Geez. I had no idea this happened. I flew in from Hong Kong on China Airlines Christmas Day, but I usually go Cathay simply because I think it's the best when you factor in price and services. I didn't know they had a habit of stranding people on runways for 11 hours or so...
Thankfully, my flight managed to get in without a problem. After 5 hours from Hong Kong to Beijing and another 12 from Beijing to JFK, 11 hours waiting next to the gate would have really pissed me off.
Still, with my only goal being to actually be home for Christmas dinner, I can't believe I actually booked a flight that was supposed to arrive Christmas Day around noon, not taking into consideration problems like "well what if it snows?"