As historic low temperatures and harsh weather take over Central Texas, many travelers are stranded at airports trying to get home.
One traveler who just missed the arctic blast is Maurice Squires. He is a field service engineer for a company based in Ohio, so he travels more than 30 times a year for his job.
His latest task was in Michigan just last week, however the trip was longer than he expected it was going to be.
“I spent the night in a hotel, and throughout the evening my flights kept getting canceled and rebooked,” he explained. “[The] last rebook I got was for Sunday.”
The Killeen man's go-to airport is the Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport. He says the only problem he’s used to having is delayed flights due to congested airways in Dallas.
But this time, he was told the earliest flight back home wasn’t going to be until Tuesday.
”People on the airplane with me were frustrated, but I was like, “It happens every once in while,”” Squires said. “Airlines can’t control weather, so I understand that part of it.”
Stuck in Dallas, he had a choice- spend money to stay in hotel rooms or brave the elements, rent a car and drive back to Killeen. Squires chose the latter.
Booking that hotel room may be the best bet for other travelers now that ice has glazed over the roads and snow continues to fall.
”At this point, the information we’re getting from the airlines are that both American and United flights are canceled through Wednesday and possibly part of Thursday,” Michael Wilson, the director of aviation at the Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport said.
So take it from Squires, a decade-long American Airlines platinum member, and be ready for additional delays.
”Be prepared to stay in a hotel room at your expense, because weather-related delays, the airlines are not responsible for putting you up or feeding you,” he said.
Officials at regional airports stress the importance of reaching out to your airline before going to the airport. It may save you from confusion and frustration when trying to fly in these weather conditions.
