instead of keeping you waiting. >> been extremely frustrating, chaotic, and headache-inducing to travel during christmas this year. >> airlines have drastically cut back on the number of reservation agents. continental has cut one-third of its call center staff this year. that means there are 600 fewer workers at continental answering the phones. the slow pace of recovery from the blizzard has angered many folks here in new york. the city's usually take-charge mayor is now admitting mistakes were in fact made, especially when it came to emergency medical response. linsey davis has that story. >> reporter: the massive snowfall put new york's emergency response to the test. for too many, like linda noel, it failed. do you think that had the roads been plowed it would have saved your dad's life? >> could have. you know. i don't know. but he wasn't given a fighting chance. >> reporter: linda says her father became violently ill. she started calling 911 at the height of the blizzard and initially couldn't get through on the phones. then it took ems two hours to get through the snow-covered streets. >> they kept saying, we can only help him if we get him to a hospital, we need to do that. so we said, why not?