It was another rough day for American Airlines passengers, to say the least.
Friday, 3 p.m. Eastern, more than 1,100 flights were canceled in the US and more than 3,700 were delayed. FlightAware. Some of Friday’s problems may be due to aircraft not being able to take off the first morning flights following Thursday’s cancellations.
American Airlines has canceled the most flights so far, cutting about 200 flights, or 6% of the carrier’s daily schedule. However, these figures do not include American Eagle flights operated by the airline’s regional affiliates.
The Federal Aviation Administration implemented deferral programs at Northeast airports Friday afternoon and warned that air traffic restrictions could continue as far south as Florida by the end of the day. Western airports are also affected by the weather.
Don’t blame those who showed up:Airline reliability is struggling this summer due to a pilot shortage
Are airplane seats too small?:The FAA is seeking public comment on the minimum dimensions
Summer squeeze for the aviation network
It’s been a stressful summer for travelers as airlines manage schedules and airports, but struggling to keep up with growing travel demand in the U.S. and abroad.
Earlier in the pandemic, airlines were down as people stayed home. But with the restrictions lifted, people are traveling this summer like it’s 2019, and carriers say they don’t have enough people on their rosters to fly on their scheduled schedules.
Overtime Record:Delta pilots say it’s been a busy summer
Travel woes continue: American Airlines has announced the suspension of flights from Philadelphia
As a result, many airlines — American, United, Delta and JetBlue, among them — have announced cutbacks and even suspended service to some smaller cities.
Experts say it could take up to a year for things to return to normal.
What are your rights if your flight is cancelled?
If your flight is canceled and you decide not to reroute, the Department for Transport requires your airline to refund you, even if you purchased a non-refundable ticket.
In the case of delays, the rules are a little more unclear. The DOT says passengers are entitled to compensation if there are “significant” delays, but the department has not yet defined what qualifies as significant.
Airline compensation:What you are entitled to if your flight is canceled or delayed
This ultimately means that for now it is up to individual airlines to decide how and when to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed.
The DOT announced earlier this week that it intends to clarify these rules and make them more user-friendly. Agency on Wednesday opened the portal for public comments on updates to their cancellation and delay compensation policies.