Travelers face delays, cancellations ahead of 4th of July weekend
Jun 29, 2022, 3:34 PM
Photo by Jason Redmond
If you’re traveling this holiday weekend, you’re not alone. Whether it’s by land, air or sea, state agencies are warning travelers now that delays are en route.
The massive number of travelers alone is expected to cause delays, with nearly 48 million Americans expected to travel at least 50 miles from their homes, according to the American Automobile Association.
But this year, one of the most popular airlines in the industry is facing a unique hurdle.
“We’ve warned the company for a very long time that they were not properly staffed for flying this summer,” said Capt. Evan Baach, a Delta pilot and spokesperson with the Air Line Pilots Association. “And unfortunately, as we saw on Memorial Day weekend, Delta has an incredibly high number of cancellations.”
Baach says it has been more than three years since Delta pilots had a pay raise and more than two years since their union contract became amendable.
On Thursday, Delta pilots will be picketing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, joining six other Delta-hub airports nationwide.
Both Delta and Baach said that the picketing should not disrupt operations for customers.
“We are picketing on our off days,” said Baach. “These are days that we have off that we could be spending with our family and friends.”
Delta Airlines canceled 12 flights and delayed 22 more at SEA on Tuesday — the most for any U.S. airline at the airport. Nationwide, the airline canceled about 200 flights on Monday.
Those traveling on land or sea should still expect to face some hurdles over the holiday weekend.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says drivers should prepare for backups and delays on state highways.
The agency also says ferry riders should prepare for longer waits and possible changes to sailing schedules, depending on staffing levels.
