Written by David Koeng of AP Airlines
It’s starting to look like another record for holiday travel in the United States, so drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs had better get out of there.
Between Saturday and New Year’s Day, over 119 million individuals are expected to travel at least 50 miles from their homes, surpassing the previous holiday-season high set in 2019, according to the auto club AAA. It appears that the two weekends after Christmas are among the busiest travel and airport periods.
During the 19-day period beginning Thursday and ending Monday, January 6, U.S. airlines are expected to carry 54 million passengers, according to the trade group Airlines for America, which also predicts record travel. Compared to previous year, the figure would indicate a 6% increase.
Though it would probably be too close to the holidays to have an immediate impact on flights and airport operations, a government shutdown that might begin as early as Saturday may change that if it continued.
What will be the busiest travel days?
The busiest days for airlines are Friday and Sunday, as well as December 26, 27, and 29. It is anticipated that both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day would see little flight traffic. Thanksgiving Day was by far the slowest day for air travel in the United States this year.
Over the holidays and until January 2, 40 million passengers are anticipated to be screened by the Transportation Security Administration.
According to AAA, 90% of Americans who are taking long-distance trips over the holidays will be driving.
According to AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz, “the majority of people drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday, even though airline travel is just really high right now.”
The cost of gasoline is comparable to last year. According to AAA, the national average for gasoline prices on Thursday was $3.05, which is lower than the $3.08 average from a year ago. Although it varies by state, charging an electric vehicle costs somewhat less than 35 cents per kilowatt-hour on average.
Travel times on the country’s highways may be up to 30% longer than usual during the holidays, according to transportation data firm INRIX, with Sunday seeing the most traffic. The business claims that the major cities most likely to see delays include Boston, New York City, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
On Thursday, December 22, 2022, severe winds whip around 7.5 inches of fresh snow at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, causing an American Airlines plane to de-ice. (Star Tribune/David Joles via AP, file)AP
Weather and other wildcards
Airports and airlines usually have fewer peak days than they do during the Thanksgiving rush since the holiday travel period lasts for weeks, but flight crews suffer from the monotony of one busy day followed by another. Furthermore, little setbacks like a computer malfunction or a winter storm might turn into major disruptions.
This is how Delta Air Lines experienced a smaller but equally devastating breakdown following a global technological failure in July brought on by a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, and how Southwest Airlines stranded two million passengers in December 2022.
Compared to slower times, cancellations are considerably more inconvenient over the holidays because many flights are sold out. This is particularly true for low-cost carriers with fewer flights and fewer passenger rebooking possibilities. The only major airlines with interline agreements that allow them to transfer stranded passengers to another airline’s flights are American, Delta, and United.
Since a Transportation Department rule requiring airlines to automatically provide customers with a cash refund for canceled or significantly delayed flights went into effect, this will be the first Christmas season. Refunds were already available to the majority of passengers, although they frequently had to ask for them.
During seasons of high travel demand, passengers can still request a rebooking, which is frequently a better alternative than a refund. This is because it can be incredibly costly to find a last-minute flight on another airline on your own.
They will cover the fare difference when they rebook you. Sally French, a travel specialist at consumer affairs firm Nerdwallet, stated that if I order a $200 airfare to see my grandmother six months ago and then change my mind and book a $400 flight four hours later, I will be responsible for the difference.
If a flight is canceled, passengers on low-cost airlines—which have fewer flights and no alliances with other carriers—may have to make a tough decision.
You will be placed on the upcoming Spirit or Frontier flight, but that may take some time. If you can’t wait three days for the next flight, it might be worth the extra money to rebook on a major airline, French said.
A clause in a recent Transportation Department rule that defined a significant delay as three hours for a domestic flight and six hours for an international journey is being exploited by certain airlines. Airlines that previously provided refunds for shorter delays, such as Delta, United, and JetBlue, are now following the government standard, according to Brett Snyder, the operator of the Cranky Flyer website.
Baggage loss is more likely on planes that are delayed. If a passenger loses their luggage, they should notify the airline and inquire about their rights.
On Wednesday, passengers at Newark Liberty Airport enter the expedited screening facility known as Transportation Security Administration Precheck. The number of passengers is expected to surpass that of Christmas 2023, according to officials. Higgs, Larry, NJ.com/fileSL
Would a government shutdown affect flights and airports?
If Congress fails to enact a funding measure by Friday at midnight, there may be a government shutdown. In the case of a shutdown, the majority of airport TSA employees, including air traffic controllers and customs officials, would have to work unpaid since they are deemed critical.
Longer shutdowns may result in longer security queues and other delays as more unpaid employees may call in sick. Several weeks into a government shutdown that began in December 2019, that seemed to be the case.
According to a statement from TSA spokesman Carter Langston, “an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports, even though our personnel have prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure safe travel.”
Even if the shutdown happens, AAA encourages tourists to stick to their vacation plans, spokesman Diaz stated. Travelers should be informed that while airport operations will continue as usual, they may operate a little more slowly than usual.
Planning ahead for 2025
According to U.S. government data, airline tickets increased 4.7% in November over the same month last year. Planning excursions for the upcoming year, including spring breaks and summer vacations, is best done in early 2025.
According to Laura Motta, an editor at travel book publisher Lonely Planet, January and February are excellent months to plan for March, April, and May, but you won’t discover anything that feels particularly gloomy because travel is so popular. You should start planning your trip to Paris in January if you want to travel there in the spring.
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