Fourth of July chaos as hundreds of flights delayed, canceled amid record-breaking travel season

The US is bracing for a stressful week of travel as flight delays and cancelations coincide with a record-breaking Fourth of July travel season .

The American Automobile Association (AAA) has compiled data for this year's travel , comparing the number of flyers and those traveling by car at least 50 miles or more against statistics from previous years.

The AAA estimates that around 70.9 million people will travel during what it calls "the Independence Day holiday travel period," which runs from Saturday, June 29, through Sunday, July 7.

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This represents a 5% increase compared to the same period in 2023, and an 8 per cent rise from 2019.

"With summer holidays in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day," said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel, according to a press release. "We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019."

Over the week, the AAA predicts that at least 60.9 million people will travel over 50 miles by car - an additional 2.8 million travelers compared to 2023 and over 5 million more than in 2019.

Airports across the US are preparing for a record-breaking number of passengers this week. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported that 2.99 million passengers passed through US airports in a single day last week, setting a new record for the most passengers to pass through screening checkpoints in one day.

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This figure is expected to rise even further this week.

Gerardo Spero, the TSA's Federal Security Director for Philadelphia International Airport, revealed in a press release that the airport is experiencing an 8% increase in passenger numbers compared to last year. He advised travellers to allow extra time to navigate security and catch their flights.

In the release, he stated: "The best advice that I can offer is to get to the airport well before your ticketed departure time. Now more than ever it is vital to give yourself plenty of time to park or return a rental car, check in with your airline to check bags and prepare for the security checkpoint."

He also suggested that passengers could help each other by being more "efficient" in TSA lines. This includes removing shoes and belts before reaching the station, emptying pockets into carry-on luggage and grabbing a bin early to fill with their belongings before reaching the conveyor belts.

Greg Hawko, TSA's Federal Security Director for Washington state, highlighted in a recent statement, "We are asking travelers to be good partners with TSA and ensure that they are prepared for the screening process. Please don't bring prohibited items in your carry-on luggage."

He pointed out that at Seattle-Tacoma's International Airport, which has seen a 5% rise in passenger numbers, bringing banned items can slow down the TSA screening process and cause delays for other passengers.

The peak travel days are expected to be July 3, 7 and 8, according to Hopper, a flight booking website, with Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver airports predicted to see the highest influx of travelers.

For those hitting the road, AAA advises driving early to avoid severe congestion, recommending departures on Monday or before 10am.

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on subsequent days. Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, told NPR, "Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on Wednesday, July 3, as they leave town, and Sunday, July 7, as they return. Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal."

Flight cancellations will typically result in refunds for affected passengers, but the situation with delays is more complex. The current guideline states that domestic delays over three hours or international delays over six hours necessitate refunds.

A statement from the US Department of Transportation states, "Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability."

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