Travelzoo Editor-in-Chief Gabe Saglie discusses flight protections for travelers in the event of cancellation or delay on ‘Cavuto: Coast to Coast’.
Hundreds of flights were delayed on major US carriers ahead of the Labor Day holiday.
According to the cancellation tracker FlightAware, there were 2,000 delays in, to or from the US on Saturday, as well as 118 cancellations.
That total includes 567 delayed Southwest Airlines flights, 256 on American Airlines, 185 on Delta Air Lines, 129 on JetBlue Airways and 165 on United Airlines.
These delays come because the American Automobile Association predicts that about 32% of Americans will travel this Labor Day weekend.
LABOR DAY HOLIDAY AIRCRAFT COST 20% MORE THIS YEAR, REPORT SAYS
FILE PHOTO: A Southwest Airlines plane flies past the United States Capitol before landing at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, US, January 24, 2022. (REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo/Reuters Photos)
The federation predicts that this will be its busiest Labor Day travel weekend in three years, reaching pre-pandemic status, according to Fox Weather.
After months of frustrating cancellations and delays, the Department of Transportation announced Thursday that it had launched an airline customer service dashboard, resulting in “significant changes” of all but one of the top ten U.S. carriers.
An electronic arrival board shows a canceled Southwest Airlines flight from Philadelphia to travelers at Denver International Airport as the Labor Day holiday approaches Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022 in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski/AP Newsroom)
“Passengers deserve transparency and clarity about what to expect from an airline in the event of a cancellation or disruption,” said Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices and make informed decisions.”
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“The ministry will continue to support passengers and hold airlines accountable for meeting their customer obligations,” he promised.
Cancellations last summer have been attributed to staff shortages, particularly among airline pilots.
Travelers line up at the southern security checkpoint at Denver International Airport as the Labor Day holiday approaches Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022 in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski/AP Newsroom)
While federal officials have blamed airline understaffing, airlines have pointed to staffing problems at the Federal Aviation Administration.
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The number of cancellations has increased by about a third from the same time in 2019.
The number of delayed flights has increased by almost a quarter.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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