Stranded MSU fans trying to get to Dallas for bowl game

Unlucky passengers on Southwest Flight 2812 on Tuesday morning found their flight from Detroit to Dallas canceled, with no space to re-book until Jan. 2.

The problem was, most of the passengers on the plane were Michigan State University fans headed to Thursday’s Cotton Bowl.

"They told us the new flight would be January the 2nd, and I said, what? The game is the 31st," says Bill Carter of Southfield, who was on the flight. He and his wife, Carolyn Carter, chose instead to get a ticket refund and a $100 voucher. They will rent a car, drive Wednesday morning to Columbus, Ohio, then fly from there to Tulsa, Okla. From there they will rent another car and drive to Dallas by Thursday morning in time for that evening's big game.

After a rough day Monday at Detroit Metro Airport — where 654 flights were delayed or canceled, including two canceled flights to Dallas — things seemed to be smoothing out Tuesday, but certainly not for everyone.

Dallas has two airports: Dallas-Ft. Worth International and Dallas Love Field. Both of them also had hundreds of cancellations Monday and continuing issues Tuesday.

As of 1 p.m. Tuesday all the Michigan flights headed to Dallas appeared to be operating on time except the canceled Southwest Flight 2812, a delayed Delta 4062 flight (50 minutes late) and Delta 3877, (delayed about 2 hours).

Meanwhile, all six of Southwest’s special flights from Lansing to Dallas Love Field on Tuesday were operating on time, according to FlightStats.com, which tracks airline operations.

The airlines had added some flights to accommodate MSU fans headed to the game. Still, it could not help passengers aboard flight 2812 this morning.

"They didn't give us any reason for the cancellation," Carter said. "I could understand a day, but I don't understand a total cancellation."

Contact Detroit Free Press Travel Writer Ellen Creager at ecreager@freepress.com.