Likely July 4th Travel Delays And Where To Turn For Help

Posted onAuthorChris Owen

Happening now, more than 50 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more for July 4 celebrations. Some of them will drive while others will fly during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. More air traffic than normal will probably add up to airport delays.  But where and when?   History tells us where July 4th travel delays are likely to happen is more about the route than the airport.

According to air traveler assistance company Airhelp, the 10 most disrupted flight routes were:

  1. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
  2. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK)
  3. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
  4. John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
  5. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
  6. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Portland International Airport (PDX)
  7. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Canada’s Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
  8. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
  9. Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
  10. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

So what if your flight is delayed? 
Your airline will book you on the next available flight to your destination. It’s also a good idea to be familiar with what the ‘next available flight’ is apt to be.  A search at the airline website to replicate your original flight plan can give us an idea of what is available.

But what if that flight plan is inconvenient? 
Airhelp is a company recently added to our RESOURCES page with ambitious plans to end our flying woes once and for all. Basically, they help air passengers around the world secure compensation for delayed, canceled, or overbooked flights. “We fight for millions of travelers who are unsure of their rights, lack the time, or lack the expertise to embark on the claims process independently” says Airhelp, adding “We believe that air passenger rights weren’t made for airlines to interpret on a whim.”

AirHelp found that more than 47,000 flights were disrupted, and that the Fridays before and after July 4th were the busiest travel days within this period.