A near-record number of travelers could hit the skies for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, with 3.5 million passengers projected to fly - up nearly 164 percent from last year.
If the projections hold, the number of fliers this year could bump up against the all-time record of Independence Day air travelers. That record was hit in July 2019 - well before the coronavirus brought air travel to a halt.
In 2019, 3.9 million passengers took to the skies for the weekend of July 1 to 5, according to AAA.
The travel projections come as COVID-19 vaccination rates climb and people who have been stuck inside for nearly a year are eager to get out of the house and do something besides stare at the same four walls.
Still, with airlines having cut back their schedules and staffing dramatically in the wake of the virus shutdowns, many now are having trouble staffing back up and bulking their schedules to meet the sudden demand. Already, they're potentially canceling thousands of flights.
'Travel is in full swing this summer, as Americans eagerly pursue travel opportunities they’ve deferred for the last year-and-a-half,' Paula Twidale, senior vice president, AAA Travel said in a statement. 'We saw strong demand for travel around Memorial Day and the kick-off of summer, and all indications now point to a busy Independence Day to follow.'
The trips may be more expensive as well.
Irate AA passengers are pictured in a 'mile-long' line for customer service after their flight from Miami to New York was canceled on Sunday - one of 303 axed over the weekend. The cancellations come as near record travel is projected for Independence Day weekend
While the travel agency found that average airfares declined 2% compared to Independence Day 2020, hotel and car rental rates have jumped as demand increases.
Mid-range hotel rates have increased between 32% and 35%, with the average night at a hotel costing anywhere between $156 and $398.
Daily rental rates have also increased 86% compared to last year, reaching up to $166, which comes as chip shortages have left rental companies scrambling to increase their inventory of new vehicles as demand skyrockets.
The near-record travel predictions come on the heels of news that American Airlines, the country's largest, canceled a total of 303 flights this past weekend, amid warnings a surprise surge in demand for post-COVID travel could see 3,000 AA flights canceled by the end of July.
Bosses explained that the ongoing issues could force them to cancel 50 to 60 flights a day for the remainder of June - equivalent to 600 planes, and up to 80 flights a day in July - a further 2,480 jets.
Crowds are seen at the Miami airport on Monday. American is cutting flights as demand for travel rises faster than expected
American Airlines aircraft at Boston's Logan International Airport on Monday. As the country's largest airline it was hit with some of the worst losses during the pandemic
On Tuesday, the airline had scrubbed 130 flights and more than 200 others were delayed by afternoon Central time, according to tracking service FlightAware.
Americans have returned to the skies far more quickly than large airlines were expecting as COVID-19 numbers drop and quarantine rules are lifted amid widespread access to vaccines. That sudden surge in demand has caught carriers by surprise, ABC News reported.
US airlines suffered their worst year in history in 2020 - losing a combined $35 billion. American, which is the world's biggest airline by fleet size and passenger numbers, accounted for more than a quarter of that loss, falling $9.5 billion into the red.
Last year's large-scale dismissal of experienced airline pilots to save cash has now led to a severe shortage of AA staff who can fly its Boeing 737 jets, which form the backbone of the airline's domestic fleet. It shed 1,200 of its 15,000 pilots, but is now urgently trying to rehire more of those highly-skilled airmen and women.
