Nationwide Flight Issues Cause Disruptions At Tulsa International Airport

Dozens of travelers were delayed at the Tulsa International Airport as the effects of the winter storm continued to play out.

The issues in Tulsa mainly involved Southwest Airlines, with some flights cancelled, others delayed, and many bags ending up misdirected.

The Collinsville Lady Cardinals basketball team, enroute to a tournament in Orlando, arrived at the airport when it opened, but their flight was delayed, then part of the team was bumped from the flight to Dallas.

Retired Coach Danny Hightower said they had to regroup. “We’re going to try and haul 15 people down to Dallas to catch a flight to Orlando so we hope we can drive that 4 hours to get down there and catch the plane.” They left the airport on a school bus just before noon.

LaShaundria Taylor and her brother Trai Elliott had been trying to travel for days. “We were supposed to go back home for the holiday” Taylor said, “our families are in Chicago, so now we're just trying to go and spend time with them still.” After a few hours in line, they ended up getting booked on a flight leaving Monday afternoon.

In Tulsa, most of the flight and luggage disruptions involved Southwest Airlines, which had problems nationwide Monday. Their ticket counter in Tulsa was crowded and the luggage claim was surrounded by bags that didn’t make the correct flights. Dillon Brewer waited in line at the luggage claim, only to be told his fathers’ misplaced luggage was somewhere behind the ticket counter. “He was in here 2 days trying to get out, he ended up getting a flight out, but his bags are stuck, along with everyone else’s.”