"It was the equivalent of running out of baseballs during game 7 of the World Series..."
I'm fortunate that family and friends are nearby. We don't have to fly during the holidays. The aviation system broke down completely this last week, a combination of wicked weather and an almost sublimely smug incompetence. If there were available crews, there were no planes. If there were planes, there were no crews to fly them. Rental car companies were stocked with nothing more than counter agents willing to laugh at anybody asking for a car. It was the equivalent of running out of baseballs during game 7 of the World Series.