Travel nightmare across the northeast as severe weather causes hundreds of flight cancellations and delays

• Severe weather caused travel disruptions across the northeast. • Weather disruptions are common in US air travel, often causing delays and cancellations. • Airlines prioritize safety, learning from past incidents to avoid flying in hazardous weather.

A Delta flight from LaGuardia to Detroit turned into a quiet cheering match on Thursday — one group hoping for takeoff, the other hoping to return to the gate.

Delta flight 1122 was still being described as on time when boarding began around 12:15 p.m. But amid torrential rain and whipping winds, passengers spent around three hours slowly crawling along the airport taxiways.

Business Insider editor in chief Jamie Heller was onboard and described the scene like a "sports showdown" on the airplane.

For Heller, retreat was the better op