Travelers are getting hit with delays at U.S. airports again early Wednesday, an ominous sign heading into the long July 4 holiday weekend, which is shaping up as the biggest test yet for airlines that are struggling to keep up with surging numbers of passengers.
People are also reading… About 6,500 flights were delayed and about 1,900 canceled on the East Coast Tuesday. United Airlines, with a major hub in Newark, New Jersey, canceled about 500 flights or 18% of its schedule, and JetBlue canceled 16% of its flights, according to FlightAware.Travel has picked up steadily every year since bottoming out during the pandemic and on Tuesday, the number of people flying neared 2.
When their United flight in Newark was canceled Sunday night, Margo and Jason Osborne searched for other flights but couldn't find one. Margo said a United agent wouldn't let them retrieve their bags either – they would have to pick those up at their final destination, New Orleans — then"made me feel like an idiot" for leaving needed medical supplies in a checked bag.
The Osbornes rented a car — they felt lucky to snag one — and drove 10 hours through the night to Charlotte, North Carolina, to catch an American Airlines flight to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, close to home. Their luggage finally got to New Orleans on Tuesday. "We estimate that over 150,000 customers on United alone were impacted this weekend because of FAA staffing issues and their ability to manage traffic," Kirby wrote in a memo to employees Tuesday night.