LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Air travel through the Christmas season has been a nightmare for many.
According to FlightAware, Southwest Airlines has seen more than 60% of its flights canceled Tuesday, affecting the country's largest airports.
But travelers at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) are feeling some of the winter storm's impact, too.
As of early Tuesday afternoon, at least 11 total arrivals and departures at Louisville's airport were scratched, including flights going to and from hubs like Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas and Denver.
According to FlightAware, SDF experienced 22 cancellations over a 24-hour period. An airport spokesperson says 11 of the 12 scheduled Southwest Airlines flights departing SDF were canceled.
Several travelers stood in line at the Southwest Airlines terminal Tuesday, crossing their fingers for a post-Christmas miracle.
Bethany Green found out in the morning that her connector back home to San Diego was canceled. She can get to Chicago on her original flight, but from there her options are up in the air.
"The domino effect is going to be a little wild. It's looking like the next available [flight] is about a week away," said Green, who was visiting her family for Christmas in Henryville, Indiana. "It's looking a little tough."
Meanwhile in baggage claim, Andy Demuth picked up the three suitcases he was looking for Tuesday. The only problem -- they belong to his wife's aunt Sheila, who was supposed to get into Louisville on Dec. 23. But as of Tuesday afternoon, she's still in Denver three cancellations later.
"We were trying to figure out how the person was delayed, but the luggage wasn't," Demuth said. "[It's now] try-number four to get out of Denver."
Everyone's story is a little different: Cancellations range from inconveniences to immediate concerns.
Michael Elmore's family is from Elizabethtown, Kentucky. They traveled to Las Vegas days before Christmas, before hitting a string of issues. They found themselves needing to find a solution quickly to get back, as Elmore's diabetic father needed his insulin.
"Spent $1,600 to fly back one way from Vegas. He needs his medicine. Didn't want to take a chance on a medical emergency," he said.
These are just a few examples of strains created by the winter storm. Ultimately, the message from these travelers is to be kind to those caught working in the middle of it all.
"This is going to be a really stressful mess for them to have to clean up, and I'm just hoping people are patient with them," Green said.
A Louisville airport spokesperson says on Dec. 26, 11 of 12 scheduled Southwest Airlines departures out of the Derby City were canceled. She says staff continues to see delays and cancellations, and they encourage anyone traveling, especially Southwest, to monitor their flight statuses far in advance.
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