Travelers stranded as snow and delays pile up at O’Hare Airport

CHICAGO - Winter weather has caused a ripple effect at airports across the nation—with more than 2,300 flight cancelations in the U.S. on Monday.

At O’Hare International Airport, crews were working late into the evening to get back on track after a ground stop Monday morning.  

More than 290 flights were canceled there, while nearly 1,000 were delayed.

By Monday night, some travelers found themselves without bags and in hotels as they tried to get from Point A to Point B.  

"It’s absolutely terrible, I must admit," said Ali Asad, traveling from California to Washington, D.C.

As unclaimed bags stacked up in Terminal 1—Baggage Claim, passengers who were delayed or diverted were re-routing their plans.

"Our flight was redirected here, and then I have to stay the night here, waiting for the next flight out to where I was supposed to go," said Ali Asad, traveler.  

Asad was traveling with classmates from California State University, San Bernardino. They were headed for Washington, D.C. but on the ground there, Reagan National Airport shut down its runways to clear snow.

"Our bags are available to be able to get picked up, but we have to put in the request and wait four to six hours, and she just said right now, that even if we wait the four to six hours, we might not get the bags if there is a first available flight to be taken," said Asad.

Until approximately 9:30 a.m. Monday, the FAA halted inbound and outbound flights at O’Hare due to lake-effect snow and freezing drizzle. It caused a domino effect throughout the day.

By the evening, a line of customers had formed outside of United’s office in Terminal 1—Baggage Claim.

"We’ve got a ticket, so hopefully it’s back there somewhere," said Alec Boehmer, customer.  

Boehmer is finally home after unexpected delays coming from Las Vegas.  

"It was a few-hour delay so that was tough, because obviously we got there early in the morning for it," said Boehmer.

Likewise, siblings Joanna and Ethan Gould were nearly at the airport in Salt Lake City when text alerts started coming in.

"I think it was delayed 20 minutes on the way there, then another 30 minutes once we got there, then 30 after that," said Ethan Gould.

Now back home, they're holding their breath, like so many others, until they spot their bags on the belt.

"Now we’re just waiting for our bags, so hopefully they come," said Joanna Gould.

A spokesperson with United Airlines issued the following statement to FOX 32 Chicago on Monday evening:

"Our operations team continues to monitor the weather developments in the Central US and Mid-Atlantic. Customers may visit united.com to check their flight status and view the latest information. Additionally, we currently have waivers in place for customers traveling to, from or through impacted cities.

"We encourage travelers to download our mobile app and use our Agent on Demand tool, which enables them to bypass a line to speak with agents and get assistance via text, FaceTime or phone call."

Travelers can check average flight delays at O’Hare and Midway airports by clicking HERE.