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Besides long queues and lost luggage, the travel situation doesn't appear to be getting better anytime soon. Carriers have been trying to recoup the severe losses suffered over the past several years by making as much money from soaring demand as they come out of the pandemic. The problem is that airline and airport staff have not returned to pre-COVID levels, a pilot shortage is exacerbating the issue, while any wrinkles in one division can cause knock-on effects or meltdowns in other areas of the entire flying operation.
Time to act: British Airways has suspended ticket sales for short-haul flights from London Heathrow over the next week, in a move that is likely to push up ticket prices and add to record U.K. inflation. The British flag carrier already announced it would cancel 10,300 flights until October, in response to the airport imposing a cap of no more than 100K departing passengers per day. The news also comes a week after International Airlines Group (OTCPK:ICAGY), BA's parent, revealed that it had returned to profit for the first time since the pandemic, but warned of "acute" challenges of scaling up operations.
"We've decided to take responsible action and limit the available fares on some Heathrow services to help maximize rebooking options for existing customers, given the restrictions imposed on us and the ongoing challenges facing the entire aviation industry," said a BA spokeswoman.
Will the same happen in the U.S.? This past Sunday, 17 major U.S. airports saw at least 20% of their flights depart late. The worst of the troubles were seen at Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina and at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, where 38% and 32% of all flights were delayed, respectively.