A report from AAA said that nearly 50 million Americans will be traveling this Independence Day weekend, including over 3 million by air. Despite gas prices climbing across the nation, Paul Glenn, CEO of Executive Travel in Lincoln, advises travelers to get behind the wheel to avoid surprise cancellations.
“Many people will jump into their cars for summer travel this year. They won’t get caught up in that and they’ll be able to get home as planned,” he said.
Glenn said that rising airfare and cancellations are symptoms of the air travel industry bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels, from aircraft certification to staffing issues.
“It is a culmination of many things that make it so the dominoes are falling. We have many challenges on the horizon for summer travel,” he said.
Over Memorial Day weekend, over 1,000 flights were canceled across the nation. Glenn said that for those still planning to go to the airport this summer, patience is key.
“I think you just have to go into knowing there’s a lot of things causing challenges right now, and you have to be patient. It’s not the people working in the airport’s fault,” he said.
Glenn said that airlines are hopeful that current challenges will be smoothed over this fall. So, if travel plans can be delayed, he said more opportunities could open up in a few months' time.