Travelers open Christmas presents at the airport after days trapped by weather delays
TAMPA, Fla. - Christmas Day did not bring cheer for travelers. For the third day in a row, flights across the country were canceled due to record-breaking cold and snow in the Midwest and Eastern U.S.
Some travelers at Tampa International Airport said they spent several nights sleeping in the terminals after watching rebooked flights be canceled.
"It's a complete mess. A lot of downtime, waiting at the airport among many other families doing the exact same thing," passenger Danielle Szostak said.
As of Sunday, the snow and frigid temperatures have left more than 1 million people without power and resulted in at least 17 deaths.
TPA flight delays strand Christmas travelers
With AAA predicting a record 6 million Floridians traveling this holiday season, cancelations were like a lump of coal for hundreds of travelers at TPA Saturday, after a winter storm brought record cold temperatures and snow to a huge portion of the country.
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Meanwhile, at Tampa International, some people have been stuck since Friday trying to get home or get to family.
Christmas tree at Tampa International Airport
"I have a 6-year-old daughter, so we opened some gifts early. Thankful for that but otherwise we kind of look at it as a Christmas adventure. Hopefully we get there because if not that's going to be a big bummer," Szostak said.
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Szostak and her family have been trying to get to family in Pittsburgh since Christmas Eve, but two of their Spirit Airlines flights have both been canceled. They were forced to spend more than $1,000 to book a last-minute flight on American Airlines.
It's a similar story for Steve Binsberger who is also trying to get home to Pittsburgh.
"There's been long lines trying to get a rebook, and then you get to the counter and they have no flights until, like, January, they said. It's crazy. We were finally able to get a voucher and get on American Airlines to get home," Binsberger said.
As of Sunday afternoon, TPA showed at least 65 flight delays and 26 flight cancelations. It's a major improvement from Friday when the airport saw at least 175 flight delays and 75 canceled flights. Many are just hoping they can get home soon.
"It's a big time to see family, but seeing everyone else around. Everyone is trying to make the best of it. We're not the only family, but there's only so many things to do in the airport," Szostak said.