Rain and Wind Delayed More Than 600 Flights at Harry Reid on Thursday

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

FOX5 reported the delays on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 22, in a story by Justine Verastigue and Sophia Bruinsma. The Las Vegas valley had clouds, rain and wind that day. By the time of the report, FlightAware listed 665 delayed flights and 12 canceled flights at Harry Reid.

Southwest Airlines had it worst. FOX5 reported that Southwest had nearly 330 delayed flights. That is about half of all the delays at the airport that day. Passengers arriving from Denver told FOX5 their flights were delayed about two hours.

The Federal Aviation Administration gave two reasons for the backups. First, the FAA blamed about an hour and 30 minutes of delay on active weather and rain. Second, the FAA reported gate hold and taxi delays of 45 minutes to an hour, which it tied to staffing. So it was not just the storm. A staffing issue added to the wait on top of the weather.

Here is a quick look at the numbers from the FOX5 report:

665 flights delayed, per FlightAware.
12 flights canceled, per FlightAware.
Nearly 330 of the delays were Southwest Airlines flights.
About 1 hour 30 minutes of delay blamed on weather and rain, per the FAA.
45 minutes to 1 hour of gate hold and taxi delays tied to staffing, per the FAA.
About 2 hours of delay reported by passengers arriving from Denver.

One passenger, Jen Aceto, told FOX5 she saw thunderstorms on the way in and felt turbulence on the way down. She said she was nervous during the descent. Harry Reid officials told travelers to check directly with their airline for flight status and updates.

Why So Many Flights Backed Up

It can seem strange that one afternoon of rain causes hundreds of delays. But an airport is a tight system. When one piece slows down, everything behind it waits.

When storms are near the airport, planes may have to wait before they take off or land. Ground crews may also have to pause work on the ramp when there is lightning nearby. Every plane that sits a little longer pushes back the next flight that needs its gate. Those small delays stack up over the day.

The staffing piece made it worse. A gate hold means a plane is ready to go, but it is told to wait at the gate before it pushes back. A taxi delay means the plane is moving, but it has to wait in line on the ground before takeoff. The FAA said those waits ran 45 minutes to an hour on Thursday because of staffing. Add that on top of about an hour and a half for weather, and it is easy to see how some travelers ended up waiting two hours or more.

Then there is the ripple effect. Airlines fly the same plane on several trips a day. If a plane is late leaving Las Vegas, it is late landing in its next city, and late again on its next trip. A delay here can turn into a delay in Denver, Phoenix or anywhere else on that plane's schedule. The opposite is true too. Storms elsewhere can send late planes into Las Vegas.

Southwest felt it the most, with nearly half the delays. When one airline makes up such a big share of an airport's delays on a bad day, it usually means that airline has a lot of flights moving through that airport. More flights means more chances for a delay to start, and more planes to fall behind.

It helps to know the difference between a delay and a cancellation, too. A delay means your flight is still planned, just later. A cancellation means the airline is not flying that trip, and you will need to be rebooked. On Thursday, the delays far outnumbered the cancellations, 665 to 12. That means most travelers eventually got where they were going. They just got there late.

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Locals use this airport differently than visitors. We fly out for work. We send kids back to college. We pick up family for the holidays. When the airport has a bad day, it hits our plans directly, and often on short notice.

The timing of this storm makes it more than a one-day story. Friday, Oct. 30 is Nevada Day, a state holiday, which gives many people a long weekend. Clocks also fall back early Sunday, Nov. 1, when daylight saving time ends. Then comes Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday travel season. A lot of locals will be flying in the next couple of months, and a lot of family will be flying in to see us.

Thursday showed that two things can go wrong at once. Weather is the one everyone expects. Staffing is the one people forget. When both hit on the same day, delays add up fast. Knowing that ahead of time helps you plan a cushion into your trip, especially if you have a connection, a cruise, a wedding or a work meeting on the other end.

It also matters for anyone picking someone up. If you are heading to the airport to meet a flight, check the flight's status before you leave the house. A two-hour delay can mean a lot of circling, or a long wait in the cell phone lot.

There is a home angle here as well. Many people who are buying or selling in Las Vegas are doing it from somewhere else. They fly in to tour homes, fly back to pack, and fly in again to close. Others are moving here for a new job and have a start date to hit. A day of storm delays can push back a showing, a home inspection or a walk-through. When a move is on a tight schedule, even a few hours can cause a chain of changes for movers, utilities and escrow.

Background: A Busy Month at Harry Reid

It has been an eventful October for the airport and for local weather. Earlier this month, moisture from Tropical Storm Rachel gave Las Vegas its wettest day in a year and set a new airport rain record. We covered that storm in detail, including what it meant for homes and commutes.

We also covered a general aviation plane that skidded off a runway at Harry Reid during takeoff, which led to a ground stop and hundreds of delays. Officials said no one was hurt in that incident. Thursday's storm was a different event, but it had the same result for a lot of travelers: long waits, missed connections and changed plans.

The airport is also preparing for big changes. Planners are working on a major overhaul that would add 26 gates and rework the older terminals. That project has no set timeline yet. But it is part of a bigger story. Las Vegas keeps drawing more visitors and hosting bigger events, and the airport is working to keep up.

Desert storms are not common, but when they come, they can be sudden and strong. Most days in Las Vegas are dry and clear, which is one reason the airport runs so many flights so smoothly most of the year. It also means a rainy, windy day can catch people off guard, both on the ground and in the air.

What Happens Next

The storm moved on. FOX5's forecast coverage that day pointed to cooler, dry weather taking over after Thursday's rain and storms. For most travelers, that means things should be back to normal heading into the holiday weekend.

The bigger question is staffing. The FAA tied part of Thursday's delays to staffing, and that kind of issue does not go away when the clouds clear. If staffing holds show up again on a busy travel day, delays could pile up even in good weather. That is worth watching as the holiday season gets closer.

FOX5 labeled its report as a developing story, so the final delay and cancellation counts for the day may have changed after it was published. The best way to know what is happening on any given day is to check your airline and a flight tracker before you head to the airport.

How to Read a Delay on a Flight Tracker

If you have never used a flight tracker, it is easier than it sounds. Search your flight number, and the tracker shows when the plane is scheduled to leave and arrive, and when it is now expected to. It will often show where the plane is right now. That last part is the most useful. If your plane is still sitting in another city an hour before your departure time, your flight is going to be late, even if the airline has not posted a delay yet.

You can also look at the airport as a whole. FOX5's numbers came from FlightAware's count of delays and cancellations at Harry Reid. If you see hundreds of delays at the airport on the day you fly, plan on a longer day, and keep a close eye on your own flight. Keep in mind that a flight tracker is a guide. Your airline is the final word on your flight's status, which is why Harry Reid officials point travelers to their airline first.

Ryan's Take

Being close to the airport is one of the things my clients love about living in Las Vegas. A lot of people who move here travel for work, and being able to get to Reid quickly from the southwest valley or Summerlin is a real perk. But a day like Thursday is a good reminder that being close to the airport does not help much if your plane is stuck on the ground.

My advice is the same advice I give clients who are relocating and flying back and forth to tour homes or close on a sale: build in a cushion. If you have a closing, a final walk-through or a moving truck on the schedule, do not book the last flight of the day. Give yourself room. One storm and one staffing hold can wipe out a two-hour window, and that is not the kind of stress anyone needs in the middle of a move.

I also tell buyers to think about the airport when they pick a neighborhood. Some people want to be as close to Reid as possible because they fly every week. Others would rather trade a few extra minutes of driving for a quieter street away from the flight paths. There is no wrong answer. It depends on how often you travel and what you value at home. If you fly a lot, it is worth timing the drive from a neighborhood to the airport at the hours you would actually leave, before you buy.

What You Can Do

You cannot control the weather or the FAA. But you can make a delay a lot less painful. Here are a few simple steps before your next flight, especially over the holidays:

Check your flight before you leave home. Harry Reid officials say to check directly with your airline for status and updates.
Use a flight tracker. Sites like FlightAware show delays and cancellations at the airport in real time.
Turn on airline alerts. Most airline apps can send a text or push alert if your flight changes.
Book earlier flights when you can. Delays tend to build up as the day goes on, so a morning flight has fewer chances to get pushed back.
Leave room for connections. A tight connection can fall apart with even a short delay.
If you are picking someone up, check their flight before you leave, and use the cell phone lot instead of circling.

If a storm is in the forecast on your travel day, pack a little patience along with your snacks and a charger. And if your trip is tied to a home purchase or sale, talk with your agent and escrow team about a backup plan in case you are delayed.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood, or planning a move that has you flying in and out of Las Vegas? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921 | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com