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ATLANTA (CBS46) -- On a time filled with hugs and vacation cheer, dozens of flights astatine Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport brought heartaches to immoderate travelers.
Deborah Burris was adjacent to tears aft her formation to Africa was canceled Friday morning.
“Everything’s canceled,” said Deborah Burris. “It was much than conscionable Christmas.”
For her vacation travel, Burris planned to bring books, papers, pencils, and different gifts for children connected the different broadside of the world.
“We were going to observe the continent. This is thing but schoolhouse supplies for children,” she said, arsenic she opened a ample bag.
This travel to Africa was 1 of much than 300 flights from Delta, United, and different carriers cancelled Christmas Eve partially owed to the Omicron variant. Roughly 1 successful 10 United flights were cancelled, according to the online formation tracking work Flight-Aware.
In a connection to CBS46, United Airlines addressed the cancelled flights:
“The nationwide spike successful Omicron cases this week has had a nonstop interaction connected our formation crews and the radical who tally our operation. As a result, we’ve unluckily had to cancel immoderate flights and are notifying impacted customers successful beforehand of them coming to the airport. We’re atrocious for the disruption and are moving hard to rebook arsenic galore radical arsenic imaginable and get them connected their mode for the holidays.”
Delta Airlines warned much cancellations could beryllium connected the way. The hose expects 150 flights to beryllium cancelled Saturday and Sunday.
The Christmas calamity deed particularly hard for those visiting loved ones.
Jean-Pierre Wetli said his household was boarding their formation to sojourn his parent successful Phoenix erstwhile they were told the level wouldn’t instrumentality off, contempt being minutes retired from its scheduled departure.
“It’s brainsick to beryllium 5th successful enactment acceptable to committee your formation past minute,” said Wetli. “I thought it was a mistake. There’s nary way.”
Wetli said the precocious cancellation caused chaos astatine the gate. Travelers scrambled to find alternate flights.
His household re-booked his formation for Sunday, but Wetli is disappointed helium won’t walk the vacation with his parent for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row.
“Christmas is special. We haven’t been retired to spot them for a agelong clip we were truly looking guardant to it,” helium said.
Amid the untimely formation cancellations, immoderate travelers struggled to find perfect rebooking options.
April Goober and Peter Torres were stranded astatine Hartsfield-Jackson though admittedly connected their ain accord. The mates missed their formation by minutes portion utilizing the restroom.
“We’re successful the aforesaid vessel arsenic these radical who person had their flights cancelled. We consciousness for them,” said Torres.
Goober and Torres said they were initially expected to instrumentality disconnected astatine 11:30 a.m. After missing their flight, the adjacent disposable enactment was astir 7 p.m.
“We’re not going to get determination until midnight,” said Torres. “Perfect timing – present comes Santa Claus!”
As rebookings and realizations acceptable in, a glimmer of gratitude appears successful the vacation hustle.
“Maybe it’s clip for america to relax. All this travelling is hectic and truthful overmuch connected your accent levels,” said Torres.
English (US) ·