Get Ready: July 4th's Busiest Travel Routes
AirHelp revealed that 22.7 million U.S. passengers traveled via airplane during July 4th weekend last year. Of those travelers, more than 4 million experienced flight disruptions and over 12,000 passengers are eligible to claim compensation on disruptions, or delays and cancellations that occurred while flying to or from the EU based on European law EC 261.
Last year, U.S. travelers wasted more than 16,000 hours, or 670 days, waiting for delayed flights during the 4th of July weekend. If travelers experience a lengthy delay or have their flight canceled when flying to the EU on an EU airline or out of the EU, they may be entitled to up to $700 in compensation from the airline under European law EC 261, and can file a claim for up to three years.
On top of compensation, the carrier also must provide passengers with meals and refreshments during the delay, as well as access to communications, including telephone calls, fax messages, and emails. If the passenger is forced to stay overnight due to the delay, the airline must also pay for the hotel, and transport to and from the airport. With a busy travel weekend ahead, travelers must be aware of their rights in case of disruptions and know how to plan ahead for the most seamless travel experience possible.
"Flight disruptions affect a lot of people during holiday weekends like 4th of July, and unfortunately, since 92% of U.S. passengers don't understand their rights, airlines take advantage of uninformed travelers," comments Henrik Zillmer, CEO of AirHelp. "We urge passengers to read up on their rights for disruptions, luggage issues, and overbooked flights to ensure that they are receiving compensation they may be legally entitled to claim and reimbursement for plans they may have missed due to the airline's errors."
What can travelers expect for July 4th weekend this year?
During the 2018 4th of July travel season, Sunday, July 8 unsurprisingly saw the largest airport crowds when looking at flights between June 30 and July 8, the Saturday before July 4 and the Sunday after the long weekend. Within the United States, these were the most popular domestic flight routes last year, which can help inform passengers of traffic patterns for the 2019 holiday weekend:
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to New York J F Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) to Kahului Airport (OGG)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Portland International Airport (PDX)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL)