Travelers facing more delays, cancellations during summer travel season

Yesterday, Rae Marie Czuhai was flying high, even before she got to the airport.

The VP at the Raleigh non-profit, The Green Chair Project, had just won two tickets to see Walker Hayes rock the stage at the Today Show.

"They said 'can you get to New York?' I said 'I will be in New York tomorrow if I have to walk," said Czuhai. "Little did I know that I might have to walk."

Within hours, she'd booked plane tickets, a hotel, and was standing at the terminal, ready for takeoff.

RDU ranked among worst US airports for cancellations and delays this summer

But then, her first flight was canceled. ​

She was rebooked, then delayed.

And finally,

"We called my husband and said 'can you come pick us up at the airport, our flight got canceled,'" said Czuhai.

Czuhai left the airport around midnight after nine hours of waiting.

It's a pain that thousand of travelers are experiencing this summer.

According to FlightAware, more than a hundred flights were delayed Thursday at RDU, and twenty seven were canceled.

The picture Friday even grimmer with nearly 50 cancellations at RDU, part of a wave of 3,000 cancellations across the country.

Airlines cited ongoing staff shortages and weather as contributing to the problem.

"They said whenever there's bad weather in Atlanta, it just ripples across the country for them," said Czuhai.

Czuhai said she understands the issues airlines are facing, but after a summer of trouble she's staying grounded, for now.

"If I can't get there by car, I don't think I'm going to be traveling any time soon," said Czuhai.

Adding a little insult to injury, Czuhai said she's still working on getting a refund for that canceled flight.

She's told WRAL News she may be waiting a full month to get her money back.