Storm ends but travel headaches linger as some still wait to get home

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Travelers are still dealing with the impacts of that dangerous storm. There weren’t any delays coming or going from the Burlington International Airport by Monday evening, but some people are still just trying to get home for the holidays.

“My mom was very sad,” said Thomas Higgins of Essex. “I get to see her in a second but yeah it was hard not seeing her.”

Higgins was on a ski trip in Utah before Christmas. He ended up getting stuck for four days, missing Christmas entirely and finally getting home on Monday.

“Delays kept happening when I tried to come back. It was like three or four cancellations. Kept delaying, kept delaying, I was stuck there for four extra days, didn’t get to go home for Christmas and see family,” he said.

Delays also impacted Semih, an international traveler coming all the way from Istanbul to Vermont. His flight was canceled late Sunday night, forcing him to pay for a hotel before flying out Monday morning.

He shared video of the lines at JFK Sunday evening stretching as far as the eye can see.

“If you are not a foreigner, it is comfortable for you, it’s not so bad. We are just completely foreigners, so it’s very strange for us,” Semih said.

Others, however, were able to get to Vermont on time but said Chicago O’Hare airport was packed early Monday morning.

“Today, me traveling was a little bit hectic because I think that everyone and their mother and their dog found out they finally had a chance to fly today, so the airport was filled. For the morning after Christmas at four in the morning, I did not expect for there to be that many people and there was just a hoard of people,” said Augustin Tilca of Chicago.

Luckily, as the storm finally moved out of the country, some were able to have a smooth travel experience, getting where they needed to go for the holidays.

“No delays, it was pretty good for the most part. I just think it’s really good to be home for the holidays with family,” said Emily Usalis, who flew from Chicago.

“Actually it was really smooth. We didn’t encounter a lot of foot traffic or really overwhelming business, it was really smooth. I think we are lucky,” said Terri Graham of Barre.

As airlines deal with the fallout of the crazy few days of weather, the good news is some clear weather is on the way. That will help get everyone’s travel plans straightened out, as the airlines race to catch up.

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