Things looked a little better Monday morning at Boston's Logan Airport after 66 flights had been cancelled over the previous 24 hours, but the frustration is growing for many with the summer travel season upon us.
Airline travel has rebounded to almost pre-pandemic levels but staffing issues are causing plenty of problems for airlines.
While most travelers reported a smooth day Monday, it's still far from perfect and that definitely wasn't the case days ago.
The FAA and Massport have blamed severe weather in parts of the country, while multiple major airlines have pointed fingers at air traffic controllers and other staffing shortages.
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This has been a problem over the last week, with thousands of flights canceled or delayed nationwide, including the busiest air travel day of the year so far on Friday -- roughly 100 flights were cancelled and more than 130 were delayed at Logan.
JetBlue, Delta and American have been seeing the biggest disruptions.
Some people, including here at Logan, were stranded overnight and forced to sleep on makeshift cots in the airport.
"I was on my way to the airport, I see my flight's cancelled. So I'm like, oh well," one traveler said. "This is unfortunate. Especially since my friend had to go to work, so now I'm stuck here trying to figure out how to get home."
"Obviously worried a little, hoping everything works," said traveler Belinda Zayas, who was headed to a weekend wedding. "We had my son who traveled in from Rome to Boston. We had my mother-in-law, Tampa to Boston."
Fortuantely everything worked out for Zayas, but travel agent Suzanne Bowering, owner of Holiday Travel in Wakefield, says travelers should prepare for a turbulent summer season.
Bowering says patience and planning will be the biggest keys for travelers.
Every airline is short on pilots. The airlines are having to trim schedules and park planes. Add in weather, and the stress on the industry compounds.
Those who work on the front lines of the airline industry say right now, issues are inevitable.
"Even one twitch in the system throws everything off," said George Carrasquillo, who works in the industry. "Somebody working a flight from Boston to LaGuardia stuck in Miami, or stuck in Fort Lauderdale, so I'm like, how do we get that person here, how do we get that plane here?"
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Anticipating problems this summer, Bowering tells people flying to a cruise or a European tour that they need to get there one day ahead -- two if they can.
"I also tell them, when you're at the airport, stand in that line because you may get through quicker than I do on the phone so it’s a two prong attack," she said. "We are expecting it to be straight out crazy busy."
Bowering also recommends travel insurance. She says a lot of people don't get insurance for domestic flights but this season, it could be a smart thing to purchase.
