PHOENIX – flight cancellations have become a frequent topic lately. Many travelers had to change their plans or were stranded at Sky Harbor Airport.
“We stood at the ticket booth and then went to get our luggage. Then we just checked our app to see what flights we were going to make – tried to book hotels, tried to find out all the shuttles. Can we get a rental car? Can we get another flight? ” says Jennifer Fulkerson, Traveler.
Southwest Airlines moved Jennifer Fulkerson’s flight back to Colorado Springs two days later.
“They just booked it for us and said we’d be home on Saturday, so there wasn’t much of a choice,” says Fulkerson.
Sky Harbor reported 31 canceled flights and more than 100 delays on Thursday alone.
Both Southwest Airlines and American Airlines made headlines for it last month.
This problem is not expected to slow down before the holiday weekend.
“We were already sitting at the gate and got the SMS canceled, and then everyone went crazy,” says Marcus Dalrymple, traveler.
So what’s the cause? The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association says weather is currently a factor linked to staff shortages caused by pilots and others taking extended periods of time to avoid pandemic-related layoffs.
American Airlines recently announced it will suspend hundreds of flights to avoid congestion in operations as summer travel continues to increase faster than expected.
“I would understand better if I had more resignation. The last-minute cancellation frustrates me because I was already on my way here and no one can tell me anything but ‘stand in line’ ”, says Katie Principe, traveler.
The hotlines for customer care were up to an hour long. Most people find out about a delay or cancellation on the same day or within a few hours before departure, so they cannot come up with a replacement plan.
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