Airlines Keep Cancelling Flights – Holiday Travel Should Be Interesting

If there is one thing that has come roaring back since the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down it's travel. People were locked down for so long that when people started feeling safe enough to fly, they took to the friendly skies in huge numbers. The problem is that, like with so many industries post-COVID, supply chain issues and staffing issues have really wreaked havoc with the travel industry. The airline industry has been especially hard hit and it has shown in the numbers of cancelled and delayed flights all summer long.

American Airlines and Spirit Airlines faced cancellations and delays, some of which were caused by the weather, but some that were caused by a lack of crew members. Airlines also cut costs almost immediately at the beginning of the pandemic by buying out contracts or laying off employees in order to stay afloat. Now that things are ramping back up, vaccination mandates are keeping a lot of airline employees on the ground because they don't want to get the shot.

What does that mean for you if you are flying right now or in the future during the holidays? Travel experts say that you need to keep a close eye on your travel plans and flights. Just because you have a ticket reservation or even a paid for ticket doesn't mean you will necessarily have a flight.

Experts say that you could be stranded for days if your flight gets cancelled and you'll need to know your rights for how to book another flight on the same carrier or how to get your money so you can try to book on another airline. They say to make sure you read the fine print about that before you buy your ticket to fly. They also suggest that you give yourself a day or two buffer before going back to work in case you need that time to get home. Sounds like maybe driving to your destination might be easier.