Holiday travels

I went on my first trip to Belgium and experienced the horror of Christmas holiday travels in the US. My direct flight from Brussels to Chicago was on time but the domestic flight was cancelled. AA offered no reason for the cancellation and no recourse except to be on standby for their next flight. BTW, they cancelled the last flight out too which means if you are not on the next flight, you are not getting out of Chicago till the next day. As mentioned, they offer no comfort of a hotel if you are stranded in the airport. FYI - the weather was perfect 41 deg which is uncommon for the week of Christmas. I called my sis-in-law and she drove me home in 2 hrs, after been in the airport for 7 hrs from a long 9 hr international flight. THANK YOU!!! Would I fly AA again? Probably because most of my travel are serviced by AA but I think I've learned my lesson that long layovers might not be a bad idea and allow yourself plenty of options. If you're travelling home this holiday, have safe and ontime travels, I don't want to be in your shoes.