on the rental automobile heart frightened about how and once they would lastly arrive at their vacation spot. There have been no automobiles accessible for rent, inflicting some individuals to drive residence to city.
Blake Shaw and Maria Guares’ flight residence to the Bay Space was canceled, so that they thought they might hire a automobile and drive the journey. However with out advance reservations, they could not discover a rental automobile apart from one with a hefty surcharge that might drive the fee as much as no less than $800 a day.
Our flight was canceled and we have been looking for alternate transportation like something, Shaw mentioned.
Regardless of their efforts, they might not discover a aircraft, prepare or bus ticket to return to Northern California.
Fortunately my sisters within the space, however she will not be there till the following day, Guare mentioned. Let’s examine if a good friend in LA can get us shut sufficient.
Hank Gustafson and his good friend had traveled to Phoenix for a mini highway journey to San Diego so they might go {golfing} final week. After a number of days of having fun with the unusually heat weekend taking part in golf at Singing Hills Golf Resort in Sycuan, they checked in for his or her Tuesday morning flight to the southwest, which was later canceled.
They discovered a rental automobile to be prepared to begin their 27-hour highway journey to St. Louis. However first they waited to see if they might get their baggage.
We may cease and play golf, if we are able to get our golf golf equipment, Gustafson mentioned.
An hour later, with golf golf equipment in hand, Gustafson waved goodbye as he left Terminal 1 to lastly start the return journey.
