Labor Day weekend is upon us, which means lots of people will be traveling. Here’s what to do if your flight gets canceled or delayed.
Airports, highways, beaches and theme parks are expected to be packed across the U.S. this Labor Day weekend as a lot Americans mark the unofficial end of summer the same way they celebrated the season’s unofficial start: by traveling.
After what’s already been a record-breaking summer for air travel, the Transportation Security Administration predicted its agents would screen more than 17 million people during a holiday period that started Thursday and runs through next Wednesday, about 8% more than last year.
The TSA anticipates Friday to be the busiest day. In a sign the summer travel season really is winding down, however, the agency said that fewer than 2 million passengers passed through airport security checkpoints one day this week — the first time that has happened since early March.
If you plan to be part of the crowds heading out of town to enjoy one last blast of summer, here is a rundown of what you need to know.
How is holiday travel going so far?
Busy, as expected. TSA screened 2.75 million travelers at the nation’s airports on Thursday, nearly 130,000 more people than it screened on the same day last year.
Airlines canceled more than 500 U.S. flights Thursday, with nearly 300 of those at Dulles and Reagan National airports near Washington, D.C.
Since June 1, airlines have canceled 1.8% of all U.S. flights and another 25% have been delayed — identical to the rates last summer — according to figures from FlightAware.
Where are the potential trouble spots?
Weather is the leading cause of flight delays. Forecasts call for rain and maybe scattered thunderstorms from Texas to New England plus parts of Florida over the weekend, and showering more of the Southeast on Monday.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was still working to restore all services after what airport officials described as a possible cyberattack last weekend. Flights have been running normally all week, but airport told passengers to arrive extra early for flights and to avoid checking bags, especially if they are on a smaller airline, because of problems with the bag-sorting system.