Prepare for an additional sold-out summer in terms of travel. Across the country, there are still labor shortages in lots of industries.
Nowhere is that more apparent than within the travel industry. An extra 75,000 leisure and hospitality jobs were added just in March, based on latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, however the industry will likely must remain on a hiring binge if it’s to maintain up with demand throughout what’s expected to be a busy summer for travel.
Air travel is especially affected by labor shortages in sectors equivalent to air traffic controllers, flight attendants, pilots, ground crew and food service employees inside airports.
Many within the travel industry are pushing for the federal government to assist.
“The federal government might help solve staffing needs by increasing the cap on H-2B temporary employee visas and permanently exempting returning employees from the cap,” U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a released statement.
The U.S. Travel Association has been vocal about labor shortages within the travel industry since visa changes were implemented in 2020 in the course of the pandemic. Once the industry began hiring again in 2021 and travel got here roaring back, it seemed apparent that the U.S. travel industry was still not staffed to pre-pandemic levels.
Although Delta Air Lines executives said during a quarterly earnings call last week that the airline and its vendors were adequately staffed, shortages proceed to persist in lots of corners of the industry.
Labor shortages persist, and everyone seems to be hiring
Airports have been particularly affected by labor shortages, with some going to extraordinary lengths to draw additional employees.
At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), monthly job fairs highlight open positions. Lots of the jobs pay above minimum wage. Examples include the 4 locations Kind Hospitality operates at PHX: Fazoli’s and O.H.S.O. Brewery in Terminal 4, and two Panera Bread restaurants in terminals 3 and 4. The typical hourly wage for a cashier is $15.21. That’s $1.36 greater than Arizona’s minimum wage.
While currently staffed, hiring additional employees will help the restaurants schedule more efficiently, based on Ashley Negron, spokesperson for Kind Hospitality.
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She noted that essentially the most difficult positions to fill have been baristas and cooks, despite the advantages offered that include free parking, health and life insurance, short- and long-term disability, paid day off and free meals while on shift and discounted meals when not on shift, a referral bonus and occasional sign-on bonuses.
In line with the job fair website, the Transportation Security Administration at PHX can be hiring and offering a $5,000 sign-on bonus and a full advantages package, including medical, dental, vision and federal retirement plan.
Los Angeles airports are also hiring, based on Amber Meshack, director of business, jobs and social responsibility for Los Angeles World Airports.
“Jobs which might be most in demand include retail and food service employee positions which follow predictable seasonal demands all year long,” Meshack said. “Without delay, employers are gearing up for summer tourism season.”
“Nevertheless, you’ll note that technical positions (equivalent to mechanics and ground service operators), administrative positions and managerial positions are also in high demand,” Meshcak added.
Spokespeople for vendors at each Phoenix and Los Angeles airports noted that the upper average wages are a competitive advantage. Nevertheless, the safety requirements and long lead times to obtaining security badges could be challenges, especially for those looking for a right away begin to work.
Air traffic controller shortages
Short staffing is not limited to the airport and the aircraft. Air traffic controllers are still in brief supply, which has the potential to cause further problems this summer.
Last 12 months, chronic short staffing on the air traffic control center in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed to ongoing cascading delays, with aircraft and crew members flying through the busy Florida airspace unable to get to their next assignments during disruptions brought on by bad weather.
The situation at Jacksonville and across the board appears to have improved somewhat. Nevertheless, with the Federal Aviation Administration hiring and training latest controllers, a big shortfall on the FAA’s Recent York-area control facility could cause latest headaches this 12 months.
While the FAA and airlines have already taken steps to scale back traffic in Recent York’s skies this summer to take a number of the load off of controllers there, the power stays staffed at only 54% of the perfect level, the FAA said, in comparison with 81% average staffing nationally.
So, even with the mitigation efforts the FAA has put into place, thunderstorms and other weather could lead on to major disruptions within the Northeast this summer, cascading through the remainder of airlines’ networks as aircraft, pilots and flight attendants get caught misplaced.
DOT complaints are on the rise
In the most recent Air Travel Consumer Report released by the U.S. Department of Transportation, complaints about airline service in 2022 were up 55.3% from the 49,991 complaints received in 2021.
Of the 77,656 documented complaints received in 2022, 24,647 (31.7%) concerned flight problems (including complaints about lack of reimbursements for costs related to flight problems), 19,983 (25.7%) concerned refunds, and 12,007 (15.5%) concerned baggage, based on the information.
What this implies for travelers
With no sign of air travel slowing down, what does this mean for travelers this summer? Pack your patience, for starters.
Lack of staff on the airport can mean longer lines, so plan ahead as much as possible and now have a backup plan if needed. Were you impacted by the Southwest meltdown over the vacations, or were you certainly one of the unfortunate travelers with lost luggage? If you must do all the pieces in your power to avoid the same situation this 12 months, keep reading.
Listed here are a couple of suggestions from the TPG travel experts:
- Get TSA PreCheck or Clear to expedite your security screening. If you’ve each, you’ll be able to select the shorter line.
- Travel with a carry-on if possible. It would prevent money on baggage fees when you don’t carry a cobranded airline bank card or hold elite status, and also you won’t should worry about losing your luggage.
- Can’t carry on? Use a tracking device in your bag, like an Apple AirTag. It has saved many bags for TPG writers and lots of readers.
- Take the primary flight of the day. Normally, this implies your plane has arrived the night before, so there’s less likelihood of delays. Flying nonstop can be an ideal approach to try to avoid any unexpected layovers.
- Book a backup flight. Using points and miles to secure a backup flight in case your original plan goes sideways might save your vacation. Just be sure you cancel before departure to get your miles redeposited in your account.
- Use a bank card that carries travel protections like trip interruption and cancellation insurance. Even when you are traveling on an award ticket, when you pay the taxes on the ticket with certainly one of these cards, you might be covered.
Bottom line
An absence of luggage handlers, air traffic controllers, pilots and staff at security checkpoints, check-in desks and airport gates means things could get messy this summer.
It’s unlikely that each one open jobs at America’s airports and airlines can be filled in time for the busy summer travel season. So, plan prematurely as much as possible and follow the guidelines outlined above.
May the chances be ever in your favor.
