LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Bad weather and the spread of COVID-19 are to blame for more than six thousand canceled flights worldwide since Christmas Eve.
More than 2,000 post-Christmas flights have been canceled. The surge of cancellations affected one Lexington family.
Edwin Atehortua's sister, Ledy, booked an international flight from Colombia to Lexington this weekend, and the trip turned into a nightmare.
She already had a long trip ahead of her with two connections: one in Miami and another in Tampa.
But her journey was made even longer when her connecting flight from Miami to Tampa was canceled.
"She had to spend the night at the airport and we're trying to talk to customer service," Edwin said. "She's trying to talk there with her limited English."
After a frustrating back and forth with the airline, Edwin said she got on an early morning flight to Lexington Monday.
"Breath of relief," said Edwin. "She looks exhausted but she's finally here."
While some travelers describe a nightmarish experience at other airports, it's been smooth sailing so far at the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington.
"We actually have not seen any of the impacts of the current cancelations that travelers are seeing nationwide," Blue Grass Airport community relations manager, Lauren White, said.
She said she hopes to see that trend continue through the week so they see more travelers like Kai DeLeon.
"Everything worked out perfectly," DeLeon said about his Monday morning flight into Lexington. "We got on the plane and it was just a smooth flight."
White recommends travelers flying this week download their airline's mobile app to stay up to date on any flight delays or cancelations.
