Central Coast travelers trek through holiday delays

The day before Christmas Eve is the busiest time for airlines, and for those traveling this holiday season, make sure to pack some extra patience.

For many at the Monterey Regional Airport, Friday is about delays, cancellations, and delays that lead to cancellations.

“I came to the airport today at about 1:45 p.m. for 3:10 p.m. flight to Los Angeles to get to Medford Oregon,” Yolande Howard said.

But at 6 p.m. Friday, Howard is still sitting at the Monterey airport with a carry-on full of Christmas presents for her grandchildren whom she hasn’t seen in more than a year.

“You are waiting, you are waiting, so if your connecting flight is still open, you are waiting to see if you could actually make it,” Howard said.

Or if the plane makes it.

“They gave us the reason that LAX is out of a tarmac right now due to construction, the other one was mechanical. So we heard two stories,” Howard said.

John Haddad is also heading to Los Angeles or at least he’s supposed to

“At first, it was delayed 15 minutes, then half hour, then an hour, then two, it was eventually canceled,” Haddad said.

Along with the red tags everybody dreads seeing, Monterey airport’s website shows at least eight flights delayed, half of them to or from LAX, where 239,000 people passed through on Friday alone.

Back at the airline counters, travelers spend more time sorting out their plans, bouncing from one layover option to another. Susan Pius had plans to go to Portland, Oregon by way of LAX.

“And now, they are suggesting I go American Airlines to Phoenix, and Phoenix to Portland, arriving at 1:36 a.m.,” Pius said.

Finally putting a long day of traveling behind with some humor to welcome the holidays.

“What else can you do? I’d like a Martini, actually, but I’ll have to go through TSA again,” Pius said.

AAA says more than six million people will be flying this holiday season, and next busiest day will be Monday, Jan. 2 when most people return from their vacation.