Unruly Winter Weather Has Holiday Travelers On Edge
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With more people flying this year than last year for the holiday, travelers just want to make sure they'll be home for Christmas. The wild weather hitting across the country has holiday travelers worried, however.
Across the country, more than 7500 flights were delayed, 831 cancelled by 3 p.m. Sunday, causing many travelers to miss connecting flights.
It was a different story at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. Only six flights were canceled and two dozen were delayed. But with Christmas just three days, snow in the Minneapolis forecast could put a dent in holiday plans.
"You expect the worst and hope for the best because you don't have any control over it," Jackie Sobczak of North Carolina said.
Travel expert Terry Trippler says MSP is better prepared than most airports to handle major snowstorms. The major hubs affected right now are in Chicago, Dallas Forth Worth and Denver.
Trippler says the best way to avoid delay problems is to use an extra day for travel time.
"If you absolutely have to be to work on Monday, come home on Saturday," Trippler said.
MSP officials typically recommend arriving 90 minutes prior to departure, but around the holidays they recommend 2 hours minimum.
Trippler also recommends the day of your flight to see if there are any earlier flights available so you don't have to risk a delayed flight. He said a lot of times airlines will want to get you out of town if severe weather is coming.
You may have to pay a small fee depending on the airline, but it might be worth it if it prevents a delayed or canceled flight.
