Warnings signs over the last week suggest that the busy summer travel season is shaping up to be even more rocky than last year in terms of airline operational performance. Brace yourselves for a summer of travel misery.
The Ultimate Summer Of Travel Misery Is Coming: How To Prepare
Last fall, optimism abounded that 2022 would mark a banner year of recovery for the worldwide airline industry. Even when the omicron variant broke and the world punitively reacted to it, bookings for spring and summer 2022 remained strong.
Enthusiastic airlines, looking to make up for lost ground, loaded ambitious schedules that relied upon many assumptions including hiring more staff and even the wether cooperating.
But over the last few weeks we’ve seen that the U.S. airline industry often resembles a house of cards more than a house built upon a rock.
Seasonal storms in Florida led to a mini-meltdown at JetBlue last weekend. We’ve seen American Airlines and Southwest Airlines cancel hundreds of flights at the last minute and Spirit Airlines also was forced to cancel over a quarter of its flights last weekend (though it was a far cry from its near-collapse last summer). Even Delta and United have not been immune, particularly when it comes to flights operated by SkyWest, a regional partner for both carriers.
Chronic pilot shortages continue to adversely impact operations, with SkyWest now in a near-impossible position as it seeks to scale back schedules but has been denied doing so by U.S. regulators.
> Read More: U.S. DOT Forbids SkyWest From Ending Service To 29 Cities
My point is not to scare you, but to help prepare you. I predict this summer is going to be a mess, with frequent reports of delays, cancellations, and even meltdowns. Even as carriers attempt to proactively reduce schedules in order to leave slack for inevitable storms and other complications, it really is not enough.
And there’s another issue: the latest strain of coronavirus, though not lethal, is fairly contagious and we’ve seen a surge in sick calls relating to COVID-19. Sadly, even as the pandemic morphs into an endemic, COVID-19 will be with us for a very long time.
Flexibility Is Key – My Tips For Dealing With Summer Travel Delays
Vacations can be particularly difficult in the USA. With limited vacation time, every minute matters and there is often little room for error to squeeze a vacation out of a limited period away from work.
Even so, the best thing you can ever do to take control of your travel experience is to be flexible and recognize that delays will occur. When you plan for it in advance, it even becomes more manageable (at least emotionally) when inevitable delays or cancellations occur. That’s often half the battle.
Many of you will face “irregular operations” this summer that will delay your flights. When that happens, your first objective should be to get yourself rebooked immediately.
Picture the game like that of musical chairs. Flight will run full this summer, as they historically do, and when one flight cancels and everyone is booted off, there is a mad rush for those remaining chairs on other flights. Some are inevitably left out.
Keep a close eye on your flights and ensure you have the latest version of your airlines’ mobile app installed. When disaster strikes, this will position you to rebook yourself most quickly if the system does not do so for you.
Those who wait on the phone or wait in line at airports may find their options more limited or their waiting times for their next flight much longer.
Second, once you are re-booked, don’t stop checking. Delays or cancellations essentially make your ticket, even if restricted, fully flexible. Book whatever you can get, but you can improve upon it, many times even, based upon dynamic space that opens and shuts with surprising frequency.
If you are booked to your destination on a connecting flight and encounter a delay or cancellation, use such an event to push to be rebooked on a nonstop flight. Some airlines will still even book you on other airlines. It does not hurt to ask.
CONCLUSION
I’m not optimistic this will be a smooth summer of air travel. Quite the contrary, I think it will be even worse than last year. Even so, you can prepare for it by adding padding to your schedule, when possible, and moving quickly with the technological tools available to you when your flight is delayed or canceled.
Remember, take what you can get and improve upon it – better to have a rebooked itinerary that is not ideal than no itinerary at all. Most of all, expect the worst and hopefully be surprised!
Yup, always have a plan B. And IRROPS is also where having status, being in F, familiarity with how to check options on your laptop and apps, and access to a lounge (including the lounge agents – if they don’t get rid of those this summer) can make the difference. I am hoping this expected meltdown stays more in the domestic flying than international.
I am now in the habit of booking longer layovers wherever I can. I think more than 50% of my domestic flights during the pandemic have been delayed, mostly because of “waiting on crew/pilot”.
@ Matthew — Book longer layovers and foreign carriers.
Booking realistic layovers is a key point. I’m always blown away when I see AA offer a 36 min layover at CLT for a regional to mainline connection that will mean a 20 min hike from E to B or UA offer a 65 minute international to domestic layover at ORD or EWR where the transfer will require clearing immigration, changing terminals, and going back through security. These connections are a challenge for experienced travelers who know where they’re going and have Global Entry / PreCheck / Clear but are virtually impossible for a family with kids who have none of those things and aren’t familiar with the airports in question. Nobody wants to sit in an airport for hours, but giving yourself enough time to reasonably change planes (particularly in the event of a delay) is a key to travel stress reduction.
@Doug, Completely agree, before retiring in 2018 I used to book air travel with atleast a 3 hour layover, even domestic thru ATL. Build in some buffer time, catch a meal, get the body moving through some quick walking exercise, less stress/worry etc. I could not believe when reviewing the available flights, 30 minute layovers were even offered, and presumably attempted by some people.
“Some airlines will still even book you on other airlines. It does not hurt to ask.” But of course that would require you to either hang on the phone or stand in line to talk to an agent. I’m also not sure that all airline apps are equally easy to use when rebooking a flight. I suspect you have more experience with that than I do.
I flew UA on 3/3/2012 and it wasn’t as bad as predicted. I thought the Summer of 2019 on AA was much worse in the blogosphere than it was in the air. I am concerned; however, how many claims Chase intends to keep paying out in their travel insurance. Amex restricts it to 2 a year. I’m worried Chase’s generosity may be coming to an end soon.
Thankfully many air carriers have started pricing their nonstops more favorably than before, I haven’t taken a domestic flight this year, yet, where I’ve had to connect and I only have 2 upcoming that do. Much as this makes it harder to hit Alaska’s 24-segment minimum, it’s certainly made for an easier experience end-to-end
I’m dancing with the devil this June. AUS-SFO-SIN. AUS-SFO w/UA is a separate ticket than on SQ for SFO-SIN. However, I know I can through check my bag and also have a 5 hour layover built in. Fingers crossed this goes off without a hitch.
Looks like another year of avoiding the USA is on the cards- it will probably be spring 2024 before I get to visit my friends in NYC and SFO.
You shouldn’t let fear-mongering articles like this dissuade you from visiting your friends in the United States.
Especially since there have been daily news stories about meltdowns at LHR, MAN, AMS, etc.
LHR T2 is fine. Flying BA is a miserable experience at the best of times (though I am told you may have some luck on a good day if you are British, have the right middle-class accent and fly in F), so I definitely won’t be flying from T5 soon! Everything else is working more or less well- maybe with ye exception of closed showers in some lounges.
I am not ‘fearing’ anything, just postponing my visit and prioritising other destinations in order to minimise the potential for hassle.
You write: When that happens, your first objection should be to get yourself rebooked immediately
While I dont disagree with the goal of what you’re writing, the word “objection” just doesnt seem appropriate or anywhere near accurate in this context. Perhaps you meant “objective” or even “priority”. But “Objection” is an entirely different word with a definition that has nothing to do with the actions you are describing in this sentence.
Yawn
LOL your “objective” in life should be to go get one.
Simply put, the airlines took the PPP money and lined their pockets, Furloughs, canceling training for pilots and more. Its a disgrace how people are being treated , flight cancels on a Sunday , they feel its ok for a Thursday return , heaven forbid they add capacity when they fail . Fares are at an all time high and service at an all time low , and Scott Cutbacks Kirby of United should ride in a 5 hour United first class flight with minimal ( still) dinner service , NO snacks , one fly by , for the crew and fares have tripled from 2019 . We are in for a long summer , tough for those who have to fly
You have nothing to fear but fear itself…except for a false positive Covid test from an illegal testing site in a foreign country.
The greatest barrier to international travel right now is Biden’s mandate that we buy fake negative Covid tests in foreign countries just to be allowed to return home. The Guatemala CIty airport sells guaranteed negative Covid tests…for a fee.
The Summer of Freedom is the way I view the next months. Maybe it’s because I love people. I look forward to joining millions of others in travel revenge.
If I get stuck and have to spend an extra night in Riga, Guatemala City, or Aukland, I still prefer that over being stuck for months on end at home in a Soul Crushing Covid Fear Loop.
I fear your asinine fear-mongering. We don’t live in China, at no time was the military called into close all access roads to any major city or to prohibit people from traveling. No one except basement dwelling morons stuck on fake news should have felt like they were forced to stay at home for months on end.
Got to agree with your take on the testing mandate, it’s so phoney it’s ridiculous. Someone somewhere is making a healthy profit. Canada just dropped this entry requirements and I don’t see what difference it’s going to make from a health perspective.
My tip: extra money! If you budget extra money for trips, then you can fly non stop, plus, it will be a lot easier when things go wrong, such as buying a new ticket, paying for a hotel room, renting a car, eating a good meal, etc. With money on hand, things will definitely be smoother!
Funny.
I’ve taken around 50 flights since January 1st (7 alone last week) and I have to agree with the sentiment of this article, every week it gets a bit more hectic. Just a month ago many flights here in Canada were half full or less, now completely overbooked. I suspect it’s largely down to still a greatly reduced schedule which doesn’t look like it will be fixing itself with the severe labor shortages there is. My US flights have been rammed since I started flying again in September last year so no real difference here apart from in the airports, I couldn’t comprehend the security lines in MSP a month back and DEN last week South Security was unbelievable. Thank goodness for priority lanes. Unfortunately I am not eligible for precheck as I have only lived in Canada less than a year (originally Europe)