Travel chaos continued for tens of thousands of people over the July 4 weekend. As of this morning, more than 350 flights have been canceled and more than 1,200 more delayed, shattering holiday plans.
The busiest travel day of the weekend was Friday, but huge crowds are expected through Tuesday, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The number of Americans traveling by air for the July 4 holiday is expected to reach 25 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time in four years.
On Sunday morning, there were about 500 flights in, to or from the United States that have already been canceled today. An additional 2,234 flights have been delayed so far.
The chaos began ahead of the holiday weekend as storms began to batter the Northeast and parts of the Midwest, leading to massive delays and cancellations to and from airports in the New York area.
Stranded passengers have reported sleeping at the airport and standing in line for hours while trying to rebook their flights, with some saying they had to wait several days for their checked luggage.
Travel chaos continued for tens of thousands of people over the July 4 weekend as hundreds of flights were canceled and more than 1,000 delayed this morning
ATLANTA: Stranded passengers have reported sleeping at the airport and standing in line for hours while trying to rebook their flights, with some saying they had to wait several days for their checked luggage
The massive debacle also comes about a week after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned of impending travel disruptions due to a July 1 5G service boost that U.S. wireless companies plan to implement.
US aircraft not modified to withstand interference from the new 5G wireless signals may not be allowed to land in low visibility conditions.
Many who took to social media this weekend outraged about their travel experiences called on Buttigieg to do something.
Bree Hocking reported that he had three cancellations and was stuck at the Denver airport with no accommodations.
“It’s 4:30 a.m. at the Denver airport. Cleaners are about now. I have had 3 cancellations since Thursday. multiple delays. and no accommodation. @united this is unacceptable. do it better. @SecretaryPete @nytimes.’
Another tweet from Hocking read, “Sunrise at Denver airport. There’s no such thing as beauty sleep here. No wink. Thank you @United for a truly miserable start to the holiday weekend. Compensate and take care of your passengers. @SecretaryPete @nytimes.’
NEW YORK CITY: People wait in line Friday at JFK International Airport security
CHICAGO: The number of Americans traveling by air for the July 4 holiday is expected to reach 25 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time in four years
Bree Hocking tweeted about three Denver Airport cancellations without accommodations
Brian Sims, a public policy and civil rights activist who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 182nd district from 2013 to 2022, shared a series of tweets about his experience with American Airlines and how he got help from United instead.
‘IT IS OVER! More than 24 hours later, 3 cities, and experiencing @AmericanAir’s predatory scheduling practices up close and center, it took @united to actually get me home. I’ll follow up as I learn more from American, but I’m thankful for the support. Don’t fly American Air,” he wrote hours after his ordeal.
On Day 2 of his ordeal, Sims wrote that “American Airlines made this the worst flying experience of my adulthood.”
Sims also tweeted advice for his fellow passengers: “TRAVEL ADVICE: Learn from my mistake. The only customer service travelers get from @American is in response to public messages. That’s frustrating. If you have poor service, no service, or ongoing issues with American, please post publicly and also tag @FAANews.”
Brian Sims, a public policy and civil rights activist, shared a series of tweets about his experience with American Airlines and how he got help from United instead
WASHINGTON DC: Delayed travelers wait for air traffic to resume at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend in Arlington
SALT LAKE CITY: Travelers walk through the crowds at the airport in Salt Lake amid hundreds of delays
Travelers in a United Airlines check in line for the holiday weekend in Atlanta
The controversial United Airlines is offering 30,000 free air miles those who were forced to spend nights in airports and those who did not reach their destination at all.
On top of hundreds of cancellations and delays last week, United also tried to save face after it emerged that the airline’s CEO, Scott Kirby, was flying privately from New York to Denver while paying customers slept on the airport floors.
“Getting a private jet was the wrong decision because it was insensitive to our customers waiting to go home,” Kirby said in a statement from the airline.
Passengers were unimpressed, with one tweeting a screenshot of his $10 million salary — significantly more than Delta or American Airlines CEOs.
In a letter to those hardest hit by this week’s chaos, Chief Customer Officer Linda Jojo said, “I know this week has been tough. Really bad weather, air traffic control issues and some of our own operational challenges led to a rough experience for you and many of our customers.
“Providing these miles is the right thing to do. After all, you put your trust in us and expect more,” added Jojo.
United has not said how many people will receive the miles.
Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines. His airline is offering miles as an apology to passengers stranded this week
Passengers have been given 30,000 free flight miles for trying to get them to fly
Some travelers were told on Monday they may not be able to board flights until Thursday
On Saturday, Kirby said the airline plans to make changes to flight operations to avoid weather-related disruptions ahead of July 4 holiday travel.
“As we work to control the things that are within our control, we also need to plan better against the things that are beyond our control so that we can recover faster,” Kirby said in a note. .
Last month, United canceled about 19 percent of its scheduled flights as thunderstorms and equipment failures at a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facility in Washington caused significant delays for air travelers on the U.S. East Coast.
About 26,000 flights were delayed by all airlines over a weekend in June after thunderstorms swept through parts of the US, according to data from flight monitoring service FlightAware. Kirby last week blamed the FAA for recent flight cancellations.
United Airlines is also working with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to get more gates, Kirby said, adding that the company would need to further modify or shorten its schedule to give itself more reserve gates and buffer, especially during storm season .
“Airlines can plan for things like hurricanes, sub-zero temperatures and snow storms, but United has never seen an extensive restricted work environment like we saw in Newark this past week,” Kirby said in a note to staff.