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Passengers mingle as they wait to board a Delta Air Lines flight Thursday afternoon out of Grand Junction Regional Airport. United Airlines, which operates out of an adjacent gate, canceled all its morning flights to Denver because of a snowstorm.
A ferocious autumn storm that dumped up to 3 feet of snow in some parts of the state left countless airline passengers in flux Thursday as they scrambled to make alternative plans for the weekend.
“All the flights were canceled,” said Kimberly Edwards of Moab, Utah, who was trying to catch a United Airlines flight to Denver out of Grand Junction Regional Airport.
Edwards said she was scheduled to leave Thursday but was informed the airlines had to cancel a host of flights because Denver International Airport could not accommodate its schedule due to the storm.
About a foot of snow was expected at the Denver airport by Thursday afternoon and the venue was not able to keep enough runways open.
Edwards, who was going to catch a connecting flight to Houston from Denver, decided that flying to Phoenix today was an easier option. The inconvenience was muted a little by the airline, which arranged for her to stay at a local hotel.
She was afforded a distressed or reduced rate for the room.
“I am taking it with an easy attitude,” said Edwards, who plans on visiting her family in Houston.
Susan Lilly of Telluride found herself in a similar predicament. Lilly said she left the ski town en route to Grand Junction on Wednesday. She said the idea was to get out in front of the weather.
But she encountered some difficulty along the way including a driving mishap that led to her vehicle going off the road soon after leaving.
Lilly, who planned to fly to Denver before catching a flight to Atlanta for her dad's 75th birthday party, said she received an automated call Thursday morning from United that said her scheduled departure was canceled.
She then opted to try and catch a later flight to Salt Lake City. The idea was to try and connect with a non-stop flight to Atlanta from Salt Lake City.
Lilly seemed to take the change of travel plans in stride.
“In this situation you are only going to aggravate yourself more,” she said on the delay.
The storm forced United to cancel its morning flights to Denver from Grand Junction, and an early afternoon departure. But the airline was able to resume its scheduled later Thursday with its 3:25 p.m. flight to Denver.
United is the only airline that provides commercial passenger service to Denver from Grand Junction.
The airline, which offers about 400 flights per day out of Denver, canceled about half those flights Thursday because of the storm, a spokesman said.
The National Weather Service said the storm was moving out of Colorado and toward Kansas late Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reach Wyatt Haupt Jr. at whaupt@gjfreepress.com.
“All the flights were canceled,” said Kimberly Edwards of Moab, Utah, who was trying to catch a United Airlines flight to Denver out of Grand Junction Regional Airport.
Edwards said she was scheduled to leave Thursday but was informed the airlines had to cancel a host of flights because Denver International Airport could not accommodate its schedule due to the storm.
About a foot of snow was expected at the Denver airport by Thursday afternoon and the venue was not able to keep enough runways open.
Edwards, who was going to catch a connecting flight to Houston from Denver, decided that flying to Phoenix today was an easier option. The inconvenience was muted a little by the airline, which arranged for her to stay at a local hotel.
She was afforded a distressed or reduced rate for the room.
“I am taking it with an easy attitude,” said Edwards, who plans on visiting her family in Houston.
Susan Lilly of Telluride found herself in a similar predicament. Lilly said she left the ski town en route to Grand Junction on Wednesday. She said the idea was to get out in front of the weather.
But she encountered some difficulty along the way including a driving mishap that led to her vehicle going off the road soon after leaving.
Lilly, who planned to fly to Denver before catching a flight to Atlanta for her dad's 75th birthday party, said she received an automated call Thursday morning from United that said her scheduled departure was canceled.
She then opted to try and catch a later flight to Salt Lake City. The idea was to try and connect with a non-stop flight to Atlanta from Salt Lake City.
Lilly seemed to take the change of travel plans in stride.
“In this situation you are only going to aggravate yourself more,” she said on the delay.
The storm forced United to cancel its morning flights to Denver from Grand Junction, and an early afternoon departure. But the airline was able to resume its scheduled later Thursday with its 3:25 p.m. flight to Denver.
United is the only airline that provides commercial passenger service to Denver from Grand Junction.
The airline, which offers about 400 flights per day out of Denver, canceled about half those flights Thursday because of the storm, a spokesman said.
The National Weather Service said the storm was moving out of Colorado and toward Kansas late Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reach Wyatt Haupt Jr. at whaupt@gjfreepress.com.
