Thanks to some unfortunate cold weather, Tuesday passengers at Kansas City International Airport fell victim to half a day delays… only to have their flights canceled.
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Ann Ngo was one of those passengers, reported The Kansas City Star. Like several others, Ngo waited for her Delta flight to take her home to Los Angeles. But an earlier ice storm meant that instead of flying in the air, Ngo would be sitting in the airplane from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Ann Ngo waited on a @Delta plane for just under 12 hours yesterday as an ice storm made for a hellish day at KCI pic.twitter.com/tKFz8pml3H
— Max Londberg (@MaxLondberg) February 22, 2018
Ngo said it was the worst day she’s ever had as a traveler.
Another person on the flight, Matt Montgomery, would agree. Understanding that the weather delay was serious, Montgomery still criticized “the gross incompetence associated with flight #2195,” which he said “defies all logic.”
The flight was finally canceled after 12 hours.
When passengers sought to fly out the following day, the Delta flight was delayed again. Ngo and others did not fly out until 5 p.m. Wednesday evening, about 34 hours after the initial flight.
“It was a s**tshow,” she said.
Ngo said she received a $100 flight voucher, but the trip forced her to take two vacation days to travel.
Other passengers left less than positive reviews of the experience. Montgomery said that there were no Delta representatives at the gate. They were given cards with a customer service line on them instead.
“Delta apologizes to those customers whose flights were disrupted as a result of yesterday’s weather,” said spokesperson Lisa Hellerstedt in a statement. “The significant amount of ice accumulation drove prolonged de-icing times, prompting some flights to return to the gate which in turn impacted wait times for arriving aircraft as Delta crews worked to clear departing aircraft of ice.”
As it turns out, passengers on other airlines, including United, faced similar delays because of the weather.
And despite the long day, a few passengers took to social media to thank airport employees for working hard to de-ice the planes and clear the runways.
@KCIAirport Took 1-1/2 hours de-icing my plane to Dallas today. But I’m not complaining one bit! That ice was thick and I’m safe. Thanks to the @SouthwestAir and KCI ground crew! pic.twitter.com/wNuqG3j9k6
— MAB (@mabaltuska) February 20, 2018
It just occurred to me I shouldn’t be complaining. Many folks outside working in this to get us out on flights. Thanks to all the folks @KCIAirport who have worked hard in crummy weather. pic.twitter.com/bEOBh8Jswp
— Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) February 20, 2018
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