Air travel this weekend is no holiday

Greg Risling

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- Travelers trying to get an early start on their

three-day holiday weekend were met with lengthy delays and cancellations

of their flights.

Bad weather back East contributed to the lone line of planes waiting for

takeoff and landings at John Wayne Airport. Nearly every airline

encountered some type of logistic problem that shortened the fuse of many

passengers.

“If you only knew how tired I really am,” said Dale Scott of Laguna

Niguel, who flew into Orange County on Friday. Scott spent three hours

waiting for a changeover before he boarded a plane bound for Southern

California.

“Thank God I’m staying home this weekend. From what I hear, it’s a mess

at airports across the country,” he said.

Thirty-seven flights were affected at John Wayne Airport during the past

48 hours.

The airline suffering most was America West Airlines. A computer glitch

caused massive delays and canceled flights Thursday and Friday. The

airline’s computer system that prepares flight plans for pilots and crews

shut down and prompted officials to cancel more than 100 flights

nationwide. Fourteen flights headed to Las Vegas, Sacramento and Phoenix

from Orange County were delayed or canceled.

The problems were epidemic. United Airlines canceled two of its flights

from John Wayne. Alaska Airlines reported that six flights encountered

problems.

“If they are in the business of travel, why am I not going anywhere?”

said Judy Bilkens, who was infuriated with the delays. “This has been one

big headache that I wish someone would make go away.”