United gives 30,000 miles to passengers impacted by July 4th weekend flight delays, cancellations
After the hundreds of flight disruptions that affected travelers’ Fourth of July holiday weekend plans, United Airlines has given 30,000 miles to travelers who were impacted by the inconveniences.
According to Travel + Leisure, the airline will give miles to travelers whose flights were either delayed or canceled from June 24 through June 30. Travelers who experienced overnight flight delays or who were unable to make it to their final destination are also eligible to receive miles. Eligible passengers will receive an email with instructions detailing how to add the miles to their accounts.
As previously reported by Detour, United CEO Scott Kirby blamed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the delays and cancellations, citing its staffing shortage and lack of traffic management. In a memo, he called the past week “one of the most operationally challenging weeks I’ve experienced in my entire career.”
Kirby spoke to how the weather impacted services at Newark Airport, stating that service was reduced by “60-75% for an average of 6 to 8 hours each day.”
On Friday, United canceled over 230 flights, equating to 8 percent of its operation, reports CNBC. The hectic Fourth of July travel weekend came after AAA anticipated that over 4 million people would be traveling for the holiday.
According to FlightAware, United saw 574 flight delays and 52 cancellations on Monday, and 729 delays and 95 cancellations on Tuesday. According to the FAA via Twitter, weather could continue to impact flights and lead to delays.
Roshae Hemmings is an arts and culture magazine journalist from St. Louis, MO. A graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism, Roshae has bylines in the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine and 5280 Magazine discussing topics ranging from pop culture, social justice and eat and drink. She is a foodie at heart and enjoys eating food as much as learning about the story behind it. You can reach Roshae via email at roshaehemmings@detourxp.com.
This story was originally published July 5, 2023 at 3:07 PM.