The summer of 2022 will go down on record with an unprecedented number of flight delays and cancellations. Few travelers have been spared from the air travel chaos, with everyone’s patience pushed to the edge.
Airlines have confessed to flight crew shortages that conflicted with the need for more flights to meet surging travel demand. With flight schedules cut to accommodate fewer available pilots, travelers had fewer flight options when unexpected weather, airplane mechanical problems or air traffic control issues occurred.
Conventional wisdom suggests that booking the first flight of the day is the best strategy to avoid unforeseen delays and cancellations. Such flights are often less crowded and with lower-airfare seats available. The airplanes have been cleaned and maintained after overnight safety checks, and hence are less prone to mechanical delays.
