Are Your Flights Going to Take Off on Time This Summer?

30.04.2024 - 21:13 / afar.com / Daniel Durazo

A record 4.7 billion people are expected to travel by air this summer and several factors may converge to create chaos at the country’s airports. A recent report from global travel technology company Amadeus found that “flight disruption remains above historical norms,” and the situation isn’t going to get better any time soon. According to the report, the global airline industry is still struggling with the rapid increase in demand for air travel.

“High summer 2024 travel demand, airlines over-scheduling, and staffing shortages at airports and airlines and the TSA,” can all add up to flight delays, says Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp, an organization that helps passengers claim compensation for delayed and canceled flights. However, several other factors at play could make the situation even worse. Christina Tunnah, general manager for the Americas at travel insurance provider World Nomads, explains that on top of the other challenges, flight delays and cancellations are increasing because “climate change has resulted in the rise in extreme weather” (which can create a cascade of flight disruptions) and “strikes in some of Europe’s most popular destinations have been a more frequent occurrence.”

Additionally, “aircraft shortages caused by production issues at Boeing are expected to increase the risk of delays and cancellations as well,”says Daniel Durazo, director of communications at Allianz Partners USA, which sells travel protection.

Travelers are noticing the pinch even before the busy summer travel season begins. According to Jen Moyse, vice president of product at TripIt, a recent survey conducted in March by the travel organization app showed that 48 percent of the 1,800 U.S.-based respondents experienced some sort of flight disruption, such as “having their flight delayed or canceled” in the past six months. This is an 8 percent increase over a similar survey TripIt conducted in 2023, she said.

Airlines and airports are working to minimize disruptions. However, “as the travel industry is still rebounding from the pandemic and now dealing with another major setback due to aircraft being grounded for safety,” travelers need to be prepared for “major travel meltdowns,” Pawliszyn says. After a panel blew off a Boeing 737-9 Max Alaska Airlines plane midflight, safety concerns about Boeing aircraft grounded dozens of planes. As a result of ongoing safety issues, production of some Boeing planes is being delayed. Thus, some airlines have had to scale back the number of flights they can offer this summer and beyond.

Industry experts shared their advice about how travelers can prepare for what could be significant flight disruptions this summer—and how to protect your travel plans when they do.

Trav