Bad weather causing travel chaos across U.S. ahead of July 4th weekend

>>> A SHORT TIME AGO, THE PRESIDENT LET THE WHITE HOUSE TO GO TO CHICAGO. HE IS SCHEDULED TO GIVE A SPEECH ON THE ECONOMY AT 1:00 P.M. EASTERN. WE WILL BRING THAT LIVE ONCE IT STARTS. >>> BIG STORMS IN THE EAST AND MIDWEST HAVE FORCED THE CANCELLATION OF 6300 FLIGHTS TODAY. 600 FLIGHTS BEEN CANCELED. IT COMES AHEAD OF THE BUSY JULY 4 HOLIDAY. >>> KRIS VAN

CLEAVE IS IN PHOENIX, WHERE HE HAS HAD A TOUGH TRAVEL EXPERIENCE. GOOD MORNING. >> Reporter: GOOD MORNING. THAT 1200 NUMBER IS WORLDWIDE. DOMESTICALLY, IT IS A LITTLE OVER 600. IT IS NOT GREAT. IT IS EARLY ENOUGH IN PHOENIX FOR THE OVERHEAD ANNOUNCEMENTS TO START. I WILL TRY TO START TALKING OF THAT. THIS IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME. I GOT TO THE AIRPORT. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

>> I WAS ON HOLD FOR FOUR HOURS TO GET SOMEBODY. >> Reporter: ANOTHER DAY OF MAJOR FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS IS KEEPING MILLIONS FROM THEIR SUMMER VACATIONS, OR GETTING HOME FROM THEM. AS THE STORM SLAMMED THE NORTHEAST, PROMPTING OVER 33,000 DELAYS, NEARLY 6300 CANCELLATIONS SINCE SATURDAY. >> 12 HOURS LATER, HERE WE ARE. >> Reporter: THIS FAMILIES FLIGHT FROM NEW YORK TO LOS ANGELES WAS CANCELED. THERE CAN'T SUMMER

VACATION HAS BEEN DELAYED THROUGH SATURDAY. >> I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED. I WAS LIKE, BUT I REALLY WANT TO GO. >> Reporter: THE PROBLEM DARTED OVER THE WEEKEND WITH SEVERE WEATHER HITTING MAJOR HUBS FROM COLORADO EAST, BACK TO BACK. IT SNARLED FLIGHTS MADE WORSE BY EMERGENCY REPAIRS AT AN FAA FACILITY OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON ON SUNDAY NIGHT. THAT COMES AS AGENCY DEALS WITH SHORT STAFFING. UNITED SAYS MORE

THAN 150,000 OF ITS CUSTOMERS WERE IMPACTED. IN A NOTE TO EMPLOYEES, THE AIRLINE CEO WRITES BLUNTLY, THE FAA FAILED US THIS WEEKEND. THE UNDERSTAFFING BY THE GOVERNMENT LED TO MASSIVE DELAYS, CANCELLATIONS, AND DIVERSIONS. JUST LAST MONTH, KIRBY TOLD US THAT WANT TO PUNCH WAS THE BIGGEST CONCERN FOR SUMMER. >> OTHER THAN THAT, THE WEATHER WILL BE NUMBER ONE. THE ABILITY TO RECOVER FROM WEATHER. THE OTHER

IS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.>> Reporter: THE FAA TWEETED SAYS THEY ARE REROUTING FIGHTS FROM THE STORMS. FOR SOME, FLIGHTS COULD BE DELAYED SO YOU DON'T ARRIVE WHEN A THUNDERSTORM HITS. NOW JUST DAYS FROM A SURGE OF FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY TRAVELERS, THE AIRLINES HAVE LITTLE TIME TO CATCH UP, EVEN IF THE FORECAST IMPROVES. >> FLIGHTS ARE FULL FOR THE SUMMER ANYWAY. THERE IS VERY LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM

LEFT FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THESE DISRUPTIONS TO GET WHERE THEY ARE GOING. HEAVEN HELP US IF WE HAVE ONGOING DISRUPTIONS. THAT MEANS NO ONE IS GOING ANYWHERE. >> Reporter: TO HELP TO USE THE BULK OF THE DAY TODAY TO GET THE CHESS PIECES AND THE PLACE WHERE THEY WANT THEM AHEAD OF TOMORROW AND FRIDAY. FRIDAY, THE TSA IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A RECORD-SETTING

DAY. THEY EXPECT MORE THAN 2.8 MILLION PEOPLE TO BE SCREENED AT CHECKPOINTS NATIONWIDE. THAT PUTS THEM WITHIN SPITTING DISTANCE OF THE ALL-TIME RECORD. GETTING BACK ON TRACK IS VERY KEY FOR THE AIRLINES. AS BAD AS THIS WEEK HAS BEEN, THE AIRLINES ARE COMPLETING FAR MORE FLIGHTS THAN THEY DID LAST SUMMER. THE CANCELLATION RATE IS ABOUT HALF OF WHERE WE WERE AT THIS POINT IN LAST SUMMER'S

TRAVEL SEASON. THE NUMBER OF DELAYS, THAT IS UP . NEARLY 1 IN 4 FLIGHTS HAS LEFT LATE. >> IF YOU HAVE A SHORT TRIP AND THE DELAY IS A LONG