Angry Holiday Fliers Finally Take Off

The dozens of would-be travelers expected a Christmas of sun and surf in Hawaii. Instead, they got chilly drizzle, two canceled flights for mechanical problems and a visit from police before their plane finally left for the islands--two days late. There were heated words Monday after the second flight cancellation, and police were called to calm the passengers down, but no one was arrested, said Bob Parker, a spokesman for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. “It’s not illegal to be an unhappy customer,” Parker said. Passengers who had been waiting since Sunday for a flight on Hawaiian Airlines were given $200 ticket vouchers and a free round-trip ticket to the islands, said a company spokesman.