Christmas Chaos: Flights, Families, and the FOMO of COVID
Picture this: the night before Christmas, the skies are trembling, airfares are humming, and the world is battling a new wave of the Omicron virus. In a dramatic turn, airlines around the globe scrubbed over 4,500 flights all Saturday and Sunday. That’s more than enough to keep the holiday travel dream on hold – and a whole lot of family members staring at flight status alerts in disbelief.
Below is a quick snapshot of how the holiday weekend turned into a travel apocalypse:
- Friday (12/24) – 2,401 flights cancelled
- Christmas Day (12/25) – 1,779 flights scrapped
- Sunday (12/26) – 402 flights pulled
- Nearly 10,000 flights delayed across the board
U.S. Airlines Play the “Just‑Because” Card
United Airlines and Delta Air Lines were front‑and‑center, taking the first hit with a combined 280 cancelled routes on Friday alone. Their official card? Staff shortages thanks to a soaring surge of COVID‑19 cases.
In the U.S., the Omicron variant has been the bad guy, raking in about 90% of new cases in the East Coast and bumping the average daily infection count up by 45% to roughly 179,000. New York alone hit a new record with over 44,000 cases on a single day. The trend was so sharp that ten other states also shattered their one‑day case records.
Midwest Hospitals: It’s a Real Gloom‑Slam
In Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, intensive‑care units were on high alert – juggling the relentless surge of COVID with the after‑effects of the Delta wave. The healthcare systems were practicing the “hold your horses” routine, hoping for a less devastating second wave.
Britain, France, and the Pandemic Party
Across the Atlantic, London had one in 20 residents infected last week. That number may balloon to one in ten by early next week. With 122,186 new infections nationwide on Friday – a third day over 100,000 – the UK was getting a stark reminder that COVID was still waiting in the wings.
Meanwhile, France recorded a fresh infection high and saw hospitalizations climb to a seven‑month peak. The French government moved fast, calling a special meeting that could trigger new restrictions.
Family Travel Amid the Chaos
Despite the gloom, many families pressed on. Take Moses Jimenez, 33, from Long Beach, Mississippi. He and his wife, plus three kids, flew to New York. The plan? A Broadway night for Hamilton and a museum tour. Reality? Hamilton canceled due to a positive COVID test, and several museums demanded proof of vaccination – a tough ask for the family’s under‑18 kids.
Instead, they can be a city‑roaming crew exploring the streets, parks, and catching up with relatives. “We just wanted to get out of the house and out to the city for Christmas,” Moses told Reuters at LaGuardia.
New Year’s Eve in Times Square? Limited Like That.
New York’s annual SoHo celebration was set to cap the crowd at 15,000 people, citing the rising COVID scenario.
Presidential Decision: End of Southern African Border Truce?
The Biden administration is planning to lift travel restrictions on eight Southern African countries next week, easing regulations that were introduced in response to Omicron last month.
Bottom Line
So, there you have it – a holiday weekend filled with cancelled flights, soaring infection numbers, and families making the best of a less-than-ideal situation. It’s a wild mix of inertia, anxiety, and the bittersweet persistence of human desire to get together just in time for the holidays.
