MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - A third day of air travel trouble at South Florida airports led to some drastic changes in Father’s Day plans this weekend.
7News cameras captured travelers as they stood in line at a Miami International Airport concourse, Saturday.
Raymond Dorcely, who traveled from New York, said he was going to treat his dad to a Mexican getaway.
“It was supposed to be a Father’s Day weekend in Mexico, but now it’s just been a very random Father’s Day.”
But their connecting flight out of MIA got canceled.
“We we’re going to fly into Miami Thursday morning, but that flight got canceled and was then rebooked for Saturday morning, which brings us here,” said Dorcely, “and then, while on the flight, we were told the flight was canceled.”
Traveler Angel Ramos was also dealing with cancellation complications.
“I start my clinical rotation Monday, so I think I’m going to have to delay it a day for travel purposes,” he said.
Ramos, who’s trying to get to San Francisco, began his journey at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. After his flight on Friday was canceled, it was rescheduled at MIA.
But that did not bring his troubles to an end.
“They shuttled me over here from Fort Lauderdale, and as soon as I got into my gate, it got canceled again,” said Ramos.
The flight frustrations are happening all over the country. Since Thursday, thousands of flights have been canceled or delayed.
At MIA, 37 flights were canceled and at least 83 were delayed on Saturday alone.
FLL officials reported 11 canceled flights and at least 61 delays.
“I just want to be home at this point,” said Ramos.
Airlines have blamed the cancellation chaos on nasty weather from coast to coast over the last week, as well as staffing shortages.
In a tweet, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association accused Southwest of selling more than 4,000 flights a day in June when they were only staffed for 3,800.
Despite the inconveniences, travelers are trying to enjoy their time anyway. On this Father’s Day weekend, Dorcely and his father hit sunny Miami Beach instead of Mexico.
“We just went to Soho House and just chilled out,” said Dorcely.
Airlines advise travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
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