Holiday travel: Airlines, travelers hope to avoid high number of cancellations seen last year
MINNEAPOLIS -- In less than a month the holiday travel season will pick up, and airlines are anticipating a record number of flyers. But they'll also be trying to avoid the high number of cancellations we saw last spring.
"I've just been lucky. But I see it on TV a lot where there's a lot of delays," said Dianah Tom while getting ready to board a flight.
On Halloween, things run smoothly at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Lines are almost non-existent. But the idea of getting caught in the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas travel is a spooky thought for some people. Especially if a flight gets canceled.
"Oh man, trying to figure out what to do next. That alone is very stressful," said Aurelius Butler while waiting for a flight.
Kyle Potter is an executive editor with Thrifty Traveler.
"Heading into Memorial Day weekend, Delta canceled more flights in a two-weekend span than they had in the entire summer of 2019," said Potter.
He said Delta was far from alone when it came to cancellations. Cutting back on staff during COVID, but then trying to meet the growing demands of travelers left many airlines scrambling during the winter and spring. He believes the worst is behind us.
"Airlines have bought themselves some time to downsize and created some wiggle room so they don't keep doing that. And I think they learned some tough lessons," said Potter.
Some even have 15% fewer flights compared to pre-COVID, so they can account for delays or cancellations due to winter weather.
But staffing for airlines is a constant battle. From ticket agents to flight attendants to pilots, a Sun Country spokesperson said they are always looking to hire more people.
After record-breaking summer travel and a busy MEA weekend, Sun Country is actively recruiting teachers and college students to work as ramp agents during Thanksgiving and Christmas -- since there's no school then. Potter said it's another strategy to cut down on cancellations.
"All of these airlines across the country are on unprecedented hiring sprees," said Potter. "I think it's going to be a process of slow but steady improvement."
The Metropolitan Airports Commission says they believe they have enough TSA agents available for holiday travel, but they are recommending that passengers get to the airport up to 3 hours early.
Another bit of advice: Potter says booking your departure and arrival flights before and after travel picks up, can save you up to $200 on your ticket. No matter what, Potter recommends booking early because flights won't get cheaper.