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Hits keep coming: More than 1,150 flights canceled today

Jan. 09, 2022
3 min read
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 04: Snow plows move snow as a JetBlue airplane waits outside terminal five at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 4, 2018 in the Queens borough of New York City. A winter storm is traveling up the east coast of the United States dumping snow and creating blizzard like conditions in many areas. (Photo by Rebecca Butala How/Getty Images)
Hits keep coming: More than 1,150 flights canceled today
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Another day, another series of cancellations and delays for the airlines.

As we've been reporting, airlines across the board have been suffering operational problems for weeks now including the busy holiday period. It was hoped once January was underway and demand slowed down that the airlines would be able to get to some semblance of normalcy. So far, that hasn't happened.

Airlines had already canceled more than 1,150 flights in the U.S. on Sunday by noon.

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(Screenshot courtesy FlightAware)

Of the major domestic carriers, Alaska Airlines is having the most trouble today with 12% of its flights canceled. United cut 8% of its flights and another 5% are delayed. Southwest is still struggling to recover after a series of bad days, cutting more than 230 flights today - around 6% of its flights. Southwest has delayed another 8% of its schedule. Frontier has cut 5%, regional carriers SkyWest, Republic and Mesa have cut between 5-17% of their schedules.

American Airlines is faring better Sunday with only 58 flights or 2% of its schedule slashed.

Better news from Delta Air Lines which has only canceled six flights Sunday.

Denver International Airport hit hard today with 13% of its flights canceled.

Related: Here's what to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

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The omicron variant of COVID-19 has devastated airline operations and airline schedules for more than two weeks now. Airlines simply don't have enough staff to operate all their flights because of sick calls. A few major snowstorms haven't helped matters.

Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research, told TPG that COVID-19 was causing staff shortages at every airline and at every airport. "Obviously many cancellations occur at the last minute when a crew member is unable to work ... airlines have done the best they can to cope with a situation that isn't just fluid, but chaotic."

Related: 6 real-life strategies to use if your flight is canceled

Several airlines have preemptively cut their schedules back significantly. As we reported yesterday, Alaska cut 10% of its flights for January in an attempt to restore regular operations. JetBlue had previously announced similar measures.

Related: 1 in 13 flights was canceled during the holidays

The airlines are doing better this weekend than they did last week. Friday, airlines canceled more than 2,600 flights as a snowstorm hit the Northeast.

Harteveldt also told me the airlines were doing the best they could considering we are in the middle of an ever-changing pandemic:

"This is so frustrating for airline managers, airline employees and for travelers. Everyone is eagerly awaiting to see the broader number of case counts and start to see verifiable good news that allows us to confirm the omicron variant peak has been reached and has passed. But this isn't a situation the airlines can control."

Related: Delta doles out SkyMiles for canceled holiday flights; United and others remain silent

Data from Cirium and FlightAware. (Image by Bill Harkins/The Points Guy)

A TPG analysis found that one in 13 flights over the holidays was canceled. Still, 92% of scheduled flights did operate. How's that for a "silver lining"?

Featured image by 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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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.

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  • Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
  • Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
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  • Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
  • Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
  • Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
  • New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
  • Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
  • Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
  • Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
  • Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
  • Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • $250 Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees