Some flights delayed or canceled at TPA on Christmas Day
TAMPA, Fla. - On Christmas, it was a busy travel day for many at Tampa International Airport.
The airport experienced a few dozen flight delays and a handful of cancelations.
For some traveling on Christmas Day can be hectic, especially if their flight gets canceled or delayed. It may mean less time with family. It is why travelers say they made sure to get to the airport extra early to avoid any issues.
"I’m flying to Bucharest, Romania so I have my first stop in Chicago, the second stop in Frankfurt," traveler Margareta Stochici said.
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Stochici is flying more than 22 hours to Romania to see her fiancé who she hasn’t seen since March. Like many, she made sure to get to the airport more than two hours before her flight just to be safe. It was a similar story for Brittany Bumbalough who was headed back home to Nashville.
"For me, I've had a really easy time getting to the airport on Thursday, getting my rental car, getting to the hotel and then getting back here has just been very smooth, and I’m very grateful for that," Bumbalough said.
Unlike Bumbalough and Stochici others weren’t as lucky. At its peak Monday, Tampa International Airport saw more than 60 flight delays and at least five cancelations, many of them tied to Southwest Airlines.
This time last year, a backlog of luggage was the big issue with hundreds of unclaimed bags near baggage claim. However, this year things seemed to be running much more smoothly.
Passenger Coleen Petree has traveled on Christmas many times and says this year has been easier than years past.
"I told my son, I said, you need to take me early, because I get kind of weird about if it's going to be late or early or whatever and I don't want anybody to worry about it so I get here as early as possible, then I relax," Petree said.
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Even though half of Petree’s grandkids are in Tampa and Virginia she says she still wanted to make sure she could see all of them this holiday season.
"I love it when I can split the time, even though it's not exactly on Christmas. It's as close as I can get. And it just it means a lot to me, and it means a lot to them. Believe it or not, they get super excited when nana's coming," Petree said.
If you're flying out of TPA any time this week, officials say make sure to check your flight times before you head to the airport and be sure to arrive at least two hours before your flight.