Flight delays disrupt Christmas Eve travel plans | Mid-Missouri News

After a disruption caused a nationwide shutdown of American Airlines flights Tuesday morning, 5 of the 6 flights scheduled for the day at Columbia Regional Airport were delayed, all due to weather conditions across the country.

Tamara Bentler, whose flight from COU to Mississippi was delayed by more than 4 hours, said the airline did not initially give a specific reason for the delay.

“I have the app, but I feel like I could be notified because I signed up for text,” Bentler said. “But I feel like I wasn’t really notified via text.”

The issue of untimely announcements was also mentioned by other passengers.

“(The airline should) definitely get the communication out faster,” said Trent Nichols, who flew from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Columbia. “Because I was getting updates from my family, like ‘hey your flight was delayed,’ and then getting the message (from American Airlines) was 15 or 20 minutes later.”

Regarding the impact on travel plans, Nichols said, “I know a lot of other people had their plans affected at the airport. People were thinking about getting hotels or should I go home and wait. Fortunately, not a whole lot is happening, at least in during the day, for me.”

Dornubari Ajinwo’s first flight, from Miami to Chicago, was delayed by an hour and a half.

“I was scared because it’s Christmas Eve and I didn’t want to spend Christmas stuck on the road,” Ajinwo said. “I just want to be home with my kids.”

Ajinwo was able to catch her connecting flight to Columbia thanks to the long layover she had planned.

According to COU customer service officer Christina Robinson, the customer service team assists passengers by rebooking, rerouting and arranging meals or hotel stays if needed.

Robinson also mentioned that this year’s passenger volume at COU is about the same as last year, with most flights at full capacity.