SAN DIEGO — Thousands of people were trapped in San Diego or at San Diego International Airport amid several holiday flight cancellations.
The nation was gripped by storm systems that grounded, delayed, or rescheduled flights across the county.
Adding to the chaotic situation at the San Diego Airport, luggage filled the baggage claim area and even a food court, creating a scavenger hunt scenario for travelers searching for their bags.
As of Tuesday morning, there have already been 175 flights canceled according to FlightAware.
On Monday night, 135 flights were reportedly delayed at San Diego International Airport. The number of delays dropped to 10 after 10:00 p.m. And, of 187 flights canceled, 164 were operated by Southwest Airlines, according to flight tracking software FlightAware.
Most distressed travelers reported that most of their problems arose from Southwest Airlines, which seemed to be the most heavily impacted by cancellations and delays.
Aviation expert Steve Cosgrove said Southwest Airlines was one of the hardest hit by the big winter storm last week.
In a statement posted Monday, Southwest Airlines said, "With consecutive days of extreme winter weather across our network behind us, continuing challenges are impacting our Customers and Employees in a significant way that is unacceptable. And our heartfelt apologies for this are just beginning."
In looking forward to the next holiday period, Southwest stated, "We anticipate additional changes with an already reduced level of flights as we approach the coming New Year holiday travel period. And we’re working to reach Customers whose travel plans will change with specific information and their available options."
"Southwest runs a very tight schedule. They turn a plane in 20 minutes. You start getting planes and crews out of place; getting them back in place is tough. Northeast and the central, with the weather, they had fog in San Diego, weather in Seattle, and weather hitting Denver. These are major operations," said Cosgrove.
Officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation stated in response to Southwest's cancellations, noting that the department will be looking into the situation.
"USDOT is concerned by Southwest's unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays and reports of lack of prompt customer service," the department tweeted. "The department will examine whether cancellations were controllable and if Southwest complies with its customer service plan."
The airline said it was fully staffed late last week and prepared for the upcoming Christmas weekend when severe weather swept across the continent.
"This forced daily changes to our flight schedule at a volume and magnitude that still has the tools our teams use to recover the airline operating at capacity," Southwest said. "This safety-first work is intentional, ongoing, and necessary to return to normal reliability, one that minimizes last-minute inconveniences."
Southwest added its employees and crews "are showing up in every single way. We are beyond grateful for that. Our shared goal is to take care of every customer with the hospitality and heart we are known for. On the other side, we will work to make things right for those we have let down, including our employees."
Meanwhile, some travelers at San Diego Airport reported that Southwest Airlines' lines to speak with an agent were several hours long.
Cosgrove said the delays and cancellations are not only because of the weather but because of a shortage of pilots and staff. Pilots are only allowed to fly a certain number of hours, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
You can track the status of scheduled flights at San Diego International Airport here.
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