If you've been on a plane lately, it's likely you've had a rough experience. Staffing shortages, lost luggage, overcrowded airports and canceled flights are just a few factors that contribute to Americans' traveling woes.
Airlines were caught short-handed after the pandemic and added more flights than they can staff if there are problems such as weather, said David Schaper, who covers transportation for NPR.
"There's people that haven't been able to see family in a couple of years because of the pandemic. We're talking about missing graduations, we're talking about missed weddings, we're talking about missed family reunions and things like that," said Schaper.
The airline industry and members of Congress have made a few proposals that have raised questions. One was to raise the retirement age for pilots from 65 to 67 to curb the national pilot shortage.
Schaper said this could help short-term but doesn't think it's a long term solution.
"The CEO of United Airlines said something to the effect of I think 30 or 40% of their pilots who are already age 64 do not meet the medical requirements to to keep flying," Schaper states. "So therefore they are on medical leave and they're not able to fly either temporarily or fully."
But there might be some light at the end of the road. According to Hopper, an online travel agency and app that tracks the cost of airline tickets, car rentals and hotel rooms, predicts travel prices will drop 40% in the early weeks of fall.
- David Schaper, who covers transportation for NPR and is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk
