Why are flights being cancelled now?

Inefficient scheduling, miscommunication, and staffing shortages all contributed to the mass cancellations. “During the pandemic, a lot of airlines gave buyouts to some of these older pilots,” explains Nastro, reducing their labor costs, but creating a dearth of experienced staffers just as travel ramped back up.



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Beyond weather and our increasingly dire climate, persistent issues with old technology and labor shortages have made air travel less reliable over the past year. Frustrations came to a head last December when Southwest Airlines canceled almost 3,000 flights during the peak holiday travel week.

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If the airline cancels your flight or it's significantly delayed (a term still defined on a case-by-case basis) and you're forced to change your travel plans, the DOT requires airlines to provide a full refund.

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Federal law doesn't require airlines to pay compensation to passengers for delays, Palmer said. If airlines cancel a flight for any reason, passengers are legally entitled to a full refund, including for ticket price, taxes, baggage fees, extra charges and ancillary fees.

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To be clear, passengers flying in the U.S. are already entitled to refunds when a flight is canceled or significantly delayed. No matter the cause — weather-related or not — airlines must pay passengers back for the unused portion of their ticket if the passenger ultimately chooses not to fly.

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Slightly more than 19 percent of flights were delayed last year, in contrast to 2018, when about 17 percent of flights were delayed, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Almost 4 percent of flights were canceled in 2022. In 2023 so far, delays have affected about 22 percent of flights.

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Contrary to popular belief, airlines don't cancel flights just to save money, for instance if there aren't enough passengers to make it worth their while. But they do cancel flights to prevent even wider cancellations and delays.

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Airlines are liable to compensate passengers for delays of three hours or more, which may include meals, refreshments, and even accommodation in some cases. Passengers may be eligible for a refund or placement on the next flight if the delay is more than five hours.

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Crosswinds greater than 50-60 km/h may cause airlines to delay or cancel flights. Even lower gusts can trigger flight delays or cancellations if the runways are wet or icy, as stiff winds can reduce a plane's ability to brake on the runway.

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When a flight delay occurs, you are entitled to assistance and a choice between rerouting, reimbursement, or rebooking. If you arrive at your destination more than 3 hours after your scheduled arrival time, you are entitled to the same reimbursement, rerouting, and rebooking structure as a denied boarding.

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BTS data from July 2021 to June 2022 shows Hawaiian performed best of all U.S. airlines with just a 0.81% cancellation rate. Delta took second place again — with a cancellation rate of 1.63%. Meanwhile, merger partners JetBlue (3.81%) and Spirit Airlines (4.11%) canceled the highest percentage of all flights.

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The overall worst airport in the US for delays is JFK, based on our study of over 40,000 flights from the summer of 2022. JFK is followed by Chicago Midway, Newark, Orlando International, LaGuardia, and Denver.

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Flight cancellations can be caused by a variety of factors, such as bad weather, strikes, or technical issues with the aircraft. Passengers have certain rights if their flight is canceled, including the right to rebooking, a refund, or compensation under certain circumstances.

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Based on flight status data, flights after 3 p.m. have a 50 percent higher chance of being canceled, on average, than those that depart earlier in the day. Early morning on-time performance is all thanks to the thin air traffic.

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A flight delay reversal can occur when the initial cause of the delay is resolved quicker than initially expected. For instance, weather conditions might improve sooner than anticipated or a mechanical issue with the aircraft might be fixed in a shorter timeframe than first estimated.

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If not enough volunteers raise their hands, the airline will involuntarily bump people, which most of the time occurs before the plane is boarded. In this case, airlines must provide compensation for bumped passengers, albeit with a few exceptions, according to the DOT.

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