Staff Reports
U.S. airlines are gearing up for a record-breaking holiday season, confident in their ability to manage the crowds after beefing up their staff with thousands of new pilots, flight attendants, and other workers. This strategic move aims to prevent the delays and suspensions that plagued travel last year, including the infamous Southwest Airlines debacle that left over 2 million people stranded.
Busiest holiday travel season in years is off to a smooth start with few airport delays https://t.co/t6oH1jOp8W
— WGN TV News (@WGNNews) December 22, 2023
Despite concerns about potential disruptions due to inclement weather, airlines have only canceled a paltry 1.2% of U.S. flights so far this year, the lowest rate in five years. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has emphasized that the government will hold airlines accountable for smooth operations and excellent treatment of passengers. In fact, this week the Transportation Department finalized a deal where Southwest will shell out a staggering $140 million for their meltdown last year.
On Friday, less than 40 flights were canceled nationwide in the U.S., with about 400 experiencing delays, according to FlightAware.
The auto club AAA forecasts an uptick of 2% in the number of people traveling 50 miles or more from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day, with a whopping 115 million individuals expected to hit the road.
The Transportation Security Administration anticipated screening over 2.5 million travelers on Friday, marking the busiest anticipated day for air travel this season, alongside New Year’s Day. This falls short of the record 2.9 million travelers screened on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, given that travel typically extends over both Christmas and New Year’s.
Amidst lingering economic concerns, travel has remained robust, supported by declining average gas prices and airfares. The national average gas price stood at $3.13 a gallon on Friday, a 15-cent drop from a month ago. Additionally, average airfares in October were 13% lower compared to the prior year.
According to transportation data provider INRIX, the busiest days on the road will be Saturday and next Thursday, Dec. 28.
Internationally, air travel is on the rebound, with a 31% surge in ticket sales for international arrivals to global destinations between Dec. 21 and Dec. 31 in comparison to the same period last year, as reported by travel data firm FowardKeys.
In northern Europe, inclement weather and labor unrest caused disruptions, including heavy rain, strong winds, flooding warnings on the North Sea coast, and a surprise strike by workers at the undersea tunnel between Britain and France. However, the situation is gradually improving, with passenger train services from London to continental Europe set to resume as agreements with unions are reached.
