SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Amid nationwide holiday travel chaos, Sacramento International Airport (SMF) remains one of the hardest hit airports in the country.
Since Monday, Southwest Airlines has canceled more than 8,000 flights.
According to Flightaware.com, nearly 40% of both outbound and inbound flights at SMF have been canceled, the vast majority of them belonging to Southwest.
Southwest Airlines alone accounted for 140 canceled flights at SMF on Wednesday.
Frustrated faces at the ticket counter and a sea of luggage at baggage claim confirmed the impacts on those traveling through and to Sacramento.
"I’m missing around like $9,000 worth of stuff right now, and that’s just between two bags," said Kenny Riggins, who after a cancelation, rescheduling, and multiple delays finally made it home Tuesday.
His luggage did not. It's somewhere at the airport in St. Louis.
"I have a handgun in my luggage, and they told me that my handgun would be in my bag and put in place on the airplane but it wasn't," Riggins said.
"Things just kept getting canceled and canceled and canceled, delayed and delayed," said Kevin Nagey, a Sacramento-area native who traveled home from Denver for Christmas.
Nagey and his wife experienced a number of cancelations and delays on the way in, and another delay on the way back out. Yet, they plan to make a return flight to California on Friday, through Southwest, for New Year's plans.
"We’ll see. We’re gluttons for punishment, I guess," said Nagey.
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