What's the deal with airline ... everything?

If you're planning to fly soon, Godspeed. vox.com/culture CULTURE   I’ve been at a conference all week, and the main topic of conversation has been just how horrible a time everyone had flying out. I’m talking delays, cancellations, one very scary situation where the plane pulled up right before landing and apparently even the flight attendant was visibly saying some prayers. This week’s travel snafus do not bode well for the rest of the summer travel season, which is just getting into full swing. That’s the topic of my colleague [Whizy Kim’s latest story for Vox](: the rough travel season ahead. From bad weather to staffing shortages to smoke from wildfires, there are all sorts of factors complicating flying at the moment, and they’re not going away anytime soon. Anyway, happy, um, travels! –[Emily Stewart](, senior correspondent PS: Our Even Better section is starting a monthly column about personal finance. Let us know what questions you might have around the topic [here](. This week’s delayed flights are just the beginning [A woman sitting on a luggage carousel]( Getty Images Summer travel is back. So back, in fact, that the federal Transportation Security Administration is projecting that more folks will be boarding flights this summer than in 2019. Between Thursday and July 5, it’s expecting to screen almost [18 million travelers](. Just how many of them will make it to their destinations without hitting delays, canceled flights, and other snags is uncertain. On Monday, just ahead of a major US holiday weekend, more than [9,000 flights were delayed or canceled](, mostly due to severe storms that threatened the Northeast, according to FlightAware. Then, on Tuesday, almost [7,800 flights were delayed]( as [storms and tornadoes]( ripped through the Southeast and Ohio Valley. The Federal Aviation Administration, which enforces airline industry regulations and also manages air traffic, advised Wednesday that [low clouds and thunderstorms]( could again affect flights on the East Coast, among other places in the US. (All this comes as the FAA forecasts that the heaviest day of travel for the Fourth of July holiday will be Thursday, with an [estimated 52,564 flights]( taking off across the US.) These delays have left [thousands of travelers stranded]( at airports awaiting flights, or without clarity on whether they’ll get to their destinations at all. That’s a lot of flight disruptions — the culmination of a perfect storm of bad weather, a barrage of travelers unlike any we’ve seen in the past few years, and lingering staffing and scheduling issues in the airline industry. The FAA has not reported any staffing triggers on the East Coast on Monday or Tuesday, when delays and cancellations were at their highest, though more broadly it still [faces a shortage]( of critical workers. The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents United’s unionized workers, meanwhile, [released a memo this week]( lamenting the delays and calling out airline management for “irregular operations” straining employees, especially those who have been on duty for an extended time. [Read the full story »](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Why streaming services are dumping shows left and right Dude, where's my show? [Read the full story »]( Broadway is awash in bad pop musicals pretending to be about feminism Once Upon a One More Time is a lumpy slurry of Britney Spears, Cinderella, and Betty Friedan. For some reason, it’s part of a bigger trend. [Read the full story »](   Support our work We aim to explain what we buy, why we buy it, and why it matters. Support our mission by making a gift today. [Give](   More good stuff to read today - [The ultimate score for rich people? "Golden" passports.]( - [How Frog and Toad became queer anti-capitalist cottagecore icons]( - [Amazon, Walmart, and the price we pay for low prices]( - [Welcome to the era of the trans it-girl]( - [The Idol's not-shortened season, explained in less than 500 words](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=culture). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.