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Airlines gear up for busiest holiday travel season since the pandemic
Meghna Maharishi
Aviation Reporter
Meghna Maharishi is an aviation reporter at TPG. She specializes in everything related to airlines, including their day-to-day operations, newly unveiled flight routes and lesser-known aspects of the industry.
Dec. 14, 2022
•
3 min read
Airlines gear up for busiest holiday travel season since the pandemic
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With Christmas only a couple of weeks away, airlines are now gearing up for what they anticipate will be the busiest holiday travel period since the pandemic.
While the 2022 Thanksgiving travel period became the busiest following the pandemic, airlines are expecting the Christmas and New Year's holiday travel season will see even more people taking to the skies. United Airlines, for example, forecasts 8.3 million people will fly with the airline, an increase of 1.9 million more travelers compared to 2021. The Chicago-based carrier also anticipates that Jan. 2 will be its busiest travel day, with more than 480,000 passengers.
Airlines for America, the trade group that represents most big U.S. carriers — including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United — emphasized that airlines have made significant improvements to their operations since suffering operational reliability issues earlier this year after adjusting their schedules and hiring more staff. Since the peak of the pandemic, Sharon Pinkerton, the senior vice president of policy at A4A, said airlines have collectively hired 106,000 more people, and are now adding 4,600 employees a month.
Pinkerton also said airlines now have the operational capability to handle the increased demand in travel, following a summer defined by endless lines at airports and a soaring number of flight delays and cancellations.
"2022 was a challenging and difficult year," Pinkerton said. "The operating environment was tough, but starting in September, we turned a corner. I believe we are now poised for success and importantly, growth, now that we've stabilized the operation."
Thanksgiving was a far contrast from the chaotic summer travel season, with a travel period that was a lot smoother for airlines, with minimal disruptions. Even though severe weather caused some flight delays in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest, only a small number of flights were canceled.
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Pinkerton added that October, November and December are also shaping up to have the lowest cancellation rates of the entire year. And in December, cancellation rates ranged from 0.2% to 1.2%, despite some severe weather, according to Pinkerton. The summer, on the other hand, averaged a cancellation rate of around 2.2% from Memorial Day to Sept. 1.
A4A officials also offered some tips heading into the holiday travel season, such as allowing plenty of time to get to the airport and to go through security checkpoints. And for the holidays, A4A suggests that travelers wrap their gifts after reaching their destination.
Despite the challenges airlines faced in 2022, Pinkerton said they have a generally rosy outlook for 2023.
"We're turning to 2023 with a renewed sense of optimism, a focus on maintaining our operational reliability, with an eye toward growth," Pinkerton said. "The good news is that the future is very promising because people do want to travel."
Traveling this holiday season? See these for more travel tips:
Featured image by NATHAN HOWARD/GETTY IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.