News

Air Travel in the US Descends Into Chaos – Opinion

By Pluralist / June 19, 2022

More than 10 000 flights across the United States were cancelled this weekend leaving passengers frustrated and desperate at thousands of miles away. Ten thousand flights. It’s almost too many to comprehend.

If you read my travel-hell story from Thursday night, you’ll know that I was one of those passengers, and that after my flight was canceled, I was forced to get a rental car (at my expense) and drive 12 hours through the night to get my minor children, who were being let out of camp. They could get the COVID vaccine and a tattoo. But they wouldn’t be permitted to check in to a hotel without an adult.

Today (Sunday), it would seem that we’re victims of double jeopardy: our flight to Los Angeles was summarily canceled, and we have no way of getting back today. The airline’s best offer is two days hence.

It’s one thing to drive from NYC to Savannah, and quite another to drive from Savannah to California (35 hours). We’ve managed to score seats on another carrier, but they didn’t come cheap.

JetBlue, along with other airlines, claimed on Thursday that the weather was causing them to cancel flights. The weather was beautiful in NY, so this was a ridiculous claim. They would never do that. If they can claim it was the weather, they don’t have to pay for your meals, your hotel—anything. Yes, scattered thunderstorms were present across the country. Not enough to cancel 10,000 flight.

Thankfully, for my second canceled flight in three days, they’re admitting other issues besides the weather, and so the potential of a reimbursed hotel room glimmers in the distance.

However, these cancellations can be costly. The hotel we had prepaid for Friday night is not letting us off the hook, and we’ve had to pay for a rental car for several days, in addition to extra hotel stays and meal costs. The total unbudgeted cost will likely run in the hundreds.

These people are truly hurting. “I closed my business for several days to take my son on his first trip,” a guy says to me. “I’ve lost thousands of dollars, and we aren’t on vacation, and now I’ve got to come up with more money just to find a place to stay tonight.” Next to him, a woman cries.

This is America. How can this continue? Things were even worse over Memorial Day Weekend.

Mostly it’s due to staffing shortages: pilots, crew, and air control. Partly this is due to vaccines being mandated by the Biden Administration for pilots and all other personnel. Many people who refused were either fired or quit. Joe, it’s true. Pilots are required to fly airplanes.

Source: Business Insider

As with many industries, there was a problem of staff shortages long before the pandemic. But the pandemic brought it all back to life as thousands were laid off or furloughed by airlines.

But fear not, Pete Buttigieg is our Boy Wonder and Transportation Secretary. He hadn’t shown much interest in the subject until his own flight got canceled Friday, and he was forced to drive from DC to NYC—an entire four hours. (There’s something comical about our Transpo Sec getting his flight canceled, I’m just saying.)

What is Buttigieg’s solution? You must punish the airlines

Pending airlines’ performance over the Fourth of July, the Department of Transportation could choose to take enforcement action if consumer-protection standards are not met, Buttigieg told AP.

He’s saying that he will fine airlines if they don’t hire more people. Pete, where is this magical staff? He also urged that airlines go under a “stress test” to see how they perform. This weekend, Memorial Day Weekend and this weekend were both stress tests and they failed.

As usual, the Biden Administration is quick to pass around the blame: it’s the weather, it’s COVID, it’s Putin. Somehow, it’s probably Trump’s fault, too.

The fact remains, yet another mess is happening under this administration’s watch. It’s simply not the same America we’re all used to.

About Post Author

Pluralist

See author's posts

Tags:

You may also like

Follow Us