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A ruined honeymoon. A missed birthday. A ski trip hanging in the balance.
Southwest Airlines’ meltdown continued Tuesday, with more than 60% of all flights canceled, the second day in a row of mass cancellations at Denver International Airport.
An estimated 1,000 people slept overnight at the airport Monday, clutching complimentary blankets and water bottles distributed by airport workers trying to help Southwest passengers cope, said airport spokeswoman Alex Renteria. As of Monday night, there were about 10,000 bags waiting to be processed by the airlines, she said.
At the Southwest baggage claim on Tuesday, Christmas music played as thousands of people struggled to determine options, winding their way through rows of suitcases, child car seats and ski equipment. At one point, a Southwest customer service agent made an announcement to people trying to find their bags: “Just go home. They’ll come back eventually, I promise you.”
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Ryan Williams and his wife, Kassie Novakovich, got up at 3 a.m. Tuesday, hopeful their long-awaited honeymoon trip to Cozumel, Mexico, would happen. But despite being told it was on schedule all morning, Southwest canceled the flight about two hours after they were supposed to have left.
The two returned to baggage claim, waiting in a two-hour line to file a report on their bags, which potentially went to Houston.
« I now have no underwear, » Williams said. « All of my underwear is in my bag. »
After waiting in line to register their missing bags, Williams and Novakovich said they planned to go home.
