After a week littered with delays and cancelations, airlines were faring better at the beginning of the holiday weekend.
Total U.S. flight delays were 1,638 on Saturday morning, while cancelations were at 117, according to FlightAware. Of the major U.S. airlines,
Southwest Airlines
(ticker: LUV) was faring the worst with 362 delays, while
American Airlines
(AAL) had 218 delays.
Though these numbers mark a notable improvement from Wednesday afternoon—when delays reached more than 3,900 and canceled flights hit 860—there’s plenty of weekend left, and travelers should be aware of a few potential problems.
First, airports are going to be more crowded than usual. The July 4th holiday weekend always is a busy one, and according to the American Automobile Association more than 50 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from their homes, beating the pre-pandemic level set in 2019.
Of that total, AAA expects 43.2 million people will travel by car, an increase of 2.4% from a year earlier, while 4.17 million people are expected to fly, an increase of 11.2%.
Beyond that, there could be weather issues to contend with. Smoke from Canadian wildfires remains a concern, with Washington, Chicago, and New York ranking in the top 12 of major global cities with the worst air quality, according to IQAir, a website that tracks pollution in major cities.
In addition, severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected over the Midwest and Ohio Valley on Saturday, with storms expected to reach the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Sunday. California and southern areas of the country, meanwhile, have been experiencing excessive heat, according to the National Weather Service.
Write to Emily Dattilo at emily.dattilo@dowjones.com
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