Travelers visiting South Florida had every right to be cranky this spring break season as airlines canceled or delayed hundreds of flights over the weekends, citing staff shortages, bad weather and air traffic control issues.
Now, some air carriers serving the tri-county area are cutting back on flights so their depleted staffs can handle what the industry expects to be a continued surge in consumer demand for air travel. The goal, it seems, is fewer cancellations and better customer relations.
JetBlue Airways, one of the busiest carriers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, says it is trimming back flights by 8% to 10% for May and by similar reductions for the remainder of the summer.
