500 Flights Are Cancelled And 1,900 Are Delayed As July Fourth Weekend 'Airmageddon' Begins

500 flights are cancelled and 1,900 are delayed as July Fourth weekend 'Airmageddon' begins: Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg 'gives up' and tells passengers to claim compensation from airlines 

Airlines have cancelled and delayed hundreds of flights in the U.S. sparking travel chaos during the busiest Fourth of July weekend since the pandemic, which has been dubbed 'Airmageddon.' Around 48 million people are expected to travel this weekend with AAA estimating 3.5million would take to the air. But the actual number of passengers flying may be dramatically higher as, the Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2.4 million travelers at airports on Thursday alone - up 17 percent from the Fourth of July Friday in 2019. Many fliers will be facing disappointment, with 421 flights canceled by 11am, and 1,942 have been delayed, according to Flight Aware, which reported that by the end of Friday, 586 U.S. flights were called off and 7,773 were rescheduled. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who previously called on airlines to get in shape before the weekend, appeared to give up on getting things under control as he told Americans to follow his lead and claim compensation over the canceled flights. 'Airlines offer miles as compensation for some travel issues, and you can often negotiate on this,' tweeted Buttigieg, who said he got back $112.07 over his canceled flight on Friday after he was initially offered about $30 back. 'Sometimes an airline will offer you points or miles as compensation, but you are entitled to a cash refund when your flight is canceled.' Leading major U.S. airlines in cancellations on Saturday was American Airlines, which canceled 80 flights and delayed 112 flights. Delta followed behind, canceling 40 flights and delaying 156. United Airlines has canceled 35 flights and delayed 84, and Southwest has yet to see a cancellation today, but has delayed 506 flights so far. Since the hectic Juneteenth travel weekend, the U.S. has seen more than 12,000 flights cancelled, according to Flight Aware. In addition to airport chaos and heavy traffic, holiday travelers will have to contend with higher prices. Average gas prices have soared 56 percent from a year ago, mid-range hotel prices have increased 23 percent, and average lowest airfares are up 14 percent. In total, AAA projects that 47.9 million Americans will travel for the Fourth this year, up 3.7 percent from last year and close to the historic peak reached in 2019, before the pandemic struck. Source