Passengers scrambling after airlines cancel thousands of flights

by Sarah Rice (srice@wsbt.com)

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Airlines have canceled thousands of flights for FAA inspections, creating long lines of stranded passengers around the country.

Airlines have canceled thousands of flights for FAA inspections, creating long lines of stranded passengers around the country.

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Apr 10, 2008 at 3:51 PM EST

Story Updated: Apr 10, 2008 at 4:15 PM EST

SOUTH BEND — Airlines across the U.S. are canceling flights for safety inspections. It couldn't happen at a worse time with so many people traveling for spring break.

American Airlines passengers are dealing with long lines and lots of phone calls as they try to re-book their flights. American has canceled 2,500 flights since Tuesday, and more are expected into the weekend.

Only one out of a handful of local travel agents WSBT News contacted said the cancellations have affected them.

That's because six years ago American Airlines stop flying out of South Bend. But a lot of people in this area do go to Indianapolis and Chicago to catch flights. Some agents say that's causing a big mess for travelers here.

Jodie Moser has mixed emotions as she packs for a Caribbean cruise she's been looking forward to for months.

"I'm so nervous and anxious that all this planning and anticipation is going to be for nothing,” she told WSBT News.

She's driving from South Bend to Chicago to catch a flight to Miami through American Airlines. The worldwide carrier has canceled more than 2,000 flights since Tuesday, and they anticipate the cancellations will continue through the weekend.

The travel nightmare is being passed down to places like Theran Travel. For the past few days, they've been flooded with phone calls from stranded travelers.

"It's been very, very interesting because there are a lot of airlines that are picking up the slack from where American is canceling,” said Dianne Reamer with Theran Travel.

Re-booking a flight on a different airline could mean waiting a few days. That's not an option for people like Moser.

"It's not like I can get on a flight two days later,” she said. “If I don't make my flight, my vacation is ruined."

"And unfortunately, because of the way they're canceling the flights and they're not canceling them ahead of time — they're usually canceling them the day of — you're not going to know until you get to the airport,” Reamer said.

But until then, Moser is keeping hope alive, knowing that those sandy white beaches may or may not be just a few days away.

"Once I'm in Miami I will be on vacation,” she said. “But until I get there, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed."

Travel agents say if your flight is canceled, you're entitled to compensation, like meal vouchers or a hotel stay. That's because this is a mechanical problem — something American Airlines has control over.

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