Saturday 2 July 2022 04:18 PM More than 400 flights delayed as travel chaos continues in Fourth of July ... trends now

Airlines have cancelled and delayed hundreds of flights in the U.S. sparking travel chaos during the busiest Fourth of July weekend since the pandemic. 

As of Saturday morning, 421 flights have been canceled, and 1,942 have been delayed, according to Flight Aware, which reported that by the end of Friday, 586 U.S. flights were called off and 7,773 were rescheduled. 

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who previously called on airlines to get in shape before the weekend, appeared to give up on getting things under control as he told Americans to follow his lead and claim compensation over the canceled flights. 

'Airlines offer miles as compensation for some travel issues, and you can often negotiate on this,' tweeted Buttigieg, who said he got back $112.07 over his canceled flight on Friday after he was initially offered about $30 back. 

'Sometimes an airline will offer you points or miles as compensation, but you are entitled to a cash refund when your flight is canceled.' 

Leading major U.S. airlines in cancellations on Saturday was American Airlines, which canceled 80 flights and delayed  112 flights. Delta followed behind, canceling 40 flights and delaying 156.

United Airlines has canceled 35 flights and delayed 84, and Southwest has yet to see a cancellation today, but has delayed 506 flights so far. 

Since the hectic Juneteenth travel weekend, the U.S. has seen more than 12,000 flights cancelled, according to Flight Aware. 

On Thursday alone, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2.4 million travelers at airports on Thursday, up 17 percent from the Fourth of July Friday in 2019. 

In addition to airport chaos and heavy traffic, holiday travelers will have to contend with higher prices. Average gas prices have soared 56 percent from a year ago, mid-range hotel prices have increased 23 percent, and average lowest airfares are up 14 percent. 

In total, AAA projects that 47.9 million Americans will travel for the Fourth this year, up 3.7 percent from last year and close to the historic peak reached in 2019, before the pandemic struck. 

In addition, the Biden administration is blaming the airlines, saying it received billions in stimulus money to keep afloat during the pandemic and should stick to the schedule it publishes. 

Buttigieg said earlier this month that airlines had until July 4 to figure out the issues and work out the kinks so travelers can have a smooth summer holiday.   

Buttigieg pushed back earlier this week when the head of the trade group Airlines for America blamed the FAA for delays.

'The majority of cancellations and the majority of delays have nothing to do with air traffic control staffing,' Buttigieg told NBC Nightly News.

Amid the Fourth of July travel chaos, many are calling on Buttigieg to act rather than give out advice on how to get compensation like he did. 

One Twitter user with the handle, The Dude, wrote: 'Hey Pete … maybe, as Secretary of Transportation, you should be meeting with FAA, major airlines and other key folk involved - slamming your fist on the table and demanding they work out these issues and a plan to address the problems … not update us on frequent flyer miles. 

Another Twitter user with the handle, Limstone Caulk, added: 'How about, people just want to go somewhere when they actually paid to go?' 

Brian Jackson, another Twitter user, said he, too, wanted Buttigieg to be proactive in the situation.

'You know [as] the Secretary of Transportation you could maybe I don’t know fix the root cause of the delays so no one would need a refund and would actually get to their destination?' 

Another Twitter user with the handle Pantazopopulos wrote:  'How bout you actually find out the reasons the airlines are having issues and see if there is a way to help, I mean, if you're not busy, since you are Transportation Secretary.'  

Sen. Bernie Sanders demanded Washington fine airlines $55,000 per passenger for every flight cancellation they know can't be fully staffed. He also demanded that the DOT impose a $15,000 fine per passengers facing extended delays on domestic and international flights. 

'The American people are sick of airlines ripping them off, canceling flights at the last minute and delaying flights for hours on end,' he said.

'Given all of the generous taxpayer support that has been provided to the airline industry, all of us have a responsibility to make sure that passengers and crew members are treated with respect, not contempt.' 

Sens. Edward Markey, of Massachusetts, and Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut, asked 10 airline CEOs this week to 'take immediate action' to reduce travel disruptions. The senators demanded information about how each airline decides which flights to cancel and the number of consumer refunds requested and granted.