Amtrak

I live in Philly, and the airport is one of the worst in the country. 27% of flights being canceled is called "A typical day."

St. Louis was virtually shut down yesterday and it was near impossible to find any press mention of what was going on. The flight status board showed what seemed to be half the outgoing flights cancelled... that's a pretty big impact. I was on one of the first flights to get out (around 5:30 or 5:45) and the snow was supposed to come and go so for all I know the airport iced in again after we left. I checked the paper and reports (non airport specific) are pretty bad today too although not as bad.

If you can avoid travelling, do so. Lines at every single ticket booth (especially those on the public side of security) were huge due to passengers from those cancelled flights having to change their plans. The plane I was on was an hour or so late getting to the intermediate stop and an hour late getting to the final destination, eating up almost all of my layover, but the connecting flight was ten minutes late pulling in. Amazingly I got to my final destination only ten minutes late, but I commented in passing to a gate agent that I was from St. Louis and she asked if I'd been travelling since 6am. After I gave her a "Are you kidding?!" look she told me that there were quite a lot of people from earlier flights who had been stuck in airports literally all day. Ouch.

And since it really IS a weather delay this time, you're screwed if your airline hasn't decided to waive any change fees it charges (SW charges none if you change your flight within an hour of the flight time, and often waives that requirement for heavy storms, but not always - check their site).

God what a disaster. My fiancee was trying to fly out of Heathrow yesterday and they shut down Terminal 4 because of a baggage handling software glitch! Luckily she flew into Newark yesterday, but her boss probably won't be so lucky :P

@AaronZ: I thought Pittsburgh was pretty bad? I flew into PHL once and I don't remember it being horrible but that was in July -- is the suck seasonal there? I know PIT is awful all the time.

My thoughts? Snow sucks. I'm ready for summer.

@Buran:
I was able to make it through PIT Saturday morning and arrive back into PIT Monday morning without any problems. I thought they did a pretty good job of keeping things moving. Orlando and JFK were the real terrors, IMO.

I'm in Dayton, OH right now (editor's note: wheeeeeeee.) Was supposed to leave to get back to La Guardia at 7:30 this morning. Still stuck in a hotel waiting for an 8 PM flight to Philly now. Strangely, this story has nothing to do with JetBlue, Delta, or the TSA.

::crosses fingers and turns on radio::

"new york has been canceled today" WOHOOO

Breaking news!! This just in: It's snowing somewhere in the United States in February! Uhm, duh? I expect at least six more weeks of snow here...

My thoughts? I'm not thinking this is monumental or noteworthy in the slightest. Tell me when it snows in New York City in July and then I'll care.

It's 57 degrees and sunny in Seattle; suck it.

What is snow? I live in Calif.

"causing the usual flight delays and cancellations" should read "exacerbating the extensive delays and cancellations present in perfect weather."

@nick2588:
But what about global warming? How this be happening? I thought all of the polar bears were drowning because everything is melting.

I live in cold, icy Canada - the sun is shining, leaves are starting to come out on the bushes, snowdrops and crocuses are in bloom and the daffodils are almost out. I was looking at the lawn and it looks like I'll need to cut it soon. Oh and I saw some cherry blossums in bloom the other day.

Sounds about right for LGA!

why is it every time someone mentions cold or snow in a public forum, the people from warm clients come out screaming "it's warm here. HAH I WIN" while people living in cold climates inevitably brag about the amount of snow/cold they can handle. This is how it was in grade school, and this is inevitabley how it will be in a retirement home.

Don't try to get to Providence today, kids! (Not by air, anyway.)

What -- you weren't all planning to visit Providence in February? ;-)

I'm stuck in Baltimore. AirTran cancelled my flight back to Atlanta, and won't give me a seat on another flight (assuming any of them even take off) until tomorrow.

Fortunately for me I have family in the area, but it still sucks.

im glad i'm taking amtrak to albany today

Yeah, Amtrak does pretty well between Albany and New York. It sucks between Albany and anyplace else, though, which is too bad. If our trains worked well at all, they could be used to alleviate some of the congestion on the airlines, as well as offering a way to deal with flight-preventing weather.

Continental canceled my 4PM flight to Charleston from Newark. Everything worked out and they re-booked us for no extra charge, but only after being on hold for TWO AND A HALF HOURS. I'll take what I can get.

@Buran: PIT is AWESOME compared to PHL. I'm a student at Pitt but live in Philly and fly back and forth for holidays and such. Sure, I've been delayed etc at PIT but more often than not it was because PHL had a ground delay program in effect. Also, PIT security is at least semi-competent and efficient compared to the living hell that is PHL security with average lines of 30-40 minutes for terminals D and E.

I hope everyone got a doctors note prior to going to the airport for all the extra food they will need.

PHL cancelled a lot of stuff going south and east. But my friend flying to LA today made it out, albeit two hours late. I'm scheduled to be on that same flight next Saturday and am praying for better weather....

You east coast people are such pussies, I live in utah and we get a foot of snow in one dump on us every other week. That is spring weather for us. Quit your whining.

Flight home (sort of) to PHL is now showing a delay. Rest assured I will be reading Consumerist on the plane to:

A) Force the pilot to order pizza
B) Ensure I am not too hot to fly
C) Complain about a shiv in my plane food

Snow is coming down hard and Logan is experiencing some serious delays. Nothing terribly unusual in this weather. We're looking at 9" today.