FESTIVE FLIGHT RISK
American Airlines slammed for 150 delayed Thanksgiving flights as passengers fume over cancelations and refunds
AMERICAN Airlines passengers slammed the Thanksgiving flight delays and cancellations they experienced today and some vented their frustration on social media.
The holiday weekend is typically the busiest travel time of the year, which was backed by the American Automobile Association's prediction of more than 53 million travelling by plane or car this year - up 13 percent from last year.
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American Airlines have hundreds hiccups on Wednesday and again on Thanksgiving, with 56 cancelled flights and 471 delayed flights over the last two days, according to the flight-tracking website .
On Thanksgiving, there were 27 cancelled flights and 153 delayed flights, according to FlightAware.
American Airlines said in an emailed statement to The Sun that there weren't any "any major operational issues this week while carrying a lot of customers given the Thanksgiving holiday."
News of the flight delays comes as:
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But the delays caused headaches for some passengers, who took to Twitter the last couple days to criticize the airline.
One user tweeted a gif of a woman yelling on Thanksgiving coupled with this post: "Well, 4hrs delay American Airline?
"Now I just want to back to Vegas American airline [sic] is the worst."
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Another Twitter user, who claimed to be both a frequent flyer and AA advantage member, of an email between himself and the airline on Wednesday.
It complained about disrupted travel plans and the airline's failure to provide compensation for costs incurred due to the changes.
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"Cancelling flights, not offering rapid/pcr test for international travel in a pandemic, and not covering out-of-pocket cost due to your cancellations?? fix this!!!," the user wrote.
When contacted by The Sun on Wednesday and Thursday, the airline's response was nearly identical.
In an emailed statement, American Airlines said their response was to offer free miles as a "gesture of goodwill."
The company noted that they "do not accept financial responsibility for out-of-pocket expenses when [they] are unable to do so."
STAFF SHORTAGE
As for the staff shortages, a recent memo from American’s Chief Operating Officer David Seymour notes that the airline has been attempting to add staff back at a rapid pace as travel demands continue to pick up.
The memo notes that 1,800 flight attendants returned from leave in November, and 800 more were expected to come back in December.
The company also plans to add around 600 new hires by the end of the year.
recently reported that the airline quietly slashed its flight schedule for the second half of December by more than 20 percent.
The airline told the outlet that any changes were "based on demand."
It's possible that the airline was trying to avoid issues like the ones seen on Halloween weekend when weather paired with staffing shortages led to nearly 2,000 flights being canceled.
Demand this holiday season is expected to resemble pre-pandemic levels as Transportation Security Administration expects airline passengers traveling for Thanksgiving this year to rebound to 2019 levels.
PRE_PANDEMIC LEVELS
Meanwhile, the American Automobile Association predicted more than 53million people will travel by air or on the road for the holiday, which could result in major delays.
Forecasters have also warned of a significant winter storm and cold front expected to hit the US Northeast and Midwest regions this week.
From to , residents will experience a cold front that will bring rain showers, along with some snow showers for , and , on Thanksgiving day.
Temperatures rebound mostly back to normal by Thursday for much of the eastern half of the .
residents will likely see temperatures in the low 40s.
Meanwhile, the estimates 515 people may die while on the roads during their holiday travel.
DEADLY HOLIDAY
"If this estimate holds true, Thanksgiving 2021 will experience the most deaths since 2007," NSC reports.
"Holidays are traditionally a time of travel for families across the United States. Many choose car travel, which has the highest fatality rate of any major form of transportation based on fatalities per passenger mile."
In , some county residents may have to plan their feast without power.
The San Diego Gas & Electric company issued a warning to 43,000 customers who are at risk of losing power on Thursday.
The company claims the possible outage may be caused by wildfires ahead of potentially hazardous weather, including strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures.
The issued a red flag warning for County’s mountains and valleys starting Thursday morning through Friday evening.
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The Transportation Security Administration expects airline passengers traveling for Thanksgiving this year to rebound to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels.
According to the , nearly 54million Americans are expected to travel this Thanksgiving, up 13 percent from last year.
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