Travelers search for luggage at Philadelphia International Airport after chaotic ground stop halted flights
A day after a nationwide ground stop halted all flights, Philadelphia International Airport was slowly returning to normal on Saturday.
But for many travelers, the headaches from a chaotic travel day are far from over.
Piles of luggage affected by the ground stop could be seen outside of Frontier Airlines' customer service area.
The same could be said for Delta, where Corey Kripli, who is from Michigan, was trying to find his suitcase.
"Our bag made our standby flight, which is kind of crazy, but we didn't make the standby flight," Kripli said.
Amid the confusion and frustration, Kripli said he missed that plane in Detroit but made it to Philadelphia on Saturday for a wedding at the Jersey Shore. He arrived just in time — a Delta employee told him his bag with his tuxedo was on a plane about to head back to Michigan.
It was a happy ending for Kripli after he was stranded at the airport for hours, he said.
"I think everybody was frustrated," Kripli said. "Last night, we got to our hotel, and there were hundreds of people trying to get into one hotel and they were turning people away."
Erica Trevino also dealt with multiple delays in Tampa before her flight bound for Philadelphia was finally able to take off after the ground stop was lifted Friday night, but her issues didn't end there.
"I got here to Philly. Got here. We are all down here at the baggage claim. They tell us where the baggage claim is. We get here. And come to find out, our luggage was never even put on the plane," Trevino said.
Fortunately, Trevino was able to find her bags, but there were still some that were left unclaimed.
Rebecca Brady was one of the lucky ones who didn't have to go on a scavenger hunt to find her luggage.
However, Brady, who is a Philadelphia educator, said she was at the airport while she was on a field trip with students.
"Everyone was sprawled all over the airport, sleeping, people who weren't able to get hotels," Brady said. "It was quite a show."
While airlines continue to recover, many people are now wondering if there will be any lingering effects that will impact holiday travel.
Federal officials said that should not be the case. Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford said air travel should resume normal operations by Sunday night, and officials expect things to get back to normal for the Thanksgiving rush.
