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Christmas Day is when people come together to celebrate and spend time with the ones they love. Typically, travel happens in the weeks and days leading up to December 25, hence allowing everyone to enjoy the holiday without any hassles.

Unfortunately, traveling during the end of the year tends to come with certain complications. Between disruptive weather, staffing shortages, congested airports, and other issues, it's not always a sure thing that trips will go off without a hitch.

Sometimes, people hit the road or catch flights on Christmas Day as a workaround. Though while most folks generally schedule their trips for the days close to Christmas, traveling on the holiday itself also doesn't guarantee a smooth sailing experience.

Today, people counting on Southwest Airlines experienced problems firsthand.

Here's what happened

This year's Christmas Day flights largely went off without a hitch, compared to recent years. However, Southwest customers still struggled, as nearly 700 of their flights were either delayed or cancelled. For people with connections, even a delayed flight can completely derail travel plans.

On the days leading up to Christmas, Southwest cancelled hundreds of flights over the weekend, while delaying thousands. So far, this airline attributes the latest travel disruptions to foggy weather in Chicago, Illinois.

In a public statement, Southwest also expressed hope that all operations would return to business as usual by the day after Christmas.

Travelers are less than thrilled

Social media platforms are flooded with people ripping into Southwest Airlines over the aforementioned complications.

Travelers said they missed critical flights that would have taken them to see relatives for Christmas. Others complained about delays that dragged out, forcing them to be seated in grounded planes for hours.

Even on Christmas Eve, people made posts accusing Southwest of ruining multiple holidays and mishandling luggage.

On X, the airline has been responding to unhappy customers with apologies. They're also urging travelers to contact customer service for more support. In some cases, people with delayed or cancelled flights may be eligible for vouchers or rebookings.

As a precautionary measure, anyone with approaching travels can check the status of their bookings online before heading to the airport.