Tampa International Airport buzzed with holiday travelers today as more than 100 flights faced delays and several were canceled during the Christmas travel rush. But for some families, the long waits were worth every minute as t hey welcomed home loved ones who had been away for months.Tampa Bay 28 reporter Annette Gutierrez witnessed one of those heartwarming reunions between military service members and their families at the busy airport. Stephanie Jolly had been anticipating this moment for months as she waited to see her nephew return home from Army basic training."Today we're here to see their son, my nephew, and he's coming in from the army," Jolly said.Payton Suggs left for basic training with the Army back in June and hadn't been home since. His friend Reese Kingan was also returning from their station in Virginia for about two weeks of holiday leave."Oh, we're excited and we can't wait. We miss him so much. He's such a joy," Jolly said. "It's wonderful on holidays." The soldiers weren't alone in their journey home. AAA expects a record 122.4 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more through Jan. 1.While getting to the airport was smooth for Jolly and her family, the skies presented challenges for the returning service members."The parking lot was a little full, we found one though and came right in, and it was so easy to get right here where we're at," Jolly said.Like many travelers, Suggs and Kingan faced significant delays. Tampa International Airport saw more than 100 delayed flights and at least seven cancellations."We were originally supposed to get here around 10 o'clock this morning but it's now 3:30 pm," Kingan said after their delay of more than five hours. When Suggs finally made it through arrivals, he walked straight into the arms of his waiting family in an emotional reunion."I don't think words can describe if I'm being honest. It was - it's just seeing their faces after that long is something else," Suggs said.This marked the longest time Suggs had ever been away from his family."I'm not a very emotional person - you can probably tell by the clip - but I'm happy to be back," Suggs said. Kingan had his own surprise planned for his family in Seminole."My family don't even know I'm here yet," Kingan said.But before another reunion, both soldiers had immediate priorities on their minds."I'm getting Chick fil A immediately," Suggs said. "I'm going to my favorite pizza place that I used to go," Kingan added.Airports are expected to remain busy through the rest of the year. AAA recommends planning ahead, checking flight status, and packing patience for holiday travel. ...read more read less