There are lingering concerns that air travel this summer could once again be hectic for flyers.<\/p>\n
Despite cautious optimism that the busy season should run more smoothly than 2022, top travel industry leaders fear the threat of delays, cancellations and long waits may not be over for passengers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know the system is going to be stretched,\u201d said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, which represents airlines, hotels and tourism agencies across the travel sector.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters on April 26, Freeman spoke of an air travel system \u201cstruggling to handle the demand,\u201d which is \u201clikely to create substantial frustration.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pre-summer warning comes as passengers have flooded airports at rates not seen since 2019.<\/p>\n
Between March 2020 and December 2022, there was only one day on which TSA agents at U.S. checkpoints screened more than 2.5 million passengers: November 27, 2022, also known as the Sunday after Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n
Single-day checkpoint volume has exceeded that mark well over a dozen times since March 10 of this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we don\u2019t see that slowing down,\u201d interim Federal Aviation Administration administrator Billy Nolen told Congress April 26.<\/p>\n
Plus<\/strong>: \u2018Say hello to your crew\u2019: How NOT to be a jerk when you fly, according to flight attendants and TSA workers<\/p>\n As NerdWallet has reported,\u00a0there is reason for optimism\u00a0that the travel experience could at least be smoother than it was in 2022, taking into account the decreased\u00a0cost of some travel expenses\u00a0and a more even supply, demand and staffing equation.<\/p>\n As of February, major U.S. airlines employed nearly 14% more workers than at the end of 2021. That\u2019s the most workers in 20 years, according to Airlines for America, the trade group for the largest carriers.<\/p>\n This is a key step toward solving staffing issues that contributed to last summer\u2019s challenges.<\/p>\n The airlines \u201chave been making every effort to prepare\u201d for the season, the organization said in a statement.<\/p>\n In fact, the numbers do point toward improvement.<\/p>\n Since the start of January, flight cancellation rates among the five largest airlines are just a fraction of those seen during that same period last year, according to data from flight-tracking site FlightAware.<\/p>\n Much of the concern now surrounds staffing at air traffic control facilities that are, in many ways, the nerve centers of our national airspace.<\/p>\n In a memo this spring, the FAA said its certified air traffic controller staffing is 19% off its target, including being 46% off the mark at the FAA\u2019s critical New York facility.<\/p>\n The agency relaxed use-it-or-lose-it airline flight rules (known as \u201cslots\u201d) at three major hub airports in New York and Washington, D.C. to combat the problem. This step allows airlines to reduce flight schedules in an effort to ease congestion and, hopefully, subdue delays. Multiple airlines have praised the move.<\/p>\n Freeman warned that staffing challenges could still cause disruptions in New York and create \u201ca ripple effect nationwide.\u201d<\/p>\n Also see:<\/strong> Expedia is benefiting as gross travel bookings are up online<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just flights that could cause headaches.<\/p>\n The U.S. Travel Association also reports a rapidly increasing problem: Passengers often face \u201cexcruciating\u201d waits at U.S. Customs and Border Protection following international flights.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt in recent weeks, perhaps months, the issue has really begun to peak,\u201d Freeman said, citing wait times during busiest hours stretching from one to three hours.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a problem, he noted, that may \u201conly get worse\u201d amid an expected busy summer, particularly for international travel.<\/p>\n The best way for travelers to skirt the longest waits at passport control is to enroll in\u00a0Global Entry, which fast-tracks members through passport control and includes TSA PreCheck access. The five-year membership costs $100, but some travel credit cards offer a statement credit for the fee.<\/p>\n Right now, though, enrolling in the program is easier said than done.<\/p>\n Customs and Border Protection continues to report backlogs scheduling new applicant in-person interviews and currently estimates Global Entry processing times at four to six months.<\/p>\n Conditionally approved Global Entry applicants can skirt the wait for an in-person interview (and potentially the longest lines at customs, too) through the Global Entry\u00a0Enrollment on Arrival option,\u00a0which involves an interview upon arrival at customs from an international flight.<\/p>\nWill air travel be better in summer 2023?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How can I get through U.S. customs faster?<\/strong><\/h2>\n