Storms delay airline passengers in Chicago

Posted 24/06/2011

Chicago area storms led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights the past two days. Many passengers slept overnight in cots at the busy airport.

Airlines said they were waiving change fees for travelers going through Chicago. Among others, Continental and United Airlines were among those waiving the change fees.

United Airlines was particularly impacted because it uses Chicago’s O’Hare as a hub.

The airline is also waiving change fees for an earlier computer glitch last week that stranded thousands more passengers. The storm delay was explained but so far no reason has been given for the earlier computer problem.

Bad weather year-round is responsible for about 60 percent of all flights delays, says the US Department of Transportation. In the past five years, about one in five US flights were delayed for either weather, air traffic congtrol, flight crew of maintenance problems.

Contrary to popular belief, however, airline delays are more common during times of torrential downpours in the summer rather than winter snowstorms, according to aviation experts.

By David Wilkening

Originally published 24 Jun 2011 at: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/398/f/5923/s/161f81b0/l/0L0Stravelmole0N0Cstories0C11482260Bphp0Dmpnlog0F1/story01.htm