FRONTIER AIRLINES STRUGGLES WITH SNOW AT DIA
Weather at DIA blamed for 200 flights canceled nationally, stranding passengers
Thousands of fliers on Frontier and other airlines at Denver International Airport and hubs nationwide faced cancellations Sunday — hit by problems corporate officials blamed on unexpectedly severe snowy weather.
Frontier Airlines canceled about 200 flights nationwide, affecting an estimated 30,000 travelers. Frontier spokesman Richard Oliver said the company would not provide food or accommodations for stranded travelers.
“The winter storm yesterday was worse than expected. It did not allow us to operate on our schedule as anticipated,” Oliver said.
Frontier was unable to have crews in place to handle flights because cancellations throughout the nation impeded their movements, he said.
From Denver, Frontier normally runs about 60 flights a day.
Denver International Airport officials said airlines played “catch-up” Sunday and that by 5:30 p.m. operations had returned to normal. However, Frontier still listed four Monday flights as canceled — “pre-canceled because the crew and aircraft will not be in place to operate them.”
Stranded travelers slumped around the airport, some exasperated, many scrambling to adjust plans. For many, the cancellations meant paying out more money than expected.
“Weather-related delays do not require compensation or rooms overnight,” Oliver said. “The same would apply with any other airline. When it is weatherrelated, we are not required, nor is it in the contract, to provide food.”
It was unclear when flights would resume. Frontier officials said they mobilized extra customer service staffers who were booking passengers on the next available flights. Frontier travelers could opt for refunds of unused portions of their tickets. Staffers also were scrambling to move baggage for those who decided to stay in Denver.
“We’re looking forward,” Oliver said, “to successfully resolving this irregular operation and continuing our low-fare service done right in our Denver market.”