Why So Many Flight Cancellations? Here’s What to Know

What IS going on at airports around America, and the world for that matter? If you’ve been watching the news lately, or you were unfortunate enough to be a victim of this new phenomenon, then you’ve probably noticed that flights are getting canceled and delayed like never before.

Lately, flight cancellations and delays for single weekends have been in the tens of thousands. Return flights aren’t faring much better, either.

Travel industry experts say that the chaos isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and that we should buckle our seatbelts for one of the busiest (and cancel-iest) travel seasons in history. But why are so many flights canceled and delayed nowadays if the travel industry has spectacularly recovered from its pandemic lows?

The pandemic created some very long-term problems that we hadn’t seen before and perhaps weren’t expecting. Combined with the classic reasons for delays and cancellations, it’s the perfect storm for awful air travel experiences.

We’ve got you covered on how to avoid delayed and canceled flights and what to do if you find yourself in that situation. Here’s a summary of the various reasons which we will go into more detail in full on each point:

Read on to see what’s happening and how to still have a great vacation this travel season.

Why Are Flights Cancelled and Delayed So Often Lately?

First of all, several factors have created airline chaos recently. Some are results of pandemic economics, while you probably recognize others that have always existed.

Airline & Airport Staffing Shortages and Optimistic Schedules

Many airlines around the world are struggling with employees on all fronts. This includes the flight attendants and pilots who get you from point A to point B and the ramp workers, aircraft cleaners, gate agents, and others responsible for ensuring you can depart from point A.

One simple reason is that many employees are forced to call in sick because they have caught Covid-19 or have been in contact with someone else who has, and in both cases, must isolate. Many sick calls can make operating every flight as planned difficult.

However, there is a more complex reason for the staffing shortages. When the pandemic began, airlines had tens of thousands of employees who weren’t needed because planes weren’t flying.

These employees may have been laid off or offered generous packages to resign or retire voluntarily. Many others decided they no longer wanted to work in such an unstable industry.

Now that the industry has come roaring back to life faster than most people predicted, airlines are stuck without staff ranging from tug drivers to pilots.

Airline employees can’t be hired and put on the job as quickly as staff can in other industries due to the training and background checks required for their jobs.

On top of all this, airlines are very excited to be able to pack their planes full again. Therefore, they have packed their schedules full despite probably knowing that many of them won’t be able to operate.

Consequently, we are left with insufficient professionals to operate too many flights. The result is a ton of flights delayed and canceled, as well as many unhappy air travelers.

See Related: Why Are Flights So Expensive Right Now? 6 Pricing Factors to Know

Air Traffic Control Staff Shortages

The men and women who make sure the skies are safe for everyone are necessary to flight operations, and their employer, the FAA, has its fair share of staff shortages. The workers in the tower are also prone to COVID-19 sick calls and difficulties in hiring.

However, there is another factor in the struggle for controllers. The air traffic control workforce is an aging one. This is due to a hiring boom in 1981 after a situation when they all went on strike – and were subsequently fired, leading to 10,000 new employees.

Those new hires of 1981 are certainly approaching retirement age today, especially since there is a mandatory maximum age for this job. Since so many controllers of the same age were hired at once, they have also all retired at once in recent years. This creates a massive workforce gap.

Air traffic controllers are also not easily hired and put on the radios. The process involves a difficult test, a medical and psychiatric examination, a security clearance investigation, around four months of initial training, a final exam that needs to be passed to continue, and then up to several years of on-the-job training.

Putting an air traffic controller on the job is no simple task, and for a good reason! However, it’s another unfortunate ingredient in flight cancellations and delays – the planes can’t move without them.

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Labor Union Strike Action

This particular reason for delays and flight cancellations has not hit us hard in the US yet (though it could) but will certainly affect travelers to and from Europe much more often.

The unions that represent flight attendants, pilots, ground crews, airport security, air traffic control operators, and everyone else in the operation of a flight have been calling for strikes all over the continent.

These employees are dissatisfied with their working conditions for various reasons, but strikes have mainly revolved around their pay not matching the rise of inflation.

This horrible inflation is something that the whole world is experiencing, and tens of thousands of airline industry employees are demanding more from their employers as the travel world roars back to life.

Industrial action has already been announced in the UK, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, and several Scandinavian countries. Many strikes have been intentionally scheduled throughout the summer to disrupt this peak season as much as possible.

With a small amount of research, you can see when these strikes will take place so that you can at least prepare for the (likely) possibility that your flight will be affected. Visit your airline’s page that displays the latest travel information and disruptions to see if there is an entry.

However, airlines aren’t too excited to share this information and may wait until the last minute to display it. Notice how Easyjet published that notice the day before the strike in the screenshot above.

To avoid being surprised, a simple internet search of strikes involving your airline, airport, or country should allow you to find media articles with dates and information.

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Weather Delays and Cancellations

As always, bad weather can cause a flight to be delayed until it passes or canceled. This is especially common in the winter when snowy conditions can make runways unsafe, but bad weather can happen anytime – especially now, thanks to climate change.

However, modern “all-weather” planes are designed to safely take off and land in many storms. A bit of rain and wind should be no reason to delay or cancel a flight. The wind is actually only a problem when it’s blowing across a plane from side to side, and even then, it must be pretty strong to cause issues.

Don’t forget that unusual natural disasters can be lumped in with this delay. Years ago, the active volcano in Iceland erupted and spread a cloud of ash across thousands of miles over the Atlantic and Europe. This event paralyzed flights for weeks.

This issue can compound the staffing problems we mentioned before. When an entire crew gets stranded overseas due to bad weather, it can throw the entire crewing schedule off after being stressed due to low staff numbers.

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Mechanical Issues

Finally, this reason for delays and cancellations is another better-safe-than-sorry one. Like your car, airplanes can get warning lights that keep them on the ground until everything runs smoothly.

Did you know that whenever an airplane arrives at the gate, a certified mechanic examines it closely before it’s allowed to take off again?

Flashlights are shined into compartments, oil levels are verified, and the pilots are consulted to ensure the flight goes normally.

This should make everyone feel even safer on the world’s safest form of transportation. It may be inconvenient when they catch something that needs extra attention, but it should be appreciated.

Don’t blame airline staff for doing a good job – they save lives!

See Related: Must-Know Vacation Tips to Maximize Your Trip Experience

What Can We Do?

Well, there’s not much you can do to prevent flight disruptions. And unfortunately, we will be seeing a lot of those in the foreseeable future.

However, there are some simple preventative steps to take, as well as rights and policies to know when flying. Most airlines aren’t exactly viewed as the country’s most customer-friendly businesses, and they often hide or bury this very important information that applies to you during canceled or delayed flights.

Check the Airline’s App

One easy step you can take is to download your airline’s app before your trip even starts. Besides being an easy way to not lose your boarding pass, having your reservation at your fingertips can be a major advantage when it comes to delayed flights and cancellations.

The app will show you your real-time flight status and scheduled departure time, your new boarding passes, any updated trip details, and your record locator number (which is important if you do choose to approach an agent).

Having this on your phone will make your experience much smoother if something goes wrong. We’ll expand on it below, but know that when your flight gets canceled, you will be put on any available seats on the next flight to your destination. This applies when flight delays will also cause you to miss a connection.

When you use your airline company app, you may be automatically put on a later flight when your flight is canceled. This can be a bright spot of convenience in a very inconvenient situation. It means you don’t need to call customer service, line up at the counter with everyone else, or stress about what happens next.

Look at United’s policy, as shown in the photo above. They are trying to keep you away from their employees more than ever! And while we might otherwise view this negatively, their technology can be a relief when your flight is delayed or canceled.

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Do Your Own Research Before Calling

If your airline doesn’t automatically rebook you on the next flight and show you on the app or are unsatisfied with their options, you may need to speak to a human being. This can be done at the airport or by calling a customer service center.

But before doing that, knowing what you want will help. Instead of simply telling the agent you need to find the next flight and letting him or her do the searching, do it yourself and be upfront about what you found!

Your best friend for this search is probably one of the same ones you use to find flights in the first place (sites like Skyscanner or Momondo). However, you will use them differently when finding a later flight after your flight is canceled or you miss a connection.

First, you’ll want to check the options on your original airline company, as this is the simplest rebooking possible. In my example above on Skyscanner, I’ve filtered the search to only show flights on Alaska Airlines.

This search will give you all possible flight options on your airline so you can identify your preferred routing and back-ups to present to the agent. Don’t forget to leave some breathing room between connections to avoid another mess.

Furthermore, don’t forget to check the “Nearby Airports” box before searching. This can make a big difference because sometimes a carrier will have no flights left for the day from your original departure point.

In our example above, expanding our search outside JFK shows several options from LaGuardia Airport instead. Likewise, there are even more options if you don’t have to land at Miami International Airport and can instead go to Fort Lauderdale.

If time is precious and you want to reach your destination on the earliest flight, changing your canceled flight’s arrival or departure airport could be well worth it.

Finally, they don’t want you to know it, but airlines can put you on another carrier’s flight if there are no better options to get you to your destination in a reasonable time.

Therefore, if all else fails, remove your airline filters on Skyscanner and Momondo to see all possible flights. Airlines will generally not put you on another carrier’s flight unless there are truly no other options.

There is one exception to using a flight search engine in these cases (and any case); Southwest Airlines.

Southwest does not allow its fares to be displayed on these third-party search sites. If you are flying on Southwest Airlines, research their website or app.

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Check Your Airline’s Definition of a Significant Delay

Reading through various web pages of your airline’s website, you’ll find plenty of mentions of the phrase “Significant Delay.” Airlines take specifically defined measures when a flight is significantly delayed, which is why this language exists.

However, you might be confused about what constitutes a significant delay. The airlines are all as vague as possible about this because they’d rather make it hard for passengers to find the things they are entitled to that cost them money.

Luckily, customers will find their airline’s definition of a significantly delayed flight relatively easy if they know where to look. That place is the contract of carriage, the legally binding document that states what the airline is responsible for in your transaction with them.

Most full-service airlines consider a delay of two or three hours significant. However, some low-cost carriers may allow for a full 24 hours. Be sure to look for the contract of carriage, preferably before the day you are due to fly – the example shown above is from Delta.

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Know Your Rights to a Different Flight

When your flight is delayed, and it causes you to miss a connection, or when your flight gets canceled, you are always entitled to a seat on another flight. Passengers never need to worry about being stranded and out of luck as long as all flights are booked on the same reservation.

Sometimes, continuing your journey on the same day isn’t always possible. When your flight is delayed overnight, the airline is responsible for providing you with a hotel room and related care in some circumstances.

Accommodations aren’t usually offered to passengers when the issue is caused by weather or something outside the airline’s control. However, even this may be handled case-by-case, so be sure to ask while at the airport.

Importantly, don’t book a hotel room alone if an airline representative has not specifically told you to do so. Even then, it would be best to have those instructions in writing. Take a look at American Airlines’ policy, for example, pictured above.

As you can see, customers may be out of luck if they don’t wait their turn for a voucher from a gate agent for a hotel room. If you are instructed to do it yourself, be sure to save everything in terms of bills and receipts. You will need them for reimbursement later.

Credits, Refunds, and Compensation for Canceled Flights

The next few points are very important because, once again, airlines will do their best to avoid paying for what they are responsible for. While we don’t have many rights in the US, as air travel passengers do in Europe, the DOT determines some cases where we certainly do.

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Know Your Rights to a Refund

First, let’s start with your most important question: when do the airlines owe us a refund? A refund depends on the situation, and particular circumstances must occur to trigger this right.

When airlines cancel a flight for any reason, you are automatically entitled to a cash refund if you decide traveling is no longer worth it.

Airlines will present all of the other alternatives to customers first, such as available seats on a later flight, and if that fails, they will try to push you into taking a voucher for the amount you paid. But when it comes down to it, a canceled flight means you can choose a cash refund if your ticket is no longer worth it.

As mentioned, this right is often buried in the contract of carriage and not found anywhere else. Airlines will also present it as the last option, hoping you stop reading before then and to make you think the other options are better.

Look at Rule 24, Section C, of United’s contract of carriage below – see if you can spot the right to a refund.

Did you notice that they don’t use “canceled” or “cancellation”? Those sneaky devils! It is a common tactic to simply refer to a flight cancellation as a “Schedule Change” since they, first of all, prefer to put you on a different flight (hence “changing” your schedule). It also helps make it more difficult for passengers to locate their entitlements in these cases.

To be clear, United is not the only offender – most major airlines employ the same methods.

This is one of the biggest reasons to always book directly with the airline. When customers choose a third-party site like Expedia or Orbitz to buy their flight, they will, unfortunately, have to deal with them if a refund is due.

This adds an extra layer of headache for an already-inconvenienced traveler. Always book your ticket on your carrier’s website to avoid that.

Regarding a canceled flight, you are covered in abandoning the trip and opting for a refund. This is not always the case with a delay, however.

Airlines technically have no obligation to refund you if you no longer want to travel as a result of a delay, but most of them actually do offer one at some point.

This varies from airline to airline and is usually two or three hours for full-service carriers. But passengers may have to wait much longer before that option becomes available on a low-cost airline – like, 24 hours.

Again, look at the carriage contract to see what the airline allows. Above is an example from JetBlue, which offers a refund after two hours of delay for those who no longer want to travel.

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Consider a Travel Credit With Caution

Have you noticed, especially during the pandemic, that airlines have been more than happy to offer a voucher for future travel when something goes wrong? It might seem like a nice gesture but don’t be fooled into thinking this is all you’re left with.

Let’s start with the cases when airlines are just being nice. If you experience a long delay, and especially if the airline was at fault, they might offer you some compensation in the form of a travel credit to simply apologize.

However, don’t be so quick to accept such an offer. Evaluate the situation to determine the likelihood that you won’t experience more issues, that you definitely don’t want to abandon your trip and ask for a refund, and that you won’t be staying overnight.

Look at our example in Hawaiian Airlines’ contract of carriage above. By accepting a travel credit, you are waving your rights to care from Hawaiian, such as a hotel room if you are stuck overnight(!), meals, and ground transportation if needed.

You might be asking, in what circumstances would a passenger accept such a bad deal? The answer is simple: if you live near the airport and don’t need that! In that case, take advantage of a voucher for your next trip. But if not, be very careful not to waive your benefits.

Furthermore, don’t forget your right to a refund regarding canceled flights. Airlines will push you (very hard) to accept a travel voucher rather than a refund, often leading you to believe it’s the only option. It’s not – if you want a refund, firmly repeat your choice.

In some cases, airlines may try to woo you into taking a voucher instead of a refund by offering a bonus value on top of your original ticket price.

This can be a nice little form of flight cancellation compensation, especially if you plan to travel again with the airline soon, so don’t hesitate to consider it if it’s a good deal.

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