Winter storms sweeping across the country have caused widespread travel disruptions, with thousands of flights canceled or delayed nationwide.
Several Santa Barbara residents were among those impacted, including Rob Strickland, who ultimately decided to cancel his flight to Florida altogether after repeated delays and limited rebooking options.
“Just a ton of delays, as you might imagine,” Strickland said. “There were no flights available for rebooking. I tried for the last hour to rebook to Florida, but no dice.”
Others say they were fortunate to avoid major delays. Vicky Hughes, who was returning home from Ohio, said she managed to make it back just in time before conditions worsened.
“We first got into the snowstorm, and at the beginning it was only a few inches,” Hughes said. “But overnight, it turned into almost 18 inches of snow. We couldn’t get out of the garage, you couldn’t do anything.”
Ping Her, who is visiting Santa Barbara from Wisconsin, said several of his colleagues were unable to reach their destinations due to the severe weather. One colleague remains stranded in Phoenix, while another was rerouted to Los Angeles International Airport.
As the storms move out of the region, airlines expect flight operations to gradually return to normal. Travelers with upcoming plans are encouraged to check directly with their airline for the latest flight updates and travel advisories.
