Winter climate, staffing shortages, and Omicron variant affecting Vacation Journey

WARWICK, RI (WPRI) – The holidays are one of the busiest times to travel, but as many know, the weather, staff shortages, and the rapid rise in Omicron variant cancellations have all increased, and here in Rhode Island we’re seeing it’s effects.

The pandemic has continued to change the way so many people live, but for a North Kingstown family they shared a Christmas moment they will never forget.

It was an emotional homecoming at Rhode Island TF Green International Airport when Dave Sampson finally saw his son for the first time in more than 2 years.

Sampson, emotionally at the thought of being able to hold onto his son one more time.

“The tears that come out of my eyes should give you a pretty good answer to my excitement, says Sampson. We’ve stayed as close as we can over the past few years, but it’s been tough.”

Dave’s son Travis moved to Austin, Texas, after high school for college. What he didn’t know was that Thanksgiving 2019 would be the last time he would see his son.

The first coronavirus case reached the United States on January 20, 2020.

Fast forward to Christmas 2021, the corona virus is still rampant and the Omicron variant is dampening holiday travel. because staff shortages lead to delays and cancellations nationwide.

Travis told 12 News that the distance and time away was a learning curve, one that was difficult for everyone but especially for him, who had crossed half the country.

Delta Airlines issues a statement that reads:

“The winter weather in parts of the US and the Omicron variant continued to affect Delta’s flight schedule over the holiday weekend on Saturday, Christmas Day. The airline canceled 344 main and connecting flights on the daily schedule, which included around 3,000 scheduled flights, after exhausting all options and resources to prevent these cancellations.

We apologize to our customers for delaying their vacation travel plans. Delta employees work together around the clock to reroute and swap planes and crews to get customers where they are needed as quickly and safely as possible. If this is not possible, Delta Reservations Specialists will coordinate with our Operations and Customer Care Center to get those affected on the next available flight.

Delta expects more than 300 of its flights to be canceled on Sunday, December 26th.

“The winter weather in parts of the US and the Omicron variant continued to affect Delta’s flight schedule over the holiday weekend on Saturday, Christmas Day. The airline canceled 344 main and connecting flights on the daily schedule, which included around 3,000 scheduled flights, after exhausting all options and resources to prevent these cancellations.

We apologize to our customers for delaying their vacation travel plans. Delta employees work together around the clock to reroute and swap planes and crews to get customers where they are needed as quickly and safely as possible. If this is not possible, Delta Reservations Specialists will coordinate with our Operations and Customer Care Center to get those affected on the next available flight.

Delta expects more than 300 of its flights to be canceled on Sunday, December 26th.

Customers are encouraged to check their flight status and rebook on. manage Delta.com or the Fly Delta app. Update can also be sent directly to a mobile device or by email. “

The Sampsons say they are grateful that they weren’t one of those flights. “We’re more grateful than you can imagine, we’re lucky to be one of the lucky few who can get their family home and be together for the vacation,” said Dave.

United Airlines was also affected, saying in a statement:

This week’s nationwide surge in Omicron cases has had a direct impact on our flight crews and our operations staff. For this reason, we unfortunately had to cancel some flights and inform affected customers in advance when they come to the airport. We apologize for the disturbance and are working hard to rebook as many people as possible and get them off for the holidays.

We fly an average of 4K flights per day this holiday season, and these cancellations make up a small fraction of those flights. So far, 25% of the customers affected have been rebooked on flights that arrive at their destination earlier than usual.