ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines confirmed on Friday that it has informed customers about all cancellations through the weekend.
Airlines are trying to get information to passengers in advance of their flights as the FAA continues to reduce flights at 40 high-volume airports across the country, including here in Atlanta.
Aviation analytics company Cirium said Friday was only the 72nd-worst day for cancellations since January 2024.
That’s not much consolation for flyers Pavel Gutierrez and Jakoub Gonzalez, who are trying to make it back to Miami.
It was beginning to look like the two were going to spend more time in Atlanta after what was supposed to be a weekend visiting a friend at college in New York.
“It was from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta, Atlanta to Syracuse. Got canceled in between, so we’ve just been stuck here,” Gutierrez said.
Airlines are trying to avoid these kinds of headaches by canceling flights and rebooking passengers in advance.
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Delta told us that “all planned FAA-directed flight cancellations for Nov. 7-9 have been completed. Customers receive email, text, and notifications in the app when a flight is canceled, along with a rebooking to the next best option.”
And with many of the cancelled flights being regional, some travelers are switching to rental cars.
Avis and Hertz both told Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray that one-way rentals are up.
“In the past two days, reservations for one-way rentals through this weekend have spiked over 20%, year-over-year,” Hertz said in a statement.
Channel 2 consumer advisor Clark Howard said you have to be your own advocate if your flight is cancelled.
“You need to come up with your own alternate plans. If you get to the airport and your flight has been canceled, that’s when you find out you’re the one who needs to hunt around and suggest possible different flights,” Howard said.
The earliest flight Gutierrez and Gonzalez could get to Syracuse is Monday. So, they are flying back to Ft. Lauderdale instead, and are counting on the third-party insurance they purchased to reimburse them for the mess.
“I think like the main thing, especially with the government shutdown and everything, is just to get paper and insurance, because that’s always worth it, because you never know what’s going to happen,” Gonzalez said.
Airlines said that it’s critical they have your updated contact information and you have their app.
Hertz said if you are looking to go the rental car route instead, you are better off reserving a car at a neighborhood location, not the airport.