Memorial Day travel disruptions possible amid weather, staffing issues
Memorial Day travel disruptions possible amid weather, staffing issues The Atlanta Journal ConstitutionView Full Coverage on Google News
People walk through the arrival area at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday, May 26, 2022. About 2 million passengers are expected to pass through its concourses during the Memorial Day holiday from May 26 to June 1. Miguel Martinez / miguel.martinezjimenez@ajc.com
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
People walk through the arrival area at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday, May 26, 2022. About 2 million passengers are expected to pass through its concourses during the Memorial Day holiday from May 26 to June 1. Miguel Martinez / miguel.martinezjimenez@ajc.com
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
The airline also issued a waiver for passengers scheduled to travel to, from or through its hub in Atlanta and cities in the Northeast for May 26-28, saying it will waive the fare difference for passengers who want to rebook flights to avoid disruptions. It cited weather as a reason for the waiver, though the forecast for this weekend is relatively mild.
“More than any time in our history, the various factors currently impacting our operation — weather and air traffic control, vendor staffing, increased COVID case rates contributing to higher-than-planned unscheduled absences in some work groups — are resulting in an operation that isn’t consistently up to the standards Delta has set for the industry in recent years,” said Delta chief customer experience officer Allison Ausband in a written statement.
These issues have been affecting the airline’s flights for months.
“We’ve never rebuilt an airline before, so we’ll continue to assess, adjust and improve how we fly,” Delta said in a memo late Wednesday to its employees. Among the changes the airline has made is how it schedules flights throughout the day at its Atlanta hub to smooth out peaks that are difficult to handle.
Delta’s cutback of its summer flight schedule comes after similar moves by other airlines facing staffing issues including American, JetBlue and Spirit.
Pressures on the aviation system are also affecting the experience travelers face when they arrive at the airport, where long security lines and short-staffing at airport restaurants are making the travel experience more fraught.
People pass through the South Terminal at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday, May 26, 2022. About 2 million passengers are expected to pass through its concourses during the Memorial Day holiday from May 26 to June 1. Miguel Martinez / miguel.martinezjimene
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
People pass through the South Terminal at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday, May 26, 2022. About 2 million passengers are expected to pass through its concourses during the Memorial Day holiday from May 26 to June 1. Miguel Martinez / miguel.martinezjimene
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Hartsfield-Jackson officials are now advising travelers to get to the airport 2.5 hours before domestic flights, with security lines that can be 30 to 45 minutes long during busy periods.
Parking at the domestic terminal is also more of a hassle this year. Thousands of parking spaces in the South parking deck have been closed for construction for the early stages of a multi-year airport project to reinforce and eventually replace Hartsfield-Jackson’s aging domestic terminal parking decks. That significantly reduces parking available next to the terminal.
As a result, daily parking in the airport’s parking decks often reaches capacity during busy periods, forcing motorists to reroute and look for another place to park. The airport recommends travelers instead consider parking at the remote ATL West deck, which is connected to the terminal via free SkyTrain.
