Flight cancellations surge—here’s how to protect your summer

tips for – U.S. flight cancellations hit a three-year high in 2025, with 2026 already tracking worse than 2022. As travelers brace for summer disruptions, airline apps, morning flights, refund awareness, and bag-tracking tools are becoming the difference between a missed

For many travelers, the airport used to be the boring part of the trip—the part where you just showed up, checked in, and moved on. But this summer comes with a sharper edge.

In 2025, flight cancellations climbed to the highest level in three years, rising nearly 15% versus 2024. The jump was tied to a government shutdown last fall—the longest in U.S. history—when airlines were required to cut flights at dozens of the nation’s busiest hubs amid a critical air traffic control staffing crunch. And the trouble hasn’t fully backed off.

So far in 2026, U.S. airlines have canceled roughly 3.4% of all departures through March, based on Department of Transportation data reviewed by TPG. If that pace continues. 2026 would become the worst year for shuttered flights since 2022. when airline meltdowns were widespread as travel rebounded after COVID-19.

Delta: strong in 2025, shakier start to 2026

Even airlines that have built reputations for steadier operations aren’t immune. Delta Air Lines finished first in TPG’s Best Airlines rankings for the eighth straight year, helped by its strong operational performance in 2025.

But Delta’s 2026 start has looked different. Through the first quarter. Delta’s flight cancellation rate ranked an uncharacteristic sixth in the airline industry. based on DOT data. The same data showed Delta lagged behind historically weaker competitors—despite Frontier Airlines finishing as a perennial last-place finisher.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported Delta was working to shore up its operations and staffing ahead of the summer rush.

Plenty of curveballs before summer thunderstorms

The passenger experience this year has already been shaped by more than just cancellations. Travelers have faced an uncertain geopolitical landscape and a handful of punishing winter storms in January that hit major Delta and American Airlines hubs especially hard.

Now, with summer arriving, there’s another seasonal wildcard: thunderstorms. They can regularly threaten to snarl air traffic at major hubs, turning an otherwise routine travel day into a waiting game.

Against that backdrop, TPG’s Best Airlines Report breaks down which carriers performed best in 2025 across reliability metrics like on-time performance, cancellations, baggage handling, and involuntary bumps. Three airlines stood out.

Allegiant Air won the report’s all-important reliability category. with the caveat that the budget airline operates a smaller. simpler route network than its larger competitors. Delta generally ran a strong operation in 2025. Southwest Airlines. which has made vast operational improvements in recent years. has all but buried memories of its high-profile holiday meltdown in 2022.

Southwest’s cancellation rate to date in 2026 is 1.1%, as reported by FlightAware. That rate trails only smaller foe Allegiant. TPG also notes Southwest’s delays year to date rank among the middle of the pack.

There’s also a clear split in how airlines handled mobility disruptions. In the report’s reliability category results, Mishandled wheelchairs, scooters and mobility devices came with zero mishandled items for Delta and zero for Allegiant.

How to navigate a season of disruptions

With summer now upon us, the practical question becomes how to reduce your odds of being stuck once the day goes sideways. TPG’s tips focus on small, actionable moves—especially before you ever reach the gate.

Fly earlier if you can

Morning flights tend to get delayed and canceled less. The reason is usually timing: disruptions build over the course of the day as planes and crews move between cities and thunderstorms fire up later. Overnight hours. by contrast. give airlines buffer time to reset operations and crew staffing. so they often start the day “fresh.”.

If you can handle the 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. alarm, it may be one of the fastest ways to protect an itinerary.

Have the airline app ready—and use it first

Standing in line or waiting on hold can turn a minor disruption into hours. TPG advises travelers to keep the airline’s app handy and know what it can do. In many cases, passengers can re-book themselves or make reservation changes right through the app.

Updates can also appear in the app before flight attendant or gate agent announcements. That timing matters—getting open seats on a different flight can happen faster if you’re watching the phone rather than waiting for the microphone.

Some airlines also send meal and hotel vouchers to stranded passengers through the app, eliminating the need to queue.

Know your refund rights before you accept a new plan

If your flight is significantly canceled or significantly delayed and you choose not to travel, the airline owes you a refund for the unused portion of your trip—no questions asked—under DOT policy. This also applies to reservations that go through a significant time change.

The catch is straightforward: if you accept rebooking or other accommodations, you’re likely not due a refund.

Go carry-on when possible, then track what you can

Keeping close tabs on your luggage can make rerouting dramatically easier. Carrying your bag on board is the simplest way to do that, because swapping flights at the last minute is easier without checked baggage in the mix.

But for many travelers, summer trips and TSA’s 3-1-1 liquids rules make carry-on-only unrealistic. That’s where bag tracking tools come in.

TPG points out that the largest U.S. carriers already have bag tracking services in their mobile apps. It adds that some carriers have integrated with Apple AirTags for real-time visibility. United Airlines, despite turning in the U.S. airline industry’s worst rate of mishandled baggage in 2025, offers AirTag bag tracking tech and an overall stellar app.

Watch for fuel-related cancellations—and booking cuts

TPG says it isn’t seeing mass flight cancellations tied to the global fuel crisis. Still, airlines have been making schedule changes in recent months.

The pattern is often less dramatic than a cancellation revealed at the airport. Domestically, in most cases, carriers cut flights on lower-demand days and during quieter times—such as late-night departures, domestic redeyes, and flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The recommendation is to opt in to all airline notifications and keep an eye on bookings further out into the summer—and into the fall. If your flight is affected by a cutback. there’s a good chance the airline will immediately rebook you on a different flight. And if you don’t want the new departure time, TPG says you can opt for a refund instead.

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