If you traveled by air during the holidays last year, you may have been on one of the 14,000 flights canceled by Southwest Airlines due to an apparent software logistics meltdown blamed on outdated computers. You also may have spent part of your holiday in the airport. Weather patterns and several blizzards across the country grounded other travelers. So, when a new Deloitte Holiday survey predicts that travel between Thanksgiving and mid-January this year will be up across all age and income groups and 48 percent of the country, the expected increased traffic is concerning for some travel industry watchers.
Syndicated travel columnist and consumer advocate Christopher Elliot warns that hopeful holiday travelers shouldn’t assume a better weather scenario will greet them this year.
“I don’t think people should expect too much from the winter travel season. It’s an El Niño year, so we’ll have some weird weather patterns, especially in the Southeast,” he said to The Epoch Times. “We might also see some freak snowstorms in other parts of the country. The weather is going to be unusual. We also might see more ice storms than we had last January.”
Last December and again in July this year, a series of storms across the country caused massive flight delays that stranded thousands of passengers during busy holiday travel seasons. Hurricane Idalia caused over a thousand flight delays in the South in August.
But in preparation for the upcoming holiday season, Southwest is issuing positive statements about its recovery from its holiday logistics nightmare last season, saying travelers on the airline should know that changes have been made.
“The disruption we had last winter was really hard on our customers and our employees. It weighs heavily on all of us here at Southwest Airlines,” Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson said during the company’s October earnings call with investors. “We are now so much better prepared for these extreme weather events.” Despite Southwest’s assurances that the company is ready for the winter travel season, the Department of Transportation recently notified the air carrier that it failed to provide adequate customer service assistance, notifications and prompt refunds, which could lead to hefty civil penalties.
“The hardest thing about this is that air transportation is already strained. COVID left us without as many pilots, and they can only fly so many hours each day,” Lance Tweden, a vice president with the private Jet Agency, said to The Epoch Times. “My advice is to book flights as soon as you know your dates. You won’t be able to re-book because there’s less flexibility now. If you’re flying a private jet, book at least two weeks in advance.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the overall employment of airline and commercial pilots is projected to grow 4 percent from 2022 to 2032. Also according to the bureau, there will be, on average, about 16,800 openings for airline and commercial pilots each year. Many of those openings are expected to result from current pilots leaving for other jobs or retiring.
On the ground, President Joe Biden is still trying to boost train alternatives in the United States by a $16.4 billion investment for rail projects along Amtrak’s Northeast corridor this week. The funding, part of his infrastructure bill, will go to 25 passenger rail projects.
Though a train travel fan, Mr. Eliot warns to expect little from Amtrak this year. “They’re dealing with a lot of delay issues, especially in the Western U.S. I would use Amtrak as an alternative transportation option for people who don’t have to be at their destination at a certain time. The East Coast routes are more reliable, but my overall solution to holiday travel is just to leave the country,” he said, pointing to prices that have gone down considerably on flights and hotels at non-domestic destinations.
“People should be thinking about dusting off their passports and flying internationally. There’s two different types of trips—one to see the family and not worry about hotels, and then there are the ones where you want to get away and take a week off. Right now, it’s less expensive to do that internationally.”
Deloitte’s prediction of nearly half the country traveling this holiday season comes from its view that not only have COVID-related health concerns diminished, but airlines have made positive moves to deal with the increased number of travelers. Its study noted that in 2022, one in five nontravelers cited health worries or concerns about delays and cancellations as their reasons for staying home. In 2023, that dropped to one in 10.
