This week’s travel woes have spilled over into Friday as more than 800 US flights are delayed today as the July 4 holiday weekend begins.
It’s been a chaotic week for travelers as the country recorded nearly 7,000 U.S. flight cancellations this week. The TSA has advised Americans to “bring some patience” when trying to get to their vacation destinations.
“As we approach the 4th of July holiday travel period, we anticipate record travel volumes. TSA is staffed and ready to address the increased volume with technology and resources to improve effectiveness, efficiency and the passenger experience at security checkpoints,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said Thursday.
“I recommend travelers to pack a bag that is empty first to ensure you are not carrying any prohibited items, arrive early, have your ID ready and pack some patience.”
Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey experienced the most disruptions before 9 a.m. Friday.
More than 800 US flights are delayed today as the July 4 holiday weekend begins. People travel through Terminal 4 of JFK Airport on the Friday before the July 4th holiday
Before 9 a.m. Friday, the worst disruptions occurred at O’Hare in Chicago (pictured) and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey
As the travel madness continues, frustrated passengers lashed out at the FAA after the agency tweeted a “Wheel of Fortune” meme about unruly passengers
Meanwhile, United remains the hardest-hit airline, followed by easyJet.
As the travel madness continues, frustrated passengers lashed out at the FAA after the agency tweeted a “Wheel of Fortune” meme about unruly passengers.
“There’s nothing mysterious about bad behavior on a flight – it doesn’t fly and can cost you a lot of money or a jail time,” the FAA tweeted, alongside a note that said “What’s ruining your flight?” with the reply “unruly passengers.” .
Given this week’s travel nightmare, people weren’t happy with the timing.
“With the multitude of current aviation challenges, has tweeting Ryan Seacrest really been the best use of your time?” responded one Twitter user.
Another said: ‘What’s ruining your flight?’ Unions and an unsuspecting transport secretary are starting…’
According to TSA, more than 2.8 million people are expected to pass through security at the airport on Friday, setting a daily record.
The chaos began over the weekend when storms began to ravage the Northeast and parts of the Midwest, causing massive delays and cancellations to and from New York-area airports.
More than 8,000 delays occurred across the US on Thursday, with Denver and Chicago airports experiencing the worst of the chaos.
According to TSA, more than 2.8 million people are expected to pass through security at the airport on Friday, setting a daily record. Pictured is JFK Airport
A “map of misery” shows the severity of flight delays and cancellations across the country
United Airlines was hardest hit by the disruptions, with about 19% of its scheduled flights canceled and about 47% delayed.
The Chicago-based airline said its operations were gradually improving. Despite fewer cancellations on Thursday than the previous days, United still canceled 15% of its flights, FlightAware data showed.
The mass debacle also came about a week after Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg warned of impending travel disruptions due to a July 1 expansion of 5G services that US wireless companies plan to roll out.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal in late June, Buttigieg called the 5G boost a “real threat” to air travel hoping for a seamless experience.
“This represents one of the biggest – probably the biggest – foreseeable issues impacting performance this summer,” he said.
US aircraft that are not retrofitted to withstand interference from the new 5G radio signals may not be allowed to land in poor visibility conditions.
Most, but not all, US aircraft have been upgraded to the new standards, and while most major airlines will meet Saturday’s deadline, JetBlue and the already struggling United Airlines will not be quite finished upgrading their fleets by then .
Videos and images online show hordes of passengers queuing for hours trying to retrieve their luggage – some have abandoned camp and many are at the end of their tether with airline customer service.