Christmas may be over, but the flight delays aren't.
Staff shortages from the omicron variant surge, coupled with record snowfall in the Pacific Northwest, forced airlines to cancel more than 900 flights yesterday, wreaking havoc on the itineraries of travelers at San Antonio International Airport.
San Antonio International fell victim to 73 flight delays and four cancellations Wednesday, while Austin Bergstrom Airport tallied 29 delays and 19 cancellations,
That improvement comes too late for some passengers complaining about delays on social media, however. Citing unhelpful airline staff after a flight cancellation, one traveler tweeted that they opted to drive 26 hours from Texas back home to Vermont instead of waiting for another flight.
Just got home to Vermont from Texas. 26 hour drive because flights were canceled. Home is not the place where you live, but the place where your heart belongs, and clearly my heart belongs in Vermont with Amelia. ❤ pic.twitter.com/2vW5hvMJHf
— Thomas W. P. Slatin 🏳️⚧️ (@twps) December 30, 2021
Southwest and JetBlue are currently experiencing the greatest number of flight disruptions at the San Antonio airport, according to Flightview. Those heading out of town this week should check the status of their flight before heading to the airport, according to travel experts.
The chaos from COVD-related staffing shortages played a role in prompting the Centers for Disease Control to revise its quarantine guidelines, shortening the recommended period from 10 to five days for asymptomatic people.
“I mean, obviously, if you have symptoms, you should [be out],” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease doctor, said during a CNN interview this week. “But if you are asymptomatic and you are infected, we want to get people back to jobs — particularly those with essential jobs to keep our society running smoothly.”
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