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WICHITA, Kan. - Don and Ellen Armentrout are spending a few extra days in Wichita. The couple from Virginia is stranded in Kansas thanks to Hurricane Sandy. "We're going to see the Old Town, thrift stores and maybe visit the casino," said Don Armentrout. "Everything is shut down. No trains. No buses. Emergency vehicles are the only things running in the entire state of Virginia," said Ellen Armentrout.
Their flight from Wichita to Washington, D.C. that was supposed to leave Tuesday was cancelled. They rescheduled it for Thursday afternoon.More than 10,000 flights have been cancelled as a result of the hurricane, according to Flightaware, effectively shutting down commercial air traffic along the east coast. The ripple effect is hitting the rest of the country hard. "We are seeing cancellations at our hubs, like Dallas and Chicago," said Wichita Mid-Continent Airport's Valerie Wise. "They are seeing several cancellations."
Travelers like the Armentrouts trying to get to the east coast are finding it better to stay put until the storm blows over. They are keeping a close eye on the news and getting play by play from family back home, including their son. "When he called from Fairfax," said Ellen Armentrout. "I knew we could say 'We are fine, don't worry about us. You take care of the rest of the family that's out there.'"
Airlines are asking that travelers check flights before heading to the airport. Most airlines are offering to reschedule flights without charging an extra fee.