Air travelers weather the storm

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – Monday’s snowstorm affected the travel plans of thousands of people who tried to fly into, or out of, the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport. Dozens of flights were either delayed, or canceled altogether.

News10NBC talked to a few travelers to find out what they’re going through.

The arrivals monitor inside the terminal says it all. Which plane is scheduled as being on time, which one is still delayed, and unfortunately which flight is canceled. Minutes after we arrived, so did a non-stop flight that was delayed in Atlanta for about 2-hours. Ron Nielson, a resident from Logan, Utah, was on the flight, and says the delay wasn’t all that bad.

"Airlines got us here. so I have actually a coworker that’s meeting me that’s delayed until tomorrow. So no complaints," said Nielson.

A group of 6 families from the west coast are having the worst time trying to get back home after participating in a hockey tournament in Buffalo this past week. Their flight to Los Angeles from Buffalo got canceled on Saturday. So they drove to Rochester hoping to jump on a flight, and that’s when things went from bad to worse.

"We sat in the airport yesterday waiting for our flight, and that got canceled," said Jennifer Clark from Mission Viejo, California. She continued, "We were on the plane, and then had to get off the plane because of the weather and visibility."

They all spent Sunday night at a local hotel hoping to fly out today.

Clark said, "Now we’re back here again, and our flight just got canceled again for the 3rd time, and now we’re leaving tomorrow morning."

But the most frustrating thing for the group is watching other planes fly out of Rochester, while they’re still stuck on the ground.

Fullerton, California resident Susan Ryoo said, "Not really understanding why some leave, and some don’t and the flight attendants, and crew were staying, from Jet Blue, our flight last night were staying at our hotel, and they were saying that they have to take an empty flight, empty plane out when we’re all stranded here."

Monday night, the entire group plan on sleeping inside the airport, hoping to get home to sunny Southern California on day 4, of this epic adventure.