Dozens of flights delayed, canceled at Sea-Tac Airport for Memorial Day weekend

Sea-Tac Airport backed up with Memorial Day weekend travelers

If you're catching a flight this Memorial Day weekend, plan to get going earlier than usual! Delays, long lines and lots of foot traffic are already filling up the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

SEATTLE - Thousands of flights have been canceled or delayed this Memorial Day weekend, causing trouble for travelers across the country.

At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Alaska Airlines has been canceling flights daily due to staffing issues, and Delta Air Lines had its own share of cancellations and delays on Sunday.

We talked with travelers about navigating issues in the air and taking a moment to reunite with loved ones this weekend.

Travelers said this Memorial Day weekend has been like turning a page. They said they're reconnecting with friends and family for the first time in years, despite any delays or cancellations.

"It's a big trip. We've been waiting two years to get back to flights," Rich Chwaszczewski said.

This weekend, Chwaszczewski and his wife, from Bremerton, aren't letting anything get in the way of a trip 47 years in the making. They're celebrating their wedding anniversary by flying to New Orleans after the pandemic put it all on hold.

"We start and board the American Queen paddle wheeler and then from there, hopscotch up to Memphis, and then we're treating ourselves to The Peabody, a really remarkable hotel there in Memphis," Chwaszczewski told FOX 13 News.

But there are some snags in the system.

Before noon Sunday, FlightAware.com reported more than three-dozen flights delayed and about a dozen canceled at Sea-Tac.

Nationally, the website reported more than 350 flights had already been canceled on Sunday alone.

If the many hugs seen at the airport were any indication, people including Jay and Karen Logeman from Ohio said every second of this weekend is worth any potential travel troubles.

"We came out for a wedding for my brother and his wife. We flew out from Cincinnati into Seattle and then drove two hours away to a picturesque area on the bay in Port Ludlow," Jay Logeman said.

At Sea-Tac, there were plenty of tough goodbyes after families and friends reconnected with one another on this side of the pandemic.

Karen Wright said she's been able to avoid getting grounded so far as she embarked on a family trip to California with her new husband.

"Alaska Airlines has done an amazing job in handling all of the traffic, all of the people, all of the different things that they're down with," she said.

As more people pulled up to departures on Sunday with tickets and luggage in hand, and time for maybe one more hug, this Memorial Day weekend is slowly nearing its end.

Travelers said they've packed a little patience, too, knowing they might get stuck.

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"Having so much delays, cancellations and travel restrictions, that really made it difficult for folks with, we're both cancer survivors and so every day is a holiday, every meal a banquet, every paycheck a fortune," Chwaszczewski said.

People we talked with said if you're traveling on Sunday or Monday, it's a good idea to have your airline's app handy and to check your flight information online frequently in case of any issues.