One family in Arizona aren't going to let Southwest airlines stop them from watching the Winter Classic in Boston on January 2.

The Maher family should have been in Boston already by now, but 'crazy' ongoing delays at Phoenix's Sky Harbour airport saw father Tim make a dramatic call: they weren't going to fly 2,571 miles from Phoenix, they were going to drive.

'We would be there to this day, them saying, 'Standby, standby, standby,' Maher told WCVB. 'I said, "It's not happening. Like, nothing's happening"'.

The family rented a truck and headed from west to east, planning to arrive in Boston on Wednesday - five days before the Boston Bruins meet the Pittsburgh Penguins at the iconic Fenway Park.

They are headed to Boston as a Christmas present for their 17-year-old son, who wanted to catch the game live and in-person.

'He said, 'The one gift I want is I want to go back to Boston for the Classic,' Maher explained. 'So we went home, quick sleep and then we started driving.

'We just want to be there, in the bleachers, it's just awesome. Boston is awesome.'

And one positive to come from it, Maher added, is family memories for a lifetime.

'Forever, truly forever,' Maher said, positively, on how long his family will remember the trip for.

It was reported on CNN that as of Wednesday morning ET, Southwest have cancelled 2500 flights and rising.

'Their system really has completely melted down,' US Transport secretary Pete Buttigieg said. 'I made clear that our department will be holding them accountable for their responsibilities to customers, both to get them through this situation and to make sure that this can't happen again.'

But while chaos rages across America's airports, attention for the Maher family can turn to hockey.

The Bruins lead the Atlantic Division with 27 wins from 34 - the best record in the NHL - while the Penguins are fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 19 from 34.