Flight delays and cancellations have worsened as Independence Day weekend kicks off, and it’s causing headaches everywhere:
Fourth of July travel surge puts airlines — and passengers — to the test https://t.co/csWHKaK3hx
— CNBC (@CNBC) July 1, 2022
Saturday could be another chaotic day for people traveling this weekend. There are dozens of delays and cancellations reported at the local airports. @elijahwestbrook reports. https://t.co/b3TqnUjuVd
— CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) July 2, 2022
Delta reportedly offered $10,000 to passengers to disembark from oversold flight https://t.co/IoNBSQSPGF pic.twitter.com/y91l6Oo5o6
— The Hill (@thehill) July 1, 2022
From CNBC:
Airlines canceled nearly 600 flights on Friday and more than 7,600 others arrived late, a tough start to a busy holiday weekend after a messy spring for air travel angered passengers and drew sharp criticism from Washington.
The delays included more than 970 American Airlines flights, nearly 30% of the carrier’s mainline schedule for the day, and 756 Delta flights, about a quarter of the airline’s schedule, according to a tally from FlightAware. Thunderstorms delayed many flights at some of the country’s busiest hubs.
The disruptions eased to about 700 delayed flights by Saturday morning.
Buck Sexton wasn’t buying the “weather” excuse that many travelers have been given for the delays:
Why is it ok for airlines to delay and cancel flights based on the lie that it’s “weather” when it clearly is not?
How is this not fraud?
Currently, all flights out of LGA stopped because of “weather”
Gorgeous day in all directions for 800 miles
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) July 1, 2022
But fear not, because Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has tweeted a thread describing how travelers with canceled flights can go about getting refunds:
Sometimes an airline will offer you points or miles as compensation, but you are entitled to a cash refund when your flight is canceled.
When deciding whether to accept miles, it’s helpful to know their value, which varies, but often is estimated at 1 to 1.5 cents per mile.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 2, 2022
Maybe another solution would be to get a competent Transportation Department and a White House that didn’t spend the last year saying to airline employees “if you don’t like the vax mandate then quit.”
Buttigieg’s list of tips that sound more suitable for a local news segment continued:
For example, my connecting flight got canceled last night. At first, the airline offered 2500 miles, which I estimate is worth about 30 bucks.
But I claimed the refund for the canceled portion instead, and it worked out to be $112.07.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 2, 2022
Airlines offer miles as compensation for some travel issues, and you can often negotiate on this. That’s between you and the airline.
But you are entitled to cash refunds for canceled flights – that’s a requirement that we will continue to enforce.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 2, 2022
Learn more at our aviation consumer protection website https://t.co/cnBRtNvVZl
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 2, 2022
How do we get a refund for this entire administration?
Pete is deservedly getting dragged for this one. The tweet sounds like a “helpful” tip from a Today Show segment, not something the literal Secretary of Transportation should be tweeting out. https://t.co/oNgw988yJb
— 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟✨ (@NateBlanchett) July 2, 2022
Maybe “try appointing somebody who’s actually qualified to be Transportation Secretary to the position of Transportation Secretary” should be on the list of pointers.
Governing by reading The Points Guy https://t.co/BLfIJhx7NH
— Tiana Lowe (@TianaTheFirst) July 2, 2022
Mayor Pete working on your canceled flight refund. @ComfortablySmug https://t.co/cVpKjNYOlA pic.twitter.com/JIVtrCYuRP
— I Am Donna (@Crypsis12) July 2, 2022
Yes, because we will forget what the Biden administration tried to do to airlines at the beginning of the year that made people not want to work in transportation anymore.
You will just act like that did not happen.
(Boundless regulations @AP) https://t.co/nigeLpyXND
— MrsPinky🇺🇸 Nicole Pinkston (@MRSpinkston85) July 2, 2022
Yeah, we’re just supposed to forget about all that now.
This person has presided over the destruction of our supply chain, airline industry implosion, and historic gas price increases… https://t.co/ec0SnecEzA
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) July 2, 2022
Other than that he’s doing a great job! *Eyeroll*
Is there anything in the U.S. that hasn’t become a complete cluster since Biden took office?
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