WILDFIRES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. >>> THE HOLIDAY TRAVEL CRUSH HAS STARTED. THAT IS IF YOU CAN ACTUALLY TRAVEL. THOUSANDS OF UNITED FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN DELAYED OR CANCELED THIS WEEK AS THE AIRLINE STRUGGLED WITH BAD WEATHER ON THE EAST COAST AND STAFFING PROBLEMS ACROSS THE NATION. SEVERAL AIRLINES ARE SEEING ISSUES, BUT NONE HIT HARDER THAN UNITED AIRLINES. NBC BAY AREA'S ROBERT HANDA JOINS US FROM SFO WHERE THE SITUATION HAS IMPROVED BUT STILL A NIGHTMARE FOR MANY LOOKING TO TRAVEL. HI, ROB. >> Reporter: HELLO. YEAH, THE SITUATION HERE AT SFO IS STILL PRETTY HECTIC, BUT DEFINITELY BETTER THAN YESTERDAY WHEN SOME TRAVELERS TOLD US IT WAS PURE CHAOS. NOW, AT THIS POINT MANY TRAVELERS WE TALKED TO SAY THEY'VE GIVEN UP ON THEIR ORIGINAL TRAVEL PLANS AND JUST TRYING TO SALVAGE WHAT THEY CAN, INCLUDING GETTING THEIR LUGGAGE BACK. THERE ARE STILL PILES OF BAGGAGE AT SFO WAITING TO BE CLAIMED BY STRANDED TRAVELERS. A TRACKING SERVICE REPORTS TODAY UNITED HAD ALMOST 400 FLIGHTS CANCELED NATIONWIDE BY NOON, ADDING TO NEARLY 3,000 LOST SINCE SATURDAY. THAT MAKES FOR A LOT OF FRUSTRATION. SHANNON'S FAMILY FLEW IN FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR A CONNECTING FLIGHT TO ATLANTA YESTERDAY. NOW, THEY JUST WANT THEIR LUGGAGE. >> EVEN AT ONE POINT WE WERE STANNING IN LINE TRYING TO WAIT. ONE OF THE UNITED FRONT DESK PEOPLE JUST WALKED OFF AND DIDN'T COME BACK. WE WERE ALL JUST IN LINE. WE CAME DOWN TO LOOK FOR OUR LUGGAGE AND REALIZED THAT THAT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN. >> Reporter: OTHERS HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES DURING FLIGHT DELAYS YESTERDAY. >> I GUESS THEY WERE WAITING FOR A FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND THEN IT JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN SO THEY CANCELLED IT. >> Reporter: YOU'RE HERE LOOKING FOR YOUR LUGGAGE NOW? >> YES. IT WAS MAYHEM YESTERDAY SO I THOUGHT, I'LL COME BACK LATER. IT'S MAYHEM HERE NOW. >> Reporter: THERE WERE FEWER AND CANCELLATIONS AT SFO TODAY. IN A STATEMENT UNITED SAYS IT IS SEEING CONTINUED MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT AND EXPECT DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS TO DECLINE INTO THE BUSY HOLIDAY TRAVEL DAYS AHEAD. BUT ADDED, IT IS STILL KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON WEATHER CONDITIONS IN DENVER AND CHICAGO TODAY. FEWER DELAYS WOULD HELP SINCE AAA ESTIMATES A RECORD 57 MILLION PEOPLE WILL TRAVEL OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS INCLUDING 5.6 MILLION IN CALIFORNIA. >> WE'RE ANTICIPATING OVER 155,000 PASSENGERS IN AND OUT OF SFO. THAT IS NEARLY BACK AT PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. >> Reporter: SOME STRANDED TRAVELERS LIKE THIS MAN SAY, GOOD LUCK. >> IT'S A NIGHTMARE. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH. THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT. >> Reporter: WELL, TIME AND WEATHER WILL TELL, BUT SFO SAYS IF YOU ARE GOING TO TRAVEL FROM HERE, FIRST OF ALL, REMEMBER TO ARRIVE REAL EARLY. ALSO REMEMBER THAT PARKING WILL BE SCARCE, SO CONSIDER RIDESHARING, PUBLIC TRANSIT OR GO TO THE SFO WEBSITE AND RESERVE A PARKING
