Travel Delays Sour Holiday Plans for Many

Dec. 24 2008—, 2008 -- Holiday travel that froze to a halt in many parts of the country is slowly thawing, but severe winter weather may still leave many travelers spending Christmas Eve in airports or other unplanned destinations.

Determined to find a way to get from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Orlando for Christmas, stranded passenger Francesca Rodriquez had to get creative.

"I'm flying to Tampa through Miami and renting a car in Tampa and driving to Orlando," she said. "I'm just happy to get home."

On one of the busiest travel days of the year, passengers across the country -- whether they are traveling by plane, bus or train -- are reporting hour-long waits and flight cancellations at airports, bus depots and train stations.

There were fewer flight cancellations today than on Tuesday, and airport traffic cleared out slightly this morning, but it was backed up again by the afternoon, especially on the East Coast. In Newark, flights were delayed by an average of three hours and 36 minutes because of snowy conditions, the Federal Aviation Administration said. At New York's JFK Airport, flight delays averaged three hours and one minute.

"Passengers do need to pack patience, there are significant delays due to the weather," said Continental spokeswoman Julie King. Continental reported only two cancellations on Wednesday but flights at its Newark hub were affected by the weather. The congestion at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport improved slightly, but frustration among travelers built, as many continued to face difficulty rebooking flights. Incoming flights were delayed up to 45 minutes as of late Wednesday afternoon.

Travelers to San Francisco were warned that arriving flights could be delayed up to one hour and 47 minutes because of strong winds.

Elsewhere across the country, delays averaged anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes.

The National Weather Service warned of travel difficulties arising from snow and sleet, causing flight delays and messy road conditions. It advised drivers to be aware of slippery roads and limited visibility. At least 23 people have been killed in highway deaths due to the weather.

The Holiday Blues

Some commuters have spent as long as 24 hours in the airport, with Chicago's O'Hare airport bearing the brunt of the delays, thanks to a heavy snowstorm earlier this week.

One of the largest airports in the world, O'Hare serves as a major hub for international flights and domestic cross-country flights. And thanks to a continual snowstorm, delays in the Midwest hub caused a ripple effect throughout the country Tuesday.

O'Hare officials made 500 cots available Tuesday night for travelers stranded at the airport.

For Deb Norman and Randy Beauchamp, their marriage plans took a back seat to the weather.

The couple, bound to Phoenix from Chicago, was stuck at O'Hare Tuesday evening, unable to fly out because of the delays.

"I'm upset. I've been waiting for this day for a long time," Norman told ABC News Tuesday evening.

"I had a feeling this was going to happen. Two days ago, I was watching the weather and thinking, 'Oh no,'" her relative in Arizona said.

Luckily, the couple was able to catch a flight to Arizona Wednesday morning and their chaplain agreed to marry them in the afternoon.

Slow Going

More than 500 flights were canceled at O'Hare Tuesday and about 400 flights were grounded Wednesday.

Things slowly seemed to be returning to normal Wednesday morning as the weather cleared up slightly in Chicago, but the planes were brimming with passengers and officials warned that it might be difficult to rebook for passengers whose flights had been canceled.

Many passengers have lost hope of flying out on Christmas Eve and said they might not be able to get to their destinations until Thursday, Christmas Day.

Airline troubles are exacerbated by the fact that many airlines cut the number of flights this year to save on fuel. Relatively fewer planes in the air mean fewer seats available to rebook passengers.

Some airlines added flights to accommodate the rush. United Airlines has added 65 extra flights since Saturday to get travelers to their destinations.

Southwest officials said there were some delays in the Pacific Northwest but they cancelled only seven flights today, compared to 92 on Tuesday.

Officials at Seattle-based Alaska Airlines -- which canceled about 500 flights in the western U.S. beginning Friday -- said they were trying to accommodate the 50,000 customers whose flights were canceled, either by rebooking them on Alaska or another airline or through refunds, but they could not promise to make up all the backlog by Thursday. Officials said that standby passengers had been filling planes to capacity, and the airline had called in extra staff at the Seattle-Tacoma airport to try to soothe passengers as they waited. Thousands of passengers were stranded in the Pacific Northwest this week due to continual snow and ice storms that halted airline traffic.

Some Alaska Airlines passengers bound to Burbank, Calif., were taken to the hospital Wednesday morning after they were exposed to fumes from a de-icing fluid that was sucked into the plane's ventilation system as the crew removed ice from the plane's wings. Twenty-five people were treated for eye irritations and other injuries, and officials did not know how the fumes entered the plane.

It was not only airports that overflowed with stranded passengers. Other modes of transportation also slowed down, thanks to the frigid weather.

More than 600 people waited for trains for 22 hours in Chicago. Amtrak trains across the Midwest slowed to a crawl or stopped as crews tried to clear ice and snow from the tracks. Some trains were even delayed or stopped to allow frozen pipes in the bathroom to thaw. In the northwest, Amtrak trains were running, albeit behind schedule.

Icy roads also complicated road conditions for drivers. In Minnesota, black ice caused cars to slide into ditches, at turns and through intersections.

The Ryan family drove with caution today from their home in Boston to Maine.

"There is a little bit of snow next to the barriers. I guess we are leaving a little early for that reason," Mike Ryan said. "And we will be driving a little slower," his wife Kat added, talking over her husband.

In Portland, Ore. state officials warned drivers of dangerous road conditions and required cars on state highways to have chains, unless they had four-wheel drive and tires designed for hazardous weather. South of Portland, crews were shutting down a section of Interstate 205 at Oregon City because of a buildup of ice and snowbanks.

Some 47,000 residents in the region remained without power after a weekend storm knocked off electricity to more than 250,000 customers. Power companies said road conditions, and snow and ice on power lines, have made it difficult to work in some areas.

So far, weather-related crashes have taken the lives of at least 23 people across the United States.

And the end is still not in sight for the back-to-back wintry mess. Parts of the country are about to get a direct hit from the next wave of this wintry one-two punch.

The Midwest is expected to be dry today but other battered parts of the country -- namely the Northwest and Northeast -- are expected to get another round of snow and ice storms today and over the rest of the holiday week.

A brand new storm system with more snow, ice and rain is on its way to the Pacific Northwest, and heavy rain could cause some flooding in Southern California. In the latest storm, Portland, got its most snow since 1968.

A winter storm warning is in effect for Salt Lake City and parts of Utah, Oregon and southwest Washington.

Snow is also expected to envelop the Northeast -- from Buffalo, N.Y., to northern New Jersey -- this holiday week.

ABC News' Lisa Stark and The Associated Press contributed to this report