The Long Slog Home From Christmas
Travelers returning from the Christmas weekend faced weather problems and airline problems in much of the country.
The same storm system that brought snow to South Texas on Christmas Day continued to bring misery late Sunday to sections of the East Coast.
Earlier, a band of rain, ice and snow stretched all way from Georgia to Massachusetts, snarling both motor vehicle and air traffic along the coastline. The Carolinas were hit with their second snowstorm in a week. Authorities reported numerous minor traffic accidents.
At the airport in Jacksonville, N.C., hundreds of people were delayed by the weather, and also by a lack of de-icer — which is used to allow planes to take off in freezing precipitation.
Meanwhile, some US Airways passengers were separated from their luggage a fourth straight day Sunday, while Comair put some of its passenger planes back in the air a day after canceling all of its 1,100 flights.
US Airways officials promised to reunite people and their luggage at their intended destinations by day's end, but a spokeswoman said it was not clear how many pieces of luggage remained unclaimed.
"We're making progress," said spokeswoman Amy Kudwa. "Our goal is getting the remaining baggage and passengers on their way today."
The airline blamed baggage problems and canceled flights — 143 on Saturday and more than 100 on Friday — on Thursday's severe weather and on large numbers of baggage handlers and flight attendants calling in sick — something the unions say was no different than any other year, except US Airways no longer has the extra staff to handle seasonal sickouts.
"There never used to be a coverage problem, because we had a 40 percent reserve population. We no longer have that" because of furloughs, separation offers, retirements, Teddy Xidas, president, Association of Flight Attendants Local 40, in Pittsburgh, told CBS Radio News.
"It's flustering, we were supposed to be here for a surprise Christmas for my daughter that she had no idea of, and then everything went to heck on that," passenger Roger Keeler told CBS station KDKA in Pittsburgh.
"We started at 5, I'm 5 months pregnant, I'm tired and my husband's in there fighting with them right now, and I just can't find my luggage," said Jessica Madaszcaruso.
Comair operated 110 to 165 flights, or 10 to 15 percent of its normal flight schedule, said Nick Miller, spokesman for the Delta subsidiary based at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
"We anticipate Comair will be able to operate on a full schedule by Wednesday," he said. "That is our goal."
Comair's computer system that manages flight assignments crashed Friday night after it was overwhelmed by cancellations and delays caused by the winter storm that socked the Ohio Valley. The computer shutdown forced the airline to cancel all of its Saturday flights.
The airline carries 30,000 customers to 118 cities on a typical day. Passenger numbers increase slightly during the holidays, but Miller said he did not known exactly how many people were affected by the cancellations.
Miller said technicians were continuing to repair the computer system.
"Obviously, we're working to get as much of the schedule back up and running," he said.
Delays are expected by many travelers on a busy holiday weekend in the winter.
"Just be patient," advised experienced air traveler Tom Hansen, passing through Spokane International Airport.
Everyone should be as relaxed as Curley Russo, who told CBS News Correspondent Stephan Kaufman he's heading to Tucson to watch basketball and play some golf.
"Don't have to be where I'm at until tomorrow morning. If I get in late tonight, that's fine, then I'll tee off tomorrow morning when I'm supposed to," Russo said.
Ashley Cannon, whose father is a pilot, was also ready for the possibility of delays.
"I think so. I already got a hotel in place just in case I get stuck anyway," she said. "I have extra clothes all the time, just in case."