Travel chaos at Denver International Airport continues on Christmas Eve

Delays, cancellations, and baggage woes continued Saturday as passengers spend a chaotic Christmas Eve at Denver International Airport after a massive storm continues to affect holiday travel.

"Don't go to the airport during Christmas break," said Dahlia Alverson. She and her grandparents, the Gardners, are hoping to get back home to San Antonio, after multiple delays and cancellations 

"I've called every other airline and there's no flights for this evening," said Julie Gardner. They're hoping to avoid spending Christmas in the airport but have found hotels and rental cars booked up.

"It's an adventure," said Gardner. 

Renee Hawley from Ohio was only planning to stop in Denver for a quick layover, on her way home. 

"I got here and my flight got canceled to Columbus, so I'm trying to find my bag, but they're telling me I'm not allowed to have my bag my bag is going to Columbus," said Hawley. After her second flight was also canceled, Hawley is now stranded in Colorado without her bag. 

"My laptops in there and I work from home, so I don't know if I'm going to be able to work next week. It has medications and presents and all my clothes! I just have what I have on me," said Hawley. 

Colorado residents LouAnn Olson and Susan Casper met Saturday when their flight to Raleigh was canceled, and they too found themselves stranded without bags. 

"We asked about our luggage because they took it from us, and the luggage is being shipped to Raleigh," said Olson. 

"And then there are no flights out for two days, and our baggage won't be delivered to us," said Casper. 

Both women said Southwest told them their bags would not be shipped back to Colorado, now they'll have to spend Christmas without their families or their things. 

"I'm sad. She is too," said Olson, "ever since covid I kind of got used to being alone on holidays." 

CBS Colorado reached out to Southwest Airlines about the issue of bags not being returned, they told us that is not their policy, and they make every attempt to ship a customer's bag back to them.