Airlines pull out the stops to get travelers home

(AFP/Karen BLEIER)

Several airlines have have scheduled extra services in an effort to get thousands of stranded travelers home for Christmas following a period of bad weather in Europe and North America.

British Airways has announced that it is to fly Boeing 747 "jumbo jets" between London and Paris to assist the thousands of passengers that have been stranded either side of the Channel by train or plane cancellations due to snow. The Boeing 747 is normally used for long haul flights and is likely to provide some 200 extra seats compared to the capacity normally available on the London-Paris route. Budget airline Flybe has also announced that it will fly larger aircraft between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Birmingham and Southampton airports.

Meanwhile, airlines in the United States are also struggling to clear the backlog following record snowfall in Washington and New York. Most airlines, including Delta, Virgin America, AirTran, and JetBlue have announced a waiver on passenger flight changes, while United Airlines added extra flights over the weekend and is considering running more today.