美国国家公共电台 NPR--There are concerns airlines won't be able to keep up with busy summer travel

There are concerns airlines won't be able to keep up with busy summer travel

Transcript¹

Demand for summer air travel is strong despite high fares. Travelers, however, should brace² for the worst — after widespread flight delays and cancellations last summer.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Airlines say this year's summer vacation season could be their busiest ever. But after last season's flight delays and cancellations, the Biden administration is trying to require airlines to cover the costs that passengers incur³ during delays and cancellations. So will this year be better than last? NPR's David Schaper has been looking into it.

DAVID SCHAPER, BYLINE⁴: 2022 certainly wasn't the best year for air travel. In fact, it may have been one of the worst.

ANDRE DELATTRE: Things were as bad as they've been in 25 years or more.

SCHAPER: Andre Delattre is with the Public Interest Research Group, which analyzed⁵ traveler complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation. He says the number skyrocketed last year as airlines struggled getting people to where they wanted to go.

DELATTRE: There were five times more complaints in 2022 compared to 2019, before the pandemic, even though fewer people were flying.

SCHAPER: Delattre says airlines delayed and canceled a staggering number of flights.

DELATTRE: A hundred and ninety thousand flights canceled last year. And other than the early months of the pandemic, that's more canceled flights than any year since 2001, when, of course, 9/11 disrupted air travel.

SCHAPER: A general accountability office investigation⁶ finds that staffing shortages, maintenance problems and other factors within the airline's control are largely to blame for the sharp increase in flight disruptions. Now, most airlines handled the recent surge in spring break travelers relatively⁷ well. And they say they're much better prepared for this summer than last. But some in the industry aren't so sure.

GEOFF FREEMAN: This summer's travel demand will be as strong as we've seen since before the pandemic and potentially the strongest ever.

SCHAPER: Geoff Freeman heads the U.S. Travel Association, which represents airlines, hotels and other travel-related businesses.

FREEMAN: That type of demand in a system that is woefully underfunded and understaffed is likely to create substantial frustrations⁸ among travelers.

SCHAPER: Freeman puts the blame not on the airlines, but on Congress and the federal government. Air traffic control staffing shortages in the northeast led the FAA to ask airlines to reduce the number of flights this summer into and out of New York-area airports. The FAA is also struggling to upgrade outdated⁹ technology after an outage caused a temporary halt of all departures nationwide in January. And Freeman says extremely long wait times to get through Customs are hurting the recovery in international travel.

FREEMAN: These problems didn't come out of thin air. These problems have come out of years and years of underinvestment.

SCHAPER: Many airlines are flying bigger planes with more seats to meet the increased demand while cutting their overall number of flights, especially regional service to smaller airports. Another challenge for airlines is that airplane manufacturers, such as Boeing, are way behind in delivering new aircraft because of supply chain and production problems. And some airlines face yet another problem with their labor¹⁰ unions.

DENNIS TAJER: The pilots at American Airlines are ready to strike.

SCHAPER: Dennis Tajer is spokesman for American's pilots' union, which voted overwhelmingly to authorize¹¹ a strike if they cannot reach a deal. While walking a picket¹² line at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, Tajer says the key sticking point isn't over pay, but American's scheduling practices that he says stretches pilots too thin.

TAJER: I don't know what's going to happen this summer. That's why we're out here. There's so much uncertainty¹³, it's even shaken us to our core.

SCHAPER: Pilots at Southwest are voting on whether to authorize a strike, too. And unions for employees at those and other airlines are also in tense negotiations¹⁴. If there's any silver lining¹⁵ for air travelers it's that air fares, which had been soaring, are starting to level off and even drop, especially for flights next fall after the summer travel rush is over.

David Schaper, NPR News, Chicago.

(SOUNDBITE OF ELISEY'S "SQUARE PUSHER")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

3 incur   

vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇

参考例句：

• Any costs that you incur will be reimbursed in full.你的所有花费都将全额付还。
• An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.一个企业为了维持营业,就不得不承担一定的费用和开支。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

9 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

10 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

11 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

12 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

13 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

14 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

15 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。