Summer of struggles: Airlines plagued by staffing shortages, delays, flight cancellations
Flight cancellations and delays have plagued airlines this summer, frustrating travelers trying to get out and about after being grounded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eyewitness News has been documenting what many Americans are calling the "summer of struggles."
Anthony Johnson has already talked about how inflation is impacting summer staples.
Now, Josh Einiger is focusing on air travel.
Tickets for domestic flights are, on average, 45% higher than a year ago -- and 24% higher than the pre-pandemic summer of 2019.
Couple that with the cancellations, and air travel has become quite an adventure.
Labor shortages are occurring across the airline industry, and shortly before July 4, airline leaders were scolded during a virtual meeting with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who implored the carriers to do better over the holiday weekend.
While vacation travel is booming, analysts have urged caution about the period after Labor Day.
Business travel, which becomes crucial to airlines once families go home and kids return to school, has not recovered as quickly as personal travel.
Watch Josh Einiger's report in the video player above.
ALSO READ | American Airlines changes family's flight to another country, asks them to pay $30K, passenger says
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