After travel cancellations plagued the country in December — most notably Southwest Airlines, who cancelled 70% of their flights — parents desperate to get home with small children in tow are speaking out about their disastrous holiday travel experiences.
Karen Buono Johnson, 39, had no issues flying on Southwest from Tampa, Florida to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Dec. 21. Alongside her husband, Joseph, and their 13-month-old son, she planned to stay with her extended family for six days, then return home to Wesley Chapel, Florida on Dec. 27.
"The night before, my husband and I were just laying in bed when I decided to check on the flight, just out of curiosity — we had been spending time with family and didn't watch much TV," Johnson tells TODAY.com. "It said 'canceled' and I was shocked. I didn't think it was right, so I checked the news and that's when I woke up my husband and said: 'You're never going to believe this, but we're in a lot of trouble.'"
Johnson and her husband didn't receive a notification from Southwest regarding their canceled flight until 2 a.m., with directions on how to rebook.
It said ‘canceled’ and I was shocked. I didn’t think it was right, so I checked the news and that’s when I woke up my husband and said: ‘We’re in a lot of trouble.’
karen buono johnson, mom
The problem, Johnson says, is that there were no additional Southwest flights available for at least two weeks. With reports of hours-long wait times to reach Southwest's customer service, Johnson says she decided not to "waste time trying to get ahold of them" and instead focused on "what to do to fix this."
TODAY.com reached out to a Southwest Airlines spokesperson for comment, who directed readers to the company's online newsroom for the latest updates and statements.
Johnson and her husband started to look for flights offered by other airlines but could not find any available for under $2,000. They then looked at flights departing from neighboring airports — nothing.
The next-to-last option was renting a car and driving from Pennsylvania to Florida: A more than 15 hour trek without stops. The thought of being on the road for that long with a 13-month-old, Johnson says, was unfathomable.
"We knew we need to at least get halfway, so we started looking at flights out of Charlotte, (North Carolina)," she explains. "We found something, but even those tickets were around $2,500. Still, it was our best, and cheapest, option."
Next, the couple had to find an available and affordable rental car. Initially, Johnson's husband was able to book a car at the Philadelphia International Airport, but when he arrived the company told him they had none available. The closest city with an available car rental was in Morgantown, West Virginia — three hours away.
Johnson's parents drove the family of three to Morgantown, who then picked up their rental car, drove to Charlotte and booked a hotel so they could fly into Tampa, Florida the following morning.
The family spent an additional $3,000 to get home and missed two days of work. They have yet to be reimbursed for their return Southwest Airlines flight.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told NBC News that he will be "putting Southwest Airlines under a microscope” to ensure travelers are properly reimbursed.
"The airline said to me that they were going to go above and beyond what’s required of them," he said. "I’m looking to make sure they actually do that," adding that if the company fails, the U.S. government can levy tens of thousands of dollars in fines.
Johnson says the additional expense after the holiday season is stressful, but equally concerning is how her 13-month-old has been impacted.
"We feel terrible," Johnson says. "He hasn't eaten right for days, we had no way of bringing milk so a couple of times we had to stop at a gas station for whole milk. I brought just enough diapers, and shame on me — I should have known better."
I brought just enough diapers, and shame on me — I should have known better.
Karen buono johnson, southwest passenger
Her son did provide the stressed couple with moments of reprieve throughout the ordeal, including a moment during their impromptu road trip.
"We pulled off of an exit and we're trying to find a grocery store to just walk around for a little bit. We actually found a playground, and he was the happiest I've ever seen him on the swing," she explains. "We had to just remind ourselves to calm down because he's such a good baby and goes with the flow. That was like a breath of fresh air."
'There's no certainty anymore'
Chelsea Long, 35, says that when her Christmas Eve flight was canceled it brought back memories of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Initially, Long, her husband, Colby, their 8-year-old boy and 5-year-old twins were going to fly from San Diego, California to Boise, Idaho to visit Long's sister.
After spending Christmas Day together, Long, her sister and her 5-year-old daughter were going to travel to Long's parents in Cleveland, Ohio, while her husband and sons stayed in Boise and went skiing with her brother-in-law.
"It was such a great plan," Long tells TODAY.com. "It definitely brought back pandemic flashbacks of making plans and just expecting the plans to happen. We can't just think that things are going to happen — there's no certainty anymore."
After arriving at San Diego International Airport two hours early and checking 10 bags in total, Long started to notice flights were being canceled. Shortly after they made it to their gate, their flight was canceled, too, after being delayed for four hours.
"The airport was chaos. Just an absolute zoo, so we just left the airport without our bags," Long says, adding that thankfully her family only lives 10 minutes away. "I couldn't handle it."
On Christmas Day, Long's family borrowed a neighbor's van and returned to the airport to get their bags. Long's husband was tasked with digging through what he described as an "insane pile" of luggage while Long stayed with their children in the vehicle.
"My kids were watching 'Frozen' in the back and I thought: 'OK, we can just chill for a few minutes.' Well, the battery on the van died," Long says. "I didn't know if I should laugh or cry, but I felt like I needed to keep it together because I had my kids with me."
Long admits she did "lose it" after her children started bickering as she attempted to figure out how to re-start the van. She didn't want to break down, but she wanted to be honest with her children.
I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry, but I needed to keep it together because I had my kids with me.
chelsea long, mom of three
"Parents always want to be strong for their kids, but that's not always realistic," she says. "I told them this is stressful for me, but that's OK because I'm always going to care for you. I think it's good for my kids to see me as a human and normalize that, too."
She collected herself and successfully jumped the van, and Long's husband recovered all their luggage and the family returned home. Long rebooked the flight for her and her daughter to fly to Cleveland, but that was canceled, too.
"I had to tell her again: 'I'm sorry, we can't go.' She just cried," Long says. "The night before my twins had both burst into tears once they canceled our flight. It was so heartbreaking."
Long's husband and her sons drove to Los Angeles to visit his family while Long and her daughter stayed behind, hoping to make another flight. They never did.
While Long says the entire ordeal was "disappointing," ultimately spending Christmas Day with her daughter was "super fun."
"I took her to the beach, we went swimming and later we went to dinner," she explains. "My daughter loved it. I think we'll always remember this Christmas, even though it was the weirdest Christmas ever."
In total, Long says they were out $2,000 for the flights they never took and spent an additional $500 or so dollars on gas, impromptu dinners and other items. What cannot be paid back, she says, is the emotional labor required to travel with small children.
I think we’ll always remember this Christmas, even though it was the weirdest Christmas ever.
chelsea long, southwest customer
"There's so much prep work that goes into a trip with kids," she explains. "I'm writing lists, helping my 8-year-old pack his bag, packing myself and thinking through all the winter outfits the kids need. I'm thinking of everything everybody else needs and buying extra. That's the hardest part for me — all that wasted time."
Despite the snafu, Long says she will fly Southwest Airlines again. In fact, she plans to for her cousin's wedding in the summer.
"It was a huge fail on their part, of course, but I've been loyal to them for years and I think they're a really family-friendly airline," she says. "So I think I'll keep flying with them; I'll just reconsider flying so close to the holidays."
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