COVID-19 surge still delaying holiday travel in Chicago, across US
CHICAGO - Amid the COVID surge, airlines have a challenge to get travelers back home after the holiday weekend.
Troubles at the terminals started last week due to the surge in the COVID-19 omicron variant.
Flyers inside Terminal 1 at O’Hare International Airport were hoping to get home. It’s been a trying time to fly this holiday season.
"Then they tell us they canceled the flight again... what the hell are we, chopped liver or something?" one traveler told FOX 32.
Many planes across the US weren’t cleared for takeoff.
Passengers at the United terminal at O’Hare weren’t the only ones impacted.
Delta, JetBlue and American all had cancelations because the omicron variant caused massive staffing problems.
More than a thousand flights were canceled Monday alone.
"Taxied all the way down the runway, and they stopped, sat there for a second. The pilot comes on (and said), 'We got some bad news for ya'... and everyone goes 'ahhhhhhh!'" a traveler said.
Chicago based United Airlines told FOX 32 they had to cancel 115 flights out of 4000 scheduled flights.
Fifty percent of the passengers arrived to their destinations four hours later than they were supposed to.
"Had a delayed flight which made us miss our flight to Columbia. I had to Door Dash. I am stranded here with two little boys," a woman said.