“Nothing at LaGuardia Airport costs $ 15, but it was better than nothing,” Coursesne, who works for a DC consulting firm on K Street, told The Washington Post. “I went and got a lot of jolly launchers. I thought $ 15 would cover three family-sized packs, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Many face summer trips as tens of millions of Americans are expected to fly and drive on the weekend of July 4th.
An estimated 47.9 million travelers in the United States from Friday to Monday represent an increase of almost 4% compared to last year. AAA — Even before the coronavirus pandemic, we are approaching the level of summer travel not seen in this country. Most of these travelers are out, but more than 3.5 million are expected to fly. That is, if the flight is not delayed or canceled.
More than 3,800 flights in the US and abroad were delayed late Saturday afternoon, according to the Flight Tracking website. FlightAware.. Southwest Airlines showed a delay of flight 715 on Saturday. Data show that 20 percent of that total trip. American Airlines has shown a delay of 643 flights, accounting for 20% of total travel. According to FlightAware, Delta was 368 delayed flights, suitable for 13% of airline travel. Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport led the US airport late Saturday, followed by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
According to FlightAware, more than 2,300 flights were canceled on Saturday. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are leading US airlines with Saturday cancellations.
The turmoil on holidays is the aviation industry I swore a new focus About reliability. Weather has always been a problem for airlines, but staff shortages during the pandemic have further hindered airlines’ ability to recover from delays. Several unions representing airline workers have voiced and demonstrated to pay attention to the burden on employees. On Thursday, more than 1,200 Delta pilots and staff demonstrated at several airports extending from New York to Los Angeles, demanding higher wages.
On Saturday, the United Pilot Association, an American Airlines union, said a flaw in the scheduling software the night before could allow pilots to withdraw their quotas, resulting in a shortage of more than 12,000 flights that month. The airline said that “most of the affected trips” had recovered and had no expected impact on operations.
Travel booking app analyst hopper Domestic airfare averages $ 437 per round-trip ticket, up 45% from 2019, according to Hopper. The most popular destinations in the United States this weekend include Las Vegas, Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, and Miami.
Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel, said in a news release: “People are ready for breaks and things cost more, but they’re still finding a way to get the vacation they need.”
Still, the problem of air travel continues, even though US airlines have received billions of pandemic relief funds to keep workers working.There was hope that airlines would be ready for them when Americans were ready to fly again, especially when dubbed like a year. “Revenge trip.” More than 2.46 million people were screened last Sunday Traffic safety management Officers, the largest volume since February 11, 2020.
But tens of thousands of delays and cancellations have hurt travelers celebrating the busy June 16th and Father’s Day weekends last month. The airline and the Federal Aviation Administration have blamed each other for the turmoil of air travel.
This week, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Told Transport Secretary Pete Butigeg and the Ministry of Transport, “If you know the airline isn’t fully staffed, you’ll be fined $ 55,000 per passenger. There was a growing debate about the efficiency of air travel. “
“Americans are tired of airlines tearing them apart, canceling flights at the last minute, and delaying flights for hours,” Sanders said. Tweet..
Butigeg calling on the aviation industryTo deliver“For the Americans, he said on Saturday that his own connecting flight was canceled on Friday.A series of TweetButigeg said the traveler “is entitled to a cash refund if the flight is cancelled.”
“Initially, the airline offered 2500 miles. I estimate it’s worth about $ 30. But when I requested a refund for the canceled portion instead, it was $ 112.07.” Butigeg writes. “The airline offers miles as compensation for some travel issues, and you can often negotiate about this. It’s between you and the airline, but cash for canceled flights. You are entitled to a refund at. This is a requirement to continue. “
Airline passengers face reliability issues, but millions of people traveling on the road are still working on what they have to pay for with their pumps.
According to the national average price of 1 gallon of gas is $ 4.82 as of Saturday. AAAIt is down slightly from Friday’s average of $ 4.84. The average price for 10 states and the District of Columbia is over $ 5. With an average of $ 6.25 per gallon, California remains the nation’s leader in fuel costs.
AAA estimates that 42 million people will drive this weekend. Despite the high fuel prices, officials point out that Americans may feel more in control of their arrival by driving rather than flying.
“Vehicle travel provides the level of comfort and flexibility people are looking for given the challenges of modern flight,” says Twidale.
Courchesne admits that she is one of the lucky ones. It’s not because Delta funded her Jolly Rancher fix. After being initially told that her trip would be delayed by about 28 hours, she said a Delta help desk employee was able to book her on a Friday midnight flight to take her to Cleveland. I did. She looks forward to spending time with her grandmother and celebrating her family’s birthday, but that won’t last long. She’s already thinking about a return flight to Washington on Monday — including another transfer at LaGuardia.
“I’m trying to make fireworks in Washington, DC,” she said. “I hope it comes back a little smoother, but I don’t really plan.”
Lori Aratani, Hannah Sampson, James Bikales and Meryl Kornfield contributed to this report.