This is expected to be the busiest holiday travel season in years
DALLAS - Forecasts are calling for the busiest holiday travel season in years, but as travel ramps up, so do threats of a potential strike by airline workers.
It’s been a big year for unions negotiating new deals.
Things work a little differently in the travel sector, as that industry gears up for a record-breaking season.
It could be the busiest holiday travel season in years. AAA anticipates the highest number of Thanksgiving air travelers since 2005, with the two Sundays surrounding Thanksgiving expected to be the big ones.
"It’ll be this Sunday, with people heading out for the long holiday. It will be the Sunday after which will be the single busiest day. We’re anticipating about a quarter million people, you could fill up AT&T Stadium almost three times with that number of people," DFW Airport spokesperson Heath Montgomery said.
And experts say there are signs that airlines are getting better equipped to meet that demand.
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Katy Nastro is with Going, which helps travelers find cheap flights.
"Our cancellation rate for the first eight months of 2023 has actually been about half of what it was in 2022. And that's partly due to being able to hire more pilots, being able to staff up and have more planes in reserve," Nastro said.
But as customer demand ramps up, airline employees are making their demands known.
SKY 4 was overhead as flight attendants picketed outside American Airlines headquarters in Euless on Thursday.
The Southwest Pilots Association said it has opened its first-ever ‘strike center’ in Dallas.
"I think what people should understand is that there are so many steps to happen before something significant like a walkout or a strike to actually take place," Nastro explained.
In order for there to be a strike in the airline industry, the National Mediation Board would have to release a union from mediation.
Even if that happens, there would be a 30-day cooling off period before a strike can start.
The airlines say they are ready to get through this holiday season.
"We are staffed and ready to look after a customers through this holiday period," senior VP of DFW hub operations for American Airlines Jim Moses said. "We are operating, we plan to operate all the flights we have scheduled over this holiday period."
In total, AAA said 55.4 million Americans will travel for Thanksgiving.
An overwhelming majority of those will do so by car. They will likely benefit from some lower gas prices.