Countries on both sides of the Atlantic are seeing a slew of canceled flights due to lack of crew, long lines at airports thanks to understaffing, and the kind of rates for rental cars that make buying a vehicle look cheap.
That's, in part, because everyone has the same idea as you -- only this week, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian announced that March 2022 had been the carrier's best month for sales in its history.In the US, things have been brewing for the past year, as domestic travel has taken off again.
"It's everyone's fault except their own. If they took a good look in the mirror they'd realize that during the pandemic they downsized and laid staff off, and now demand has come surging back and they're caught off guard. They haven't been able to staff up fast enough to meet demand." On February 26, a"systems disruption" saw the airline ground all shorthaul flights. It was the second IT failure in 10 days, and followed similar issues in 2017 and 2018.
And the chaos is only getting worse. Stansted airport, budget carrier Ryanair's hub outside London, on Thursday advised passengers traveling for the Easter break to drop their luggage off a full 24 hours before their flight. "I chose BA instead of low-cost companies because I was sure that services for travelers was better," he says."I found out that this is no longer the case."
Brexit is, of course, a famously divisive topic in the UK, with many who opposed it ascribing the country's current problems to the UK's exit from the EU. Sandhu also blames yo-yoing travel restrictions which led to employers using staff on an"as and when needed" basis rather than giving them regular work -- leading to more and more leaving the industry.
With reports of physical fights breaking out, passengers passing out in queues and thousands of travelers having their flights canceled every day, many will decide to put that post-pandemic trip to London on ice.Not everyone is so downbeat. We need to keep perspective, says Courtney Miller, managing director of analysis at The Air Current.
When an industry is down to the bones, he says, an unexpected problem -- like the storms in Florida last weekend, which saw JetBlue and Spirit ground flights --"really hits." "European markets haven't yet gone through that extreme shortage, but this summer is going to be very, very telling as passengers return.""I think it's endemic to the human spirit to go out and see things," says Zane Kerby, president of the American Society of Travel Advisors.
He warns that booking your flight isn't enough this year, and flags the rental car situation as another major pinch point. It didn't used to be like this -- high availability meant that car hire prices rarely saw the same holiday hikes as flights. But consider this the new normal -- at least, for now.
"You can always cancel and rebook at a lower rate if prices drop, but can't turn back the clock and book the rate you saw months prior." He also thinks we may be pleasantly surprised as the weather improves and Covid infections predictably drop. Decreasing rates won't bring in new staff, of course, but they will help the record staff sickness levels.So what should we be doing to give ourselves the best chance of skipping the chaos?In the US, if an airline cancels your flight, it's obliged to find another way of getting you to your destination -- although there's no time limit on when that should be.
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Airlines are slashing flights due to staffing shortage: 'The summer will be chaos'Countries on both sides of the Atlantic are seeing a slew of canceled flights due to lack of crew, long lines at airports thanks to understaffing, and the kind of rates for rental cars that make buying a vehicle look cheap.
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Airlines are slashing flights due to staffing shortage: 'The summer will be chaos'Countries on both sides of the Atlantic are seeing a slew of canceled flights due to lack of crew, long lines at airports thanks to understaffing, and the kind of rates for rental cars that make buying a vehicle look cheap.
Leer más »
'The summer will be chaos.' Airlines are slashing flights due to staffing shortageCountries on both sides of the Atlantic are seeing a slew of canceled flights due to lack of crew, long lines at airports thanks to understaffing, and the kind of rates for rental cars that make buying a vehicle look cheap.
Leer más »
'The summer will be chaos.' Airlines are slashing flights due to staffing shortageCountries on both sides of the Atlantic are seeing a slew of canceled flights due to lack of crew, long lines at airports thanks to understaffing, and the kind of rates for rental cars that make buying a vehicle look cheap.
Leer más »
'The summer will be chaos.' Airlines are slashing flights due to staffing shortageCountries on both sides of the Atlantic are seeing a slew of canceled flights due to lack of crew, long lines at airports thanks to understaffing, and the kind of rates for rental cars that make buying a vehicle look cheap.
Leer más »
Summer Travel Forecast: Plenty Of Flight Delays And Cancellations, With Higher AirfaresTake huge pent-up demand, add higher fuel prices and airline staff shortages, and you've got a recipe for increased disruptions and higher prices.
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