Name: Airspace shutdown leaves Denver travelers stranded
Uploaded: 2026-01-05T15:44:40.408Z
Duration: 2 min 30 s
Description: A Denver couple said they spent $4,000 on extra hotel costs after their flight home from the Caribbean was cancelled due to airspace restrictions following the U.S. military strikes on Venezuela.

A Denver couple said they spent $4,000 on extra hotel costs after their flight home from the Caribbean was cancelled due to airspace restrictions following the U.S. military strikes on Venezuela.

Denver

Travelers from Denver and other locations have been left stranded in the Caribbean after a temporary airspace shutdown caused widespread flight cancellations. Despite the resumption of commercial flights, many passengers are still facing significant delays and unexpected expenses as they attempt to return home.

Some affected travelers report spending thousands of dollars on accommodations, with uncertainty about reimbursement from airlines. Airlines such as United and Frontier have responded by adding flights and waiving certain fees, while others maintain limited compensation for disruptions caused by the airspace closure.

Airspace shutdown leaves Denver travelers stranded

And tonight, travelers in the Caribbean are scrambling to get on flights back home after the FAA lifted air restrictions. One Denver man reached out to Denver 7 saying he and his girlfriend had to spend thousands of dollars on a hotel after their flight home was canceled yesterday. He writes, after pleading with United to help provide relief or get us home sooner, they callously denied any help whatsoever and told us to sleep in the airport for five days. Denver 7's Maggie Bryan spoke with a couple about what so many travelers are going through tonight. As commercial flights resume in the Caribbean, the brief airspace shutdown is still causing long delays for travelers, including some Denver residents. We don't have money left to continue staying in the island, let alone look for another hotel. Nathan Schmitz and Aaron Savatson spent New Year's in the Caribbean island of St. Martin, but their return flight Saturday afternoon was canceled because of airspace restrictions. They're now booked for a flight out on Wednesday after spending hours on the phone with United Airlines and dropping $4,000 on another hotel. We don't know if we're going to get reimbursed or anything, we're just stuck with the bill. While inconvenienced, these two understand the need for security. The first reason is to protect commercial aircraft carriers. This is something I discussed with Sam Scanlon, a Denver-based national security consultant. He says the administration made the right call shutting down air travel after the Venezuelan strikes. It only takes one person to shoot at an incoming aircraft, whether that's commercial or military, to make a difference. And then secondly, it's to help support our U.S. military. There's a no-fly zone in the area where our assets are at in the Caribbean, in that general area. It makes it much more clear and detectable if there's any type of aircraft taking off from Venezuela that's on a direct path to our forces. We checked. A United Airlines spokesperson says the company added 14 flights Sunday and more on Monday for customers whose travel was disrupted. The company's website says it will waive change fees and fare differences. Frontier Airlines also waiving change and cancellation fees. Southwest tells us vouchers are only available for cancellations or delays within the airline's control. And they say an airspace closure is out of their control. We're not asking for anything, just a place to sleep, right? Nathan and Aaron say these cancellations were out of their control too. And stranded travelers are being stuck with the cost of cancellations. I'm Maggie Bryan for Denver 7.

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