Charlotte flight in winter storm: Bumpy, turbulent and hospitable
One of the last flights out of Charlotte Thursday night was an American Airlines A321 to the airline’s biggest hub at the Dallas-Fort Worth International.
The jetliner hit such turbulence as it crossed above the winter storm system bearing down on the East that the captain ordered flight attendants to suspend beverage service, stow the cart and to strap themselves in for the remainder of the flight.
Many passengers aboard had snapped up seats at the last minute so they could fulfill weekend travel plans after American, Charlotte Douglas’ No. 1 carrier, announced it would cancel all flights from the airport Friday in anticipation of the storm.
When the flight arrived in Dallas at midnight local time, passengers found camping cots stacked at the gate and about a half dozen of them took advantage of the Texas hospitality, spending the night in Terminal C.
On Friday, flights were canceled to Charlotte and other destinations northward and vice versa, making DFW unusually quiet for a business Friday because so few passengers could come to the aerial crossroads from the East.
Aisle and exit row seats were available for free for the asking and change fees were being waived liberally for passengers with East Coast connections.
Mark Washburn: 704-358-5007, @WashbumChObs
This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Charlotte flight in winter storm: Bumpy, turbulent and hospitable."