San Diego International Airport was packed as post-Christmas travelers ran into long waits, shoulder-to-shoulder concourses and a mess of disrupted flights. Thousands of passengers shuffled through sluggish security and gate lines while airlines and airport staff worked to clear the holiday crush.
According to FOX5 San Diego, flight-tracking site FlightAware logged more than 150 delayed flights at SAN on Sunday, and several passengers said their planes were stuck on the tarmac even after boarding. Traveler Wendy Bourke told FOX5 the airport was "very busy," while others described multi-hour delays earlier in their journeys.
Airport Had Warned Of Heavy Holiday Demand
None of this came out of nowhere. In mid-December, San Diego County’s airport authority flagged that the winter holiday stretch would be unusually busy, projecting up to 1.4 million passengers and singling out Dec. 28 as a peak travel day, according to the San Diego International Airport. Officials urged travelers to show up early and keep close tabs on flight status, warning that security screening and curbside traffic would be heavier than usual.
Ripple Effects And Causes
Airline representatives and airport staff pointed to a familiar cocktail of problems: heavy holiday crowds, nationwide air-traffic congestion and weather-related snags that have been rippling through flight schedules, FOX5 San Diego reported. The trouble is not limited to Southern California. Reuters detailed a major winter storm snarling travel across parts of the Northeast and triggering widespread delays at other major hubs, which only added to the backlog hitting San Diego.
How Travelers Were Told To Prepare
Airlines and the airport both pushed the same message: build in extra time and stay flexible. Travelers were urged to check their airline’s app or website frequently, weigh alternative routes if possible and show up at the airport earlier than normal, local outlets noted. The airport’s advisory and regional reporting recommended allowing at least two hours for domestic flights and padding in extra time for curbside drop-offs and parking, according to KPBS and the airport’s guidance.
What To Expect Next
Even with the headaches, most flights continued to operate, and airlines said they were working to shuffle crews and reposition aircraft to get schedules back on track. Some passengers, though, were looking at longer rebooking windows as the system tried to reset. The airport authority repeated its standing advice to check flight status before leaving home, arrive early and plan on extra time at every step of the trip, according to the San Diego International Airport.
