Travelers moving through Los Angeles International Airport on February 11, 2026, faced a bruising day of delays and uncertainty as a wave of disruptions rippled through the United States aviation system. Data from flight trackers showed around 150 flights departing from or arriving at LAX delayed and at least four canceled, tangling the plans of thousands of passengers. The operational strain did not end in Southern California. The same pattern of rolling delays and scattered cancellations was mirrored across key hubs from San Francisco and Seattle to Dallas and New York, affecting major carriers including Alaska Airlines, Southwest, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and others.
Delays Pile Up at LAX as Winter Turbulence Spreads
At Los Angeles International Airport, check in and departure halls were crowded with passengers staring at departure boards that seemed to change minute by minute. The issues were part of a broader national picture. Following consecutive days of winter weather disruptions and lingering operational bottlenecks, LAX logged roughly 150 delayed flights and a small cluster of outright cancellations. While far short of a shutdown, the scale of the disruption meant nearly every part of the passenger journey became slower, from security queues to boarding.
Ground staff pointed to a combination of factors. Aircraft arriving late from already affected airports across the country could not be turned around on time. Frozen equipment and deicing operations at northern airports pushed schedules backward, and limited spare aircraft or crews were available to plug the gaps. Even flights operating in clear Southern California skies were taking off late because their inbound aircraft had been held earlier in the day at hubs such as Seattle, Denver, Chicago, and New York.
For travelers, that translated into an exhausting wait. Families on school break, business travelers, and international visitors all vied for power outlets, floor space, and updated information. Many had made it as far as Los Angeles from overseas only to find their onward connections within the United States delayed for hours or scrubbed from the schedule entirely. Airport volunteers reported a surge in requests for hotel information and ground transport alternatives as the day wore on.
Alaska, Southwest, Delta, and Others Scramble to Recover
Among the hardest hit at LAX and other West Coast airports were Alaska Airlines and Southwest, two carriers with dense route maps along the Pacific and across the Mountain West. Alaska, which relies heavily on West Coast shuttle routes through Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, faced cascading knock on effects as storms and freezing conditions to the north complicated aircraft positioning. Some of its Los Angeles departures, including popular links to the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii, showed delay times stretching past three hours.
Southwest Airlines, which operates on a high frequency point to point network rather than a traditional hub and spoke system, saw delays radiate across its grid. A late aircraft on a Seattle to Oakland run could throw off later segments to Los Angeles or San Diego, ultimately affecting services that continue onward to Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, or Chicago. With tight turn times baked into its schedules, even short weather induced interruptions quickly evolved into a long chain of missed slots and rolled departure times.
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, anchored in large hub operations, were not spared either. Their coastal transcontinental flights linking Los Angeles and San Francisco with New York and Boston encountered congestion at both ends. Aircraft that would normally complete early morning rotations and be back in position for late afternoon or evening departures instead found themselves stuck in deicing queues, held in ground stops, or delayed by air traffic flow controls. That often left passengers facing rebookings well into the next day, particularly on already crowded routes.
Disruptions Stretch from the Pacific Coast to the Northeast
What began as a difficult day at Los Angeles quickly proved to be just one facet of a nationwide disruption. San Francisco International, historically one of the most weather sensitive airports in the country because of fog and low clouds, experienced compounding delays as winter systems brushed the West Coast. Reduced arrival rates, intermittent low visibility, and ongoing congestion elsewhere meant aircraft were frequently held before landing, squeezing already narrow turnaround windows for airlines connecting through SFO.
Farther north, operations at Seattle Tacoma International also felt the strain. Periodic snow, icy conditions, and the knock on impact of aircraft routed through inland hubs led to departure boards marked by extensive yellow and red. Seattle serves as a strategic gateway for Alaska Airlines in particular, so delays there filtered quickly into schedules along the entire Pacific corridor, including services through Los Angeles and San Francisco.
To the south and east, Dallas Fort Worth and other central hubs attempted to absorb the overflow of rebooked passengers and rerouted flights. Crews timed out after long duty days spent navigating weather holds and extended taxi times, adding staffing challenges to an already complex operational picture. On the East Coast, airports around New York, including JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark, reported dozens of delays and a growing tide of frustrated passengers. For many travelers originating in California, a delayed departure out of Los Angeles or San Francisco translated into missed red eye connections and surprise overnight stays in connecting cities.
Passengers Stranded, Rebooked, and Rerouted Across the US
Across terminals in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, and New York, the human cost of the disruptions quickly became evident. Long lines formed at customer service counters as passengers attempted to secure new itineraries, hotel vouchers, or meal credits. Some travelers reported waiting more than an hour just to speak with an airline representative as staff tried to triage the most urgent cases, including those with missed international connections or vulnerable family members.
While most carriers expanded the use of mobile and kiosk based rebooking tools, not every passenger was comfortable relying solely on apps in a moment of stress. International visitors with limited phone data or travelers unfamiliar with airline technology systems sometimes struggled to interpret automated rebooking messages, particularly when new itineraries involved multiple legs across several hubs. Airport staff and volunteers found themselves stepping into informal translation and tech support roles to help passengers sort out revised plans.
Finding a place to sleep became another challenge. As evening delays mounted, nearby hotels around LAX and other major hubs began to sell out, forcing some travelers to either pay higher rates at remaining properties or settle in for a night in the terminal. Families travelling with children dragged together makeshift beds from sweaters and carry ons, while solo travelers sought out quieter gate areas, often only to be relocated when overnight cleaning crews needed access.
Why a Handful of Cancellations Can Snarl an Entire Network
The day’s events provided a vivid illustration of how even a relatively small number of direct cancellations can paralyze far larger portions of the air travel system. With just four flights officially canceled at LAX but more than a hundred delayed, the disruption was driven less by outright closures and more by chronic lateness. In modern airline networks, aircraft and crew are tightly scheduled, often operating several flights per day across different cities and time zones.
A delay in one city creates a domino effect as the same aircraft and its crew are scheduled to operate subsequent flights. When severe winter weather or operational constraints hit multiple regions at once, there are few spare planes or reserve crews to absorb the shock. That leaves airlines juggling aircraft assignments, selectively canceling some services to preserve others, and relying on air traffic control to meter flows into and out of congested airspace.
Another critical factor is the role of connecting passengers. A flight from Los Angeles to Dallas might be technically able to operate on time, but if a large share of its passengers are delayed arriving from San Francisco, Seattle, or Chicago, airlines face a choice between departing on schedule with many empty seats or holding for late connections and risking further delay. On days like this, both strategies are used at different times, sometimes leaving travelers bewildered at why one delayed flight is held for connections while another is allowed to depart without them.
How Travelers Can Navigate Days of Widespread Disruption
For those caught up in the latest wave of delays, aviation experts and experienced travelers point to a few practical steps that can make a difficult situation more manageable. Checking flight status early and often, directly through the airline rather than only via third party agencies, remains essential. On busy disruption days, status can change several times in the hours before departure, and mobile alerts or text messages are often the earliest way to spot a significant schedule shift.
When a delay stretches longer than two hours or a cancellation looms, reaching out through multiple channels can speed up rebooking. In airport lines, passengers who also contact airlines via mobile apps, social media messaging, or phone hotlines sometimes secure new itineraries before they reach the front of the queue. However, it is equally important to stay calm and polite when interacting with frontline staff, who often have limited flexibility but can sometimes find creative solutions for travelers who are patient and clear about their priorities.
Seasoned flyers also recommend planning with contingencies when traveling during peak winter months. Booking earlier departures in the day, building longer connection times between flights, and avoiding last departures of the evening whenever possible can reduce the risk of becoming stranded overnight. On days when major disruptions are already in the news, flexible travelers may even decide to voluntarily shift travel a day forward or back, especially if their plans are not tied to nonrefundable events or strict schedules.
Longer Term Questions for US Aviation Reliability
The latest wave of delays and scattered cancellations raises broader questions about the resilience of the U.S. aviation system. Industry analysts note that while weather remains an unavoidable factor, the scale of disruption on days without full scale storms or airport closures suggests that margins in the system are thin. High aircraft utilization, tight crew scheduling, and aging infrastructure at some key hubs all contribute to a situation where relatively modest shocks can leave large numbers of passengers stranded.
In response to a series of recent nationwide disruptions, regulators and policymakers have discussed measures such as improving staffing for air traffic control, upgrading airport infrastructure, and encouraging clearer and more consistent communication from airlines to passengers. Some consumer advocates are also calling for stronger passenger rights standards, including compensation or more robust care obligations when delays and cancellations fall outside strictly defined weather exemptions.
Airlines, for their part, argue that they have limited flexibility in the face of compounding external pressures, from climate related weather volatility to the economics of maintaining spare aircraft and staff. They emphasize investments in technology platforms that can reroute aircraft and passengers more efficiently, and in new aircraft that promise greater reliability and range. Yet as passengers in Los Angeles and across the country experienced, the lived reality of travel on a heavily disrupted day often feels far removed from those long term plans.
Looking Ahead for Travelers Passing Through Los Angeles and Beyond
As operations gradually stabilize in the hours and days after such a disruption, the backlog of affected travelers can take time to clear. Some will be routed onto later flights or indirect itineraries, while others may abandon their trips altogether. For Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, New York, and other major hubs, the challenge is not just moving aircraft back into the right positions, but also rebuilding trust among passengers weary of repeated winter travel chaos.
For upcoming trips, travelers passing through LAX and other large U.S. airports would be wise to budget extra time, particularly when connecting to international services or important events. Travel insurance with trip interruption coverage, flexible ticket options that allow free changes, and careful attention to airline communications can all provide valuable safety nets. While no amount of planning can eliminate every risk in a complex global air network, informed choices can soften the impact when delays once again grip the system.
For now, the scenes of stranded travelers camped at gate areas in Los Angeles and other key hubs serve as another reminder of how tightly coupled the U.S. air travel system has become. A relatively limited number of cancellations and a few hundred delayed flights at one airport can quickly ripple out across thousands of miles, touching travelers in cities they never planned to visit. On days like this, patience, flexibility, and timely information are the most valuable carry ons a traveler can bring.