The demand for travel as COVID-19 restrictions lift is being met with a short-staffed airline industry and is causing travel chaos for Canadians — and there is no end in sight, according to some experts.
Airlines and airports have been struggling to cope with the massive travel resurgence, as staffing issues at carriers and federal agencies cascade into flight cancellations, baggage delays and endless queues.
“It is not going to get better imminently at all. I see the problems even getting worse as time goes on for the summer for sure,” Travel Secure Inc. president Martin Firestone said.
The industry was forced to nearly shut down earlier in the pandemic. Airlines and airports reduced their workforce through layoffs and early retirements.
However, the industry hasn’t been able to ramp its hiring back up to the same degree and demand for flights has surged.
“Just a domino effect. Everything’s starting to fall apart at each and every level,” Firestone said. “Bottom line, they never counted on that many people travelling and the infrastructure, quite frankly, is not ready to handle this new demand.”
Winnipeg’s Richardson International Airport is nearing pre-pandemic travel levels.
“This past Monday, on July 4, was the busiest day since the start of the pandemic,” Winnipeg Airports Authority communications manager Michel Rosset said. “We welcomed more than 11,600 travellers in that day alone, which is still slightly off our pre-pandemic numbers of about 12,300 passengers a day.”
But despite the demand, cancellations and delays are rampant.
Air Canada and Toronto’s Pearson airport again claimed the top spots for flight delays on Tuesday, marking at least four days in a row where the country’s biggest airline has placed No. 1 of any large carrier worldwide.
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Air Canada saw 65 per cent of its flights arrive late.
“They created a schedule that there was no infrastructure, including their own, to be able to make actually a reality and that’s the problem we’re all facing now,” Firestone said.
It’s not just flight cancellations and delays that travellers are dealing with but also lengthy security lines and late luggage that is now piling up inside terminals and leaving many without their bags for days.
It’s leaving many to try to cram their belongings for long trips into carry-on bags.
“I have two bags to carry on the plane,” traveller Glen Craig told Global News at the Winnipeg airport. “One is packed like a Jack-in-the-box so if you make a slit in it she might blow up. I didn’t want to lose my luggage.”
However, Firestone said packing just a carry-on might not save you from having luggage woes.
“There’s so many carry-ons and there’s only so much room in the upper storage cabinets in a plane still,” Firestone said. “So ultimately it may still end up under the plane also so that is a big problem.”
Firestone said if you plan to travel this summer, there are a few tips to try to ease your pains.
He suggests avoiding booking connecting flights when possible, as they can lead to an increased risk of missing flights and losing luggage, arrive at the airport extra early and buy baggage trackers for your suitcases.
“Those are a somewhat inexpensive way to follow your potential bag and give you peace of mind, I guess, to some degree,” he said.
Also, pack your patience, which Firestone said you’ll need an extra big bag for these days.
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