holiday travel

Weather Delays Impact Post-Thanksgiving Travel Across the Country

Although there were limited delays in Boston Monday morning, other airports nationwide faced serious delays Sunday due to inclement weather

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Although the weather cooperated well for travelers ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, the same could not be said Sunday when people around the country embarked on journeys homebound.

Logan International Airport in Boston only faced a handful of delays for both arriving and departing flights Monday morning, but that hasn't been the case elsewhere in the country over the past 24 hours.

More than 2.5 million passengers were anticipated to take flights Sunday – one of the busiest air travel days of the year. Bad weather prompted a ground stop in Newark and major delays at other hubs.

“That lucky streak came to an end on Sunday with some pretty severe storms hitting the Northeast, and as a result, you saw over 150 flights canceled, and more than 5,000 flights delayed across the country,” air travel expert Scott Keyes said.

Full from turkey and ready to head home, families dropped their loved ones off at Boston's Logan Airport on the early side side, anticipating the post-Thanksgiving travel rush. But travelers at the airport said they were surprised to find the experience was not nearly as bad as they had expected.

A tornado in Louisiana, and rain and wind elsewhere in the Southern Plains, caused delays and cancelations for flights in that part of the country.

Meanwhile, snow and strong winds created tricky travel in the Northwest.

With the rain clearing Monday, it should be a smoother travel day. However, with 15% fewer planes in the sky than 2019, rebooking may be the hardest part of trying to get home.

At Logan Airport, there were far fewer delays – even for travelers used to running into problems while flying on a tight schedule.

“It’s been smooth," Dean Marsh said, whose daughter is visiting from Duke University. "I think the TSA’s gotten their act together, we’ve gotten through security in a timely fashion. Flights have been on time, and we’ve been able to enjoy our turkey."

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