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TeamDML offers insights, opinions, podcasts, videos and other forms of content intended to educate and better explain trending news that is made available to the public by third parties. In this particular case, we refer to an excerpt from Bloomberg:
Hopefully you’ve heeded the experts and booked your end-of-year travel earlier than you did last year. But no matter how well you’ve gotten ahead of your holiday plans, if you’re one of the almost 50% of Americans who say they’re traveling sometime between Thanksgiving weekend and January, there’s a good chance you could experience disruptions this winter season.
Almost a quarter (24%) of flights out of US airports have faced delays so far this year, according to the US Department of Transportation—up from 19% in 2021. That means your flight has a more than 1 in 5 chance of not leaving on time. The winter storms and technology issues that snarled operations for Southwest Airlines Co. in December 2022 could easily affect a different carrier this season, says Mike Arnot, an airline industry analyst and spokesperson for aviation data company Cirium.
Yet, US airlines are better prepared for operational challenges this season, experts at Cirium and travel-booking platform Hopper say. “Last holiday season, airlines were trying to run a lot of capacity to capture holiday demand, but they were stretched thin as it was challenging to get staffing,” says Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper, adding that those worker shortages have since been alleviated. Still, your best bet is to stay on your toes and use all the latest tools to confront potential disruptions.
Bloomberg suggests the following:
- Prebook Airport Rides
Ride-sharing companies may face high demand, so booking in advance with Uber or Lyft can ensure your ride.
- Know the Most Affected Airports
Hopper predicts 10 US airports will experience the highest travel disruptions this winter based on flight delay and cancellation data. Here are the airports that made the list, in descending order.
10. Dallas Love Field (DAL)
9. Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW)
8. Baltimore (BWI)
7. Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
6. New York City (JFK)
5. Newark, New Jersey (EWR)
4. Chicago Midway (MDW)
3. Las Vegas (LAS)
2. Orlando (MCO)
1. Denver (DEN)
- Avoid the Most Hectic Travel Days
Sunday, Nov. 26, will be the busiest travel day of the year, according to Cirium. Other predicted to be especially busy during the holiday season include the following: Dec. 21, 22, 28 and 29, and Jan. 2 and 7.
- Have a Contingency Plan
Look for alternate means of getting to your next destination, and for hotels in the area should a flight be delayed overnight. In this scenario, you should look outside of the immediate airport vicinity as rooms at these locations tend to fill up quickly.
No airline is immune to potential chaos this holiday season—and your flight will have at least a 1 in 5 chance of being delayed. Here are four ways to plan for disruptions. https://t.co/UlNAcn1gLi
— Bloomberg (@business) November 13, 2023
To get more information about this article, please visit Bloomberg.
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