There’s something uniquely frustrating when something goes wrong after paying the airfare to relinquish control to a private business for travel. Flying on an airliner is generally the fastest way from point A to point B, but this changes when the trip ends up being hours or even days longer than expected. And if you thought things were awful already, it’s about to get even worse.
What’s your most frustrating story from a flight delay or cancellation? Has an airline ever canceled your flight and then rebooked you onto a flight that was later canceled? Or, did you end up on a flight that was delayed for a bizarre reason? How bizarre are we talking about? A United Airlines flight was delayed four hours last week after two flight attendants got into a fight and an in-duty flight manager decided to find a new cabin crew to replace them. No one wants someone else’s workplace drama to keep them from their destination.
The FAA don’t have enough unpaid controllers left to handle flights
To give you a quick refresher on why this question is pertinent now, the Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a 10% reduction in flights across 40 major airports to begin on Friday. The ongoing federal government shutdown exacerbated the pre-existing shortage of air traffic controllers. Deemed essential, the overworked FAA employees are expected to report for work without pay. The absentee rate for controllers in the New York City area soared to 80% last week. Many unpaid workers are calling out to take on other jobs to cover their bills.
The flight cut will hopefully enable the government to maintain airspace safety with a significantly reduced workforce. The reduction will begin at 4%, gradually increasing to 10% by Monday. Also, international flights are exempt. However, the situation could quickly escalate out of control if the shutdown continues and air travel demands increase as Thanksgiving approaches.
Please leave your most frustrating flight delay story in the comments section below. Be sure to include the airline you were flying with, as well as the airport where you were stranded.
