Passengers hear the good news

Benedict Mittelbach had been looking for a place to sleep when he heard the news that the national ground stoppage had lifted.

Not a hotel. He said the ones he saw online were going for $700 or more, which he attributed to price gouging due to the ground stoppage. He was seeking a “cozy corner” inside Kennedy Airport.

He was relieved that after his evening flight was cancelled American Airlines helped him book a 7:29 a.m. Saturday flight home Los Angeles. This meant he wouldn't need to spend hundreds for “three hours of sleep,” he said.

“It's not really anyone's fault,” Mittelbach, 31, said. “It’s annoying, but I don’t have anything waiting for me. It’s the weekend.”