By some measures, air travelers have enjoyed a less stressful summer than last year, but canceled flights remain elevated as airlines face their last big test of the major holiday season: Labor Day weekend.
The Federal Aviation Administration predicts that this will be the third busiest holiday weekend of the year so far, behind only the Juneteenth weekend, which includes Father’s Day, and the President’s Day holiday.
Hurricane Idalia should move away from the Atlantic Coast as most vacationers get in cars or head to the airport.
Airlines canceled several dozen flights in Florida and Georgia scheduled for Thursday but very few on Friday, according to tracking service FlightAware.
Tampa International Airport said it will resume normal operations including flights departing early Thursday.
Travelers can check the conditions of where they are traveling on the FAA website.
The FAA predicts that this will be the third busiest holiday weekend of the year so far. AP
Thursday figures to be the busiest day in US airspace, with 52,203 flights scheduled, followed by 49,111 flights on Friday, according to the FAA.
After a pause on Saturday and Sunday, flights are scheduled to fly again on Monday and Tuesday.
That number includes airlines, military and some private flights.
Several dozen flights were canceled in Florida and Georgia scheduled for Thursday, according to tracking service FlightAware. AP
The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen more than 14 million passengers from Friday to Wednesday, up nearly 11% on the same weekend last year.
AAA said bookings for domestic travel — flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises — ran 4% higher than Labor Day last year.
The car club and insurance seller said international bookings are up a staggering 44% now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, with the top destinations being Vancouver, Rome, London, Dublin and Paris.
Travelers line up at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX on Aug. 30, 2023. AP
Gasoline prices are the same as last year. The nationwide average was $3.83 a gallon on Wednesday, one cent less than a year ago, AAA reported.
On many planes this weekend, every seat is expected to be filled, capping a busy summer season.
American Airlines expects to carry nearly 3.5 million passengers on about 32,000 flights between Thursday and next Tuesday.
Flight attendants and travelers walk through the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX on Aug. 30, 2023, in Los Angeles. AP
United Airlines is predicting its biggest Labor Day weekend yet, with nearly 2.8 million passengers over the same six-day period.
TSA figures show that the number of travelers passing through US airport checkpoints in August was 2% higher than in August 2019, before the outbreak.
The good news for travelers is that the rate of canceled flights is down about 19% from last summer, according to data from tracking service FlightAware.
Travelers move in and out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX on August 30, 2023, in Los Angeles. AP
Still, the 1.8% cancellation rate since June 1 is higher than during the same period in 2019, and flight delays are more common than last summer.
Weather has accounted for about three-quarters of all airline delays this year, according to the FAA, but at other times the volume of flights is too much for the FAA’s air traffic control centers, which are mostly understaffed.
Travelers have enjoyed some respite from last year’s soaring airfares.
Average fares for domestic flights in July were down 9% from June and 19% from last July, according to the government’s consumer price index.
However, the sample index is skewed towards discount airlines — the largest airlines have reported that their prices are closer to 2022 levels.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
