CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — With the busy holiday season just beginning, airlines are already dealing with big problems with understaffing, violent passengers and flight cancellations. Travelers are dealing with packed planes and skyrocketing ticket prices.
Travel experts say the problems could get worse soon.
Travel expert Peter Greenberg spoke to “Morning in America’s” Adrienne Bankert about the state of the industry. He said bookings from the foreign countries now allowed to send travelers to the U.S. are up more than 2,000%, and those travelers will be piling into an already overcrowded system.
Greenberg advised checking frequently to make sure your flight still exists, since airlines are trimming schedules due to lack of staff. Also, as has been the case for months, he advised getting to the airport well ahead of time.
With a federal judge putting the government’s vaccine mandate on hold, that projected pinch on the labor force is in abeyance, but there simply aren’t enough workers available with or without a mandate. It takes time to train airline workers at any level, and not enough applicants are coming in.
One bright spot: Airfares to Europe are at historic lows, so if you’ve always dreamed of celebrating Christmas in sight of the Eiffel Tower or ringing in the New Year in Trafalgar Square, this might be the year.