Holiday travelers fight brutal winter weather, delays, cancellations

A Southwest plane flies low over Gravelly Point on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. The airline returned to a relatively normal flight schedule Friday, as the focus shifts to making things right with what could be well more than a million passengers who missed family connections or flights home during the holidays, and many of whom are still missing luggage.

Travelers queue up at the south security checkpoint in Denver International Airport Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, in Denver.

Chicago traveler Shana Schifer reacts after receiving her bags that had been lost since Christmas Day at the Southwest Airlines unclaimed baggage area at Salt Lake City International Airport Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, in Salt Lake City.

A Salt Lake Police Officer and his K-9 partner inspect unclaimed bags at Southwest Airlines baggage claim at Salt Lake City International Airport Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, in Salt Lake City. Southwest Airlines is still trying to extract itself from sustained scheduling chaos and cancelled another 2,350 flights after a winter storm overwhelmed its operations days ago.

Travelers wait in line before they are allowed to search for their luggage in a baggage holding area for Southwest Airlines at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. More than 15,000 flights have been canceled by airlines since winter weather began impacting air travel on December 22.

John and Lori Ingoldsby, who drove to Denver after the first leg of their flight on Southwest Airlines was canceled, wait for a flight to finish their trip at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado.

Pristine Floyde searches for a friend's suitcase in a baggage holding area for Southwest Airlines at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado.

Travelers walk past the Southwest Airlines check-in counter at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. More than 15,000 flights have been canceled by airlines since winter weather began impacting air travel on December 22.

Travelers head to the security checkpoint at Denver International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Denver, Colorado.

Unclaimed luggage from Southwest flights extends into the baggage claim area at Indianapolis International Airport on Dec. 28.

Southwest planes sit on the tarmac at Indianapolis International Airport on Dec. 28.

Rows of unclaimed luggage sit outside Southwest Airlines' baggage claim office at Indianapolis International Airport on Dec. 28.

A Southwest Airlines employee sorts through unclaimed luggage at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, California, on Dec. 27, 2022. - More than 10,000 flights canceled over the Christmas holiday, chaos at airports across America: Southwest Airlines found itself in the hot seat on Dec. 27, 2022, as the airline behind the lion's share of the weather-linked travel mayhem.

The Southwest Airlines check-in counter is mostly empty at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, California, on Dec. 27, 2022, after bad weather led the company to cancel flights. - More than 10,000 flights canceled over the Christmas holiday, chaos at airports across America: Southwest Airlines found itself in the hot seat on Dec. 27, 2022, as the airline behind the lion's share of the weather-linked travel mayhem.

Children use electronic tablets while adults try to nap at the Southwest terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. At airports with major Southwest operations, customers stood in long lines hoping to find a seat on another flight. They described waiting hours on hold for help, only to be cut off. Some tried to rent cars to get to their destinations sooner. Others found sleeping spots on the floor and luggage piled in huge heaps.

People wait to retrieve their luggage at Hollywood Burbank Airport, Tuesday, Dec 27, 2022, in Burbank, Calif. Major U.S. airlines were broadsided by the massive weekend winter storm. Most airlines have recovered, but Southwest Airlines is still affected by cancellations.

Stranded travelers search for their luggage at the Southwest Airlines Baggage Claim at Midway Airport on Dec. 27, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois. A snowstorm and severe cold front that hit Chicago before the holiday weekend stranded many travelers and their luggage. Southwest Airlines has canceled approximately 5,400 flights in less than 48 hours due to various issues, including this year’s historic winter storm and scheduling complications involving crew members. On Monday, Southwest had 10 times more flights canceled than Delta Airlines, which had the second most cancellations nationwide this holiday season.

Travelers search for their luggage at the Southwest Airlines Baggage Claim at Midway Airport on Dec. 27, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois. A snowstorm and severe cold front that hit Chicago before the holiday weekend stranded many travelers and their luggage. Southwest Airlines has canceled approximately 5,400 flights in less than 48 hours due to various issues, including this year’s historic winter storm and scheduling complications involving crew members. On Monday, Southwest had 10 times more flights canceled than Delta Airlines, which had the second most cancellations nationwide this holiday season.

People wait in line for customer assistance from Southwest at Denver International Airport on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022.

Bags at Denver International Airport sit awaiting reunification with their owners on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022.

A Southwest worker pushes a cart full of bags to a storage area at Denver International Airport on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022.

A passenger sleeps in the luggage claim area, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A brutal winter storm has caused major delays in air travel across the U.S.

Passengers wait in line to check in for their flights at Southwest Airlines service desk at LaGuardia Airport, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, in New York. The U.S. Department of Transportation says it will look into flight cancellations by Southwest that have left travelers stranded at airports across the country amid an intense winter storm.

Passengers wait in line at the Delta Air Lines terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2022. Thousands of travelers have been stranded at airports or stuck on hold trying to rebook flights this week as a massive storm snarled travel in the U.S. and Canada ahead of the holidays.

Luggage bags are amassed in the bag claim area at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022.

Travellers wait on hold as they try and speak with their respective airlines at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022.

A passenger walks with luggage past holiday decorations at O'Hare International Airport on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Chicago.

December 22, 2022, at Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee, Wis. Delta, American, United, Frontier, Alaska, Southwest, and other airlines were waiving change fees and offering travelers the option of choosing new flights to avoid the bad weather. According to the National Weather Service, a winter storm watch is in effect Thursday night through Friday night with dangerously cold air and wind gust up to 50 mph. Wind chills could reach 20 to 35 degrees below zero.

Travelers wait in line to check in at Miami International Airport during a winter storm ahead of the Christmas holiday in Miami, Florida, on Dec. 23, 2022. - Nearly a million-and-a-half US power customers were in the dark Friday as a severe winter storm walloped the country, causing highway closures and thousands of flight cancellations days before Christmas. Heavy snow, howling winds, and air so frigid it instantly turned boiling water into ice took hold of much of the nation, including normally temperate southern states.

Travelers walk through Miami International Airport during a winter storm ahead of the Christmas holiday in Miami, Florida, on Dec. 23, 2022. - Nearly a million-and-a-half US power customers were in the dark Friday as a severe winter storm walloped the country, causing highway closures and thousands of flight cancellations days before Christmas. Heavy snow, howling winds, and air so frigid it instantly turned boiling water into ice took hold of much of the nation, including normally temperate southern states.

Elle Magruder, 20, takes a rest while waiting on her delayed flight home to Dallas at Ontario International Airport in Ontario, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.

Elle Magruder, left, reacts while opening her Christmas presents with her sister, Madeleine, 17, right, as they wait for their delayed flight home to Dallas at Ontario International Airport in Ontario, Calif. on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.

Aaron Banks and his daughter, Carmen, 11, look over their boarding pass after their flight to Dallas is delayed at Ontario International Airport in Ontario, Calif. on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.

The traveler passes through a pickup zone outside Denver International Airport after a winter storm swept over the country, packing snow combined with Arctic cold, which created chaos for people trying to reach their destinations before the Christmas holiday, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, in Denver. Forecasters predict that warmer weather will be on tap for the week ahead.

Travelers queue up to pass through the south security checkpoint in Denver International Airport after a winter storm swept over the country, packing snow combined with Arctic cold, which created chaos for people trying to reach their destinations before the Christmas holiday, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, in Denver. Forecasters predict that warmer weather will be on tap for the week ahead.

Travelers check in at the American Airlines self-ticket counters at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Travelers arrive at Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Travelers walk in front of American Airlines flight information screens at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Vehicles move at the 1-90 Kennedy Expressway during the winter storm ahead of the Christmas Holiday in Chicago on Dec. 22, 2022. - More than 2,200 flights were canceled across the United States by Thursday afternoon as a massive winter storm named Elliot upended holiday travel plans with a triple threat of heavy snow, howling winds, and bitter cold.

Traffic is backed up on Highway 9 in Silverthorne, Colorado, on Dec. 22, 2022, due to the closure of the eastbound lane of I-70 because of extreme winter driving conditions. - More than 2,200 flights were canceled across the United States by Thursday afternoon as a massive winter storm named Elliot upended holiday travel plans with a triple threat of heavy snow, howling winds, and bitter cold.

Vehicles travel along Interstate 44 as snow begins to fall and temperatures drop Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in St. Louis. Weather service meteorologist Ashton Robinson Cook said Thursday that the frigid air is moving through the central United States to the east, with windchill advisories affecting about 135 million people over the coming days.

A passenger rolls their luggage across a sidewalk at Quad Cities International Airport, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in Moline, Ill.

An American Airlines plane is de-iced as high winds whip around 7.5 inches of new snow at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. Temperatures plunged far and fast Thursday as a winter storm formed ahead of Christmas weekend, promising heavy snow, ice, flooding and powerful winds across a broad swath of the country and complicating holiday travel.

A traveler arrives at the American Airlines Terminal 3 ahead of the Christmas Holiday at O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 22, 2022, in Chicago.

ravelers arrive for flights at O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 22, 2022 in Chicago.

Travelers wait in line for their security screening at the United Airlines Terminal 1 ahead of the Christmas Holiday at O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 22, 2022 in Chicago.

Vehicles travel along Interstate 44 as snow begins to fall and temperatures drop Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in St. Louis.

Travelers wait for flights at O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 22, 2022 in Chicago

Travelers walk to Terminal 1 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Travelers walk to Terminal 1 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Travelers check in at the United Airlines self-ticket counters at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Travelers walk through Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Travelers walk through Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Travelers wait in line to check in for their flights at the United Airlines Terminal 1 ahead of the Christmas Holiday at O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 22, 2022, in Chicago. - US forecasters warned of life-threatening weather as a "once-in-a-generation" winter storm on Thursday threatened to wreak havoc on holiday travel plans for millions of Americans. The Federal Aviation Administration warned that high winds and heavy snow could delay flights at major air travel hubs Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, and Denver.

Travelers wait to go through a security check point at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Travelers wait to go through a security check point at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.