Travel chaos continues in the United States as airlines canceled another 8,000 flights over the past week. Staff shortages, turbulent weather and luggage problems plague travelers from coast to coast.
One passenger experienced a delay of more than 14 hours. After waiting in a two-hour line to attempt to rent a car from the airport, the passenger learned that the rental agency sold out.
Adding to the delays, airport staff created handwritten boarding passes and luggage tags because of system-wide technical issues.
Passengers dealing with delays note that the airlines have not paid for hotels or alternate travel arrangements. Rental cars, overnight stays, meals and more add to the traveler’s costs.
The airline responded to the passenger’s complaint, noting that federally required crew rest time and weather impacted the flight. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned airlines that his department could take legal action if airlines do not provide more transparency about the flight disruptions.
Related: U.S. Airlines Plan To Cancel 30,000 Flights Just Before Winter Holiday Travel Season
After two years of not going anywhere, Americans hoped for a back-to-normal summer, autumn and holiday season for 2022. In reality, delays, technology problems and insufficient airport and airline staffing have shattered those dreams.
In an analysis of canceled and delayed flights, inclement weather caused fewer than 1% of the issues. Short staffing and malfunctioning airline technology systems accounted for a vast majority of the problems.
Travel in the US tends to slow in late summer through mid-autumn, but pent-up demand persists among people who are ready to visit family and friends after two and one-half years of going nowhere.