Seattle storms add to holiday travel woes as flight cancellations continue
Flight cancellations continued across the U.S. on Monday, with winter weather stymieing airlines' efforts to get back on track following a Christmas weekend meltdown.
Nearly 800 flights operated by U.S. airlines had been canceled as of 1:00 p.m. ET on Monday, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.
U.S. airlines canceled about 2,000 flights between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, citing COVID-19 infections among flight crews linked to the rapid spread of the omicron variant across the country.
The rate of cancellations appeared to have slowed somewhat by Sunday, but winter weather in parts of the U.S. — particularly heavy snow and cold temperatures in the Seattle area — appeared to hinder the recovery and led to a slew of new cancellations on Monday.
Of the nearly 800 cancellations, 262 were on SkyWest, which operates flights as a regional carrier for the major U.S. airlines, including for Delta out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. About 11% of SkyWest's flights were canceled
Alaska Airlines, which operates a hub in Seattle, saw 139 cancellations, or 20% of its schedule for the day. Horizon Air, which operates regional flights for Alaska, canceled 31 flights, 11% of its flying for the day.
About 80 flights scheduled to depart from Sea-Tac were canceled — 15% of the day's scheduled departures — as well as 91 arriving flights, or 17% of the planned arrivals for the day.
Delta, United, and JetBlue, all of which had seen the worst of the Christmas weekend cancellations, appeared to be getting back on track.
Delta canceled 77 flights, or 2% of its schedule as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Monday, compared to 190 on Sunday. United canceled 93 flights as of the same time on Monday — 4% of its schedule — compared to 118 on Sunday. JetBlue, meanwhile, had 66 cancellations Monday, representing 6% of its scheduled flights, compared to 132 on Sunday.
American Airlines had 84 cancellations on Monday, 3% of its schedule, while Southwest canceled 55 flights, roughly 1% of its flights for the day.
The omicron-driven holiday weekend mess was comparable to winter storms that have snarled air traffic during previous winter travel periods.
In March 2019, for instance, airlines canceled 3,500 flights over three days due to a blizzard. Over the holidays in 2013, almost 10,000 flights were canceled due to winter storms, according to airline analyst Helane Becker of Cowen.
In a statement Thursday night, a spokesperson for United confirmed that an uptick in COVID-19 cases among employees was behind the airline’s disruptions.
“The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” the statement said. “As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport. We’re sorry for the disruption and are working hard to rebook as many people as possible and get them on their way for the holidays.”
The disruptions come as holiday travel volumes neared pre-pandemic levels.
The cancellations began rolling in on Thursday afternoon. Airlines typically use proactive cancellations as a last resort in order to avoid larger disruptions, which appeared to be the case on Thursday. United expects that the disruption could potentially last through at least the weekend, according to a Network Operations shift log viewed by TPG.
“We entered the holiday season with the highest staffing levels we’ve had since the pandemic began and are using all resources available to us to cover our staffing needs,” a spokesperson for JetBlue said in a statement. “Despite our best efforts, we’ve had to cancel a number of flights, and additional flight cancellations and other delays remain a possibility as we see more Omicron community spread.”
Related: Here’s what to do if your flight is delayed or canceled
“The health and safety of our crewmembers and customers remains our top priority as we work through this pandemic, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that these schedule changes bring during the holidays,” the statement added.
The COVID-19-related issues come as at least two big airlines and the lobbying trade group Airlines For America have already warned that the CDC’s quarantine requirements could lead to staffing shortages amid the latest wave of infections fueled by the new omicron variant.
The cancellations also come after United CEO Scott Kirby sent a letter to customers in November noting that the airline had avoided the types of staffing-related operational issues that have affected other carriers, including Southwest and American.
“Yes, you can book with confidence on United,” Kirby wrote in the letter.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for Delta said the airline was making proactive cancellations to try and avoid larger operational disruptions caused by a number of issues. In addition to sick call-outs among flight crews due to COVID-19, bad weather was forecasted around Delta’s Seattle and Salt Lake City hubs.
“We apologize to customers for the delay in their holiday travel plans,” the spokesperson said in an updated statement on Saturday night. “Delta people are working together around the clock to reroute and substitute aircraft and crews to get customers where they need to be as quickly and safely as possible. When that’s not possible, Delta Reservations specialists coordinated with our Operations and Customer Care Center to get those impacted on the next available flight.”
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- 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.
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| 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. |
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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
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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. (Partner offer)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.