More than 19,000 flights have been delayed and almost 3,000 more have been cancelled since Sunday in the United States, continuing the summer travel woes.
According to FlightAware, roughly a quarter of flights operated by American airlines have experienced delays this summer. Nearly an hour has been spent waiting on average.
Paul Thompson’s journey from Los Angeles to New York took three days due to bad weather, airline, and air traffic control staffing shortages.
“It’s quite annoying. You know, you can’t trust anything “said Thompson.
Joby Palathinkal, his wife, and their little child were unable to leave New York to go to Tampa.
He said, “Delayed another hour, delayed another hour.” The same thing is occurring once again as of today.
Airlines began deploying cots for delayed travellers in Denver as a result of cancellations.
A separate issue occurred on an Alaska Airlines aircraft from Seattle to San Diego when the plane’s engine cover tore off before takeoff on Monday. Nobody was hurt.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CBS News, “We are still seeing far, far too many delays and cancellations,” adding that he believes airlines should be held to a higher standard.
Last week, Buttigieg wrote to airlines and criticised their performance. Airlines claim that in an effort to stay up, they have boosted employment and decreased flights.
It doesn’t take as long to qualify someone for a contact centre job as it does for the cockpit, according to Buttigieg. “Passengers need to understand their rights clearly,” says the airline.
The Transportation Department intends to make explicit what kind of accommodations each American airline offers for delays and cancellations on a website that will go live soon. The government is also completing new rules that will call for reimbursements in the event of protracted delays or severe schedule modifications.