The patience of Memorial Day weekend travelers was tested Friday by widespread delays across the country, but there were relatively few canceled flights, raising hopes that airlines can handle bigger crowds expected Friday. By early evening on the East Coast, more than 6,000 flights had been delayed Thursday, with the biggest backups at the three major airports in the New York City area and Dallas-Fort Worth International.
Quick Read
- Memorial Day travelers cope with higher prices in rush to kick off summer fun:
- Travelers faced widespread flight delays across the U.S. but relatively few cancellations as Memorial Day weekend began.
- The TSA predicted nearly 3 million passengers would pass through airport checkpoints on Friday, potentially surpassing the previous record set after Thanksgiving last year.
- AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz noted that airports would be the busiest they’ve been in 20 years.
- Highways are also expected to be congested, with AAA forecasting 43.8 million people traveling at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday, 38 million of whom will be driving.
- Despite concerns about the economy, many travelers prioritized spending time with family and friends. Nene Efebo, waiting at Denver International Airport, remarked on the priceless nature of holiday gatherings.
- Some travelers experienced sticker shock when booking trips. Ciarra Marsh chose Philadelphia as a destination due to lower costs.
- Larisa Latimer at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport found her airfare reasonable but noted that other trip expenses, like rental cars and hotels, were high.
- Kathy Larko from Fort Myers, Florida, used frequent-flyer miles and flexible scheduling to manage costs, including staying farther from her destination and flying back a day later to save on hotel rates.
- Airport unions are using the holiday to push for better pay and conditions. In Charlotte, North Carolina, about 100 workers went on a 24-hour strike, demanding better pay and healthcare.
- A planned strike at JFK Airport in New York was averted after Teamsters Local 553 reached a settlement with Allied Aviation Services.
- More than 6,000 flights were delayed on Thursday, with major backups at New York City area airports and Dallas-Fort Worth International.
- The busy travel weekend may preview a hectic summer, as U.S. airlines expect to carry a record 271 million passengers between June 1 and August 31, surpassing last summer’s record of 255 million.
The Associated Press has the story:
Memorial Day travelers cope with higher prices in rush to kick off summer fun
Newslooks- (AP)
Widespread flight delays across the U.S. tested the patience of travelers who tried to get a jump start on Memorial Day weekend, but the relatively few canceled flights raised hopes that airlines would be able to handle the bigger crowds expected Friday.
The Transportation Security Administration predicted that Friday will be the busiest day for air travel over the long holiday weekend, with nearly 3 million people expected to pass through airport checkpoints. The number of passengers could rival the record of 2.9 million, set on the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year.
“Airports are going to be more packed than we have seen in 20 years,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said.
Highways also are likely to be jammed the next few days as motorists head out of town and then return home. AAA predicted this will be the busiest start-of-summer weekend in nearly 20 years, with 43.8 million people expected to roam at least 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday — with 38 million of them taking vehicles.
The annual expression of wanderlust that accompanies the start of the summer travel season is happening at a time when Americans tell pollsters they are worried about the economy and the direction of the country.
“Memorial Day is a holiday weekend. I get to hang with family and friends, so I’d say that’s priceless, right?” Nene Efebo said during a two-hour wait for a delayed flight at Denver International Airport. “Anything to hang out with family and friends.”
Some travelers reported experiencing sticker shock when they booked their trips. Upon arriving at Philadelphia International Airport, Ciarra Marsh said the city “was not our original destination, but we chose here because it was cheaper.”
At Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, Larisa Latimer of New Lenox, Illinois, said her airfare was reasonable but other expenses for a getaway to New Orleans were not.
“I just have to make the accommodation,” she said. “The rental car is up … this year, the hotel accommodations were very unusually expensive.”
Kathy Larko of Fort Myers, Florida, used frequent-flyer miles — and some flexible scheduling — to pay for her trip to Chicago.
“I’m really conscious of looking at the cost of the entire trip. We’re staying a little farther out than we normally would” to get a lower hotel rate, she said. “We’re also flying back a day later, because we could get cheaper miles.”
Airport unions are using the holiday weekend to highlight their demands.
About 100 workers who clean airplane cabins and drive trash trucks at the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, started a 24-hour strike Thursday, demanding better pay and healthcare, according to the Service Employees International Union. About 15% of flights were delayed, but it was unclear whether the strike played any role.
A planned strike at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York was averted, however. Teamsters Local 553, which represents about 300 workers who refuel passenger and cargo jets at JFK, said that it reached a settlement with Allied Aviation Services and called off a walkout planned for Friday.
“We are happy an agreement has been reached, a need for a strike averted, and we are hopeful that the deal will be ratified by our members,” said Demos Demopoulos, the secretary-treasurer of the local.
More than 6,000 flights were delayed Thursday by early evening on the East Coast, with the biggest backups at the three major airports in the New York City area and Dallas-Fort Worth International.
The weekend’s highway traffic and crowded airports could be a sample of what is to come. U.S. airlines expect to carry a record number of passengers this summer. Their trade group estimates that 271 million travelers will fly between June 1 and August 31, breaking the record of 255 million set – you guessed it – last summer.
