Profile Facts-NEW YORK — The blizzard ended and the sun came out on Monday, but the travel mess caused by up to two feet of snow and strong winds across the Northeast continued for a second day.
Some 5,000 flights were canceled across the country over the last two days due to airport closures in the Northeast, while commuters struggled on roads and rails — especially in the New York City area.
Below's a look at how travelers are faring at airports and on roads and rails.
Airports: 'Twisted' travelers
In the New York City area, all three international airports closed Sunday night, forcing the cancellation of some 2,000 flights. Hundreds more flights were canceled on Monday before LaGuardia reopened one runway at 4 p.m. ET, and JFK and Newark reopened soon after.
Some stranded travelers got cots and blankets; others said they were not allowed to retrieve their checked luggage and had no extra clothing or toiletries.
"There are maybe 200 folding cots for 1,000 people," traveler Lance Jay Brown, 67, said from JFK's Terminal 8 on Monday. "I paid $50 for three hot chocolates, a couple of candy bars and two sandwiches, and I was happy to get a sandwich. There are dozens of people twisted out of shape with frustration."
Eric Schorr, 22, was trying to get to Tel Aviv Sunday night, but ended up spending about 9 hours stuck on the tarmac at Kennedy Airport.
The junior at Columbia University said he and fellow passengers were "as comfortable as you can be on a plane," adding the crew was "phenomenal" and passed out drinks and served dinner to keep spirits up.
"It wasn't as tense as you might have thought," Schorr said by phone from the airport.
Passengers boarded the El-Al flight around 5:30 p.m., and wound up back inside the airport around 3 a.m. Monday, where people set up camp on the floor and others slept on chairs.
"People are exhausted ... they want to get home," he said. His flight was rescheduled for Monday night.
Jason Cochran, of Manhattan, was stuck at JFK since he arrived for his 6 p.m. Sunday flight to London. His flight boarded but de-icing the plane took some time and by then, the wind started and it was too late.
The plane eventually went back to the gate. He said passengers were told they would be sent to hotels, but that never happened and were given food vouchers.
By Monday morning, he posted on his Twitter account,vendors were running out of provisions. McDonald's had run out and he was standing in line at KFC for over an hour "with an hour's sleep."
At Philadelphia International Airport, some 1,200 passengers stuck overnight were given pillows, blankets, water, juice and diapers.
All four runways reopened Monday, but most flights were canceled because of problems elsewhere. Airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica said 600 flights — or about 70 percent of those scheduled — were canceled.Airlines scrambled to rebook passengers but said they didn't expect normal service to resume until later in the week.
One caller seeking to reschedule a flight on US Airways was told by an automated phone message: "Your wait time is now 170 minutes."
Seats are already scarce because of the busy holiday season , and airlines are operating fewer flights than they did before the recession.
"It usually takes three to five days to re-accommodate everyone," said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com. "Many passengers decide to get a refund and not travel."
"It's the passengers that have already been waiting that are going to be waiting a long time," added Genevieve Shaw Brown, senior editor at Travelocity. "Everyone who has been stranded needs to fit into available seats."
Glen MacDonnell, AAA's director of travel services, advised patience and noted that "airlines are not obligated to put you up in a hotel or to feed you because of weather."
Roads: Free parking in NYC
At New York's Central Park, snow was 20 inches deep. Giant piles were on the sidewalks where snow plows cleared the streets. Some motorists who were able to dig their cars out from the snow were left spinning their wheels on unplowed streets.
Buses were knocked out as well, cabs were little more than a myth and those who tried walking were assailed with a hard, frigid wind that made snowflakes sting like needles.
(source:msnbc.msn.com)
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