seller says nearly 49 million of those will travel by car, and 4.5 million will fly between Wednesday and Sunday.“We did have a challenging summer,” said Pinkerton, whose group speaks for members including American, United and Delta. She said that airlines have pared their schedules and hired thousands of workers — they now have more pilots than before the pandemic. “As a result, we're confident that the week is going to go well.
Airlines continue to blame flight disruptions on shortages of air traffic controllers, especially in Florida, a major holiday destination. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has disputed such claims, saying that the vast majority of delays and cancellations are caused by the airlines themselves. “There’s a lot more hustle and bustle,” says Corliss King, a Chicago-based flight attendant for Southwest Airlines. “We’re on high alert for unruly behavior” – airlines have filed 8,000 reports of disruptive passengers over the past two years – “but I’m hoping that people will pack their patience and it will translate into less-stressful holiday travel.”