Frustrated Travelers Cope With Being Stranded
DENVER (CBS4) - Ten-thousand flights all over the country have been canceled, and that means a lot of stranded people, including travelers at Denver International Airport.
About 125 flights to and from Denver and the East Coast were canceled because of Hurricane Sandy. DIA officials said Monday the canceled flights were among 1,700 arrivals and departures the airport handles every day.
"We were wanting out, anywhere. And there are no flights anywhere in New York," a traveler named Tom told CBS4's Suzanne McCarroll.
Tom said he and his friend Jack spent the last 24 hours trying to get out of New York. Their route home to Colorado began in New York and went to Houston, Salt Lake City and then to Denver.
Jan made it partway to New York City before finally giving up and turning around.
"I was in Hilton Head, and my niece, I was going to go up and see her in New York -- LaGuardia -- couldn't get there," Jan said. "So, back to Denver."
Singer Chris Daniels just returned from a family reunion back east where most of his family is still stranded.
"My son came down from New York City where he lives in Brooklyn, and my sister came in from Manhattan. They got phone calls yesterday basically saying all of their flights have been canceled on Tuesday," Daniels said.
Still, Daniels and many others aren't singing the blues. They were just glad they made it out before the hurricane hit.
McCarroll said she was on a flight out of Washington, D.C. Sunday night and two people were so desperate to get out that they offered her cash for her to give up her seat.
Airport officials say they expect 60 arrival cancellations and 50 departure cancellations Tuesday.
