They could be in for a bumpy ride. With the busy summer travel season approaching, labor disputes and a continuing crush of air traffic are threatening to create a rerun of last year's record delays.
Consumers say they are bracing for hassles.
Now I kind of think it's a drag,'' said Dana Julao, who travels for his job as a network technician for Texcom Inc., an engineering firm based in Portsmouth. Last year, passengers rode out the worst performance by major domestic air carriers in the six years data have been kept, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Fewer than three out of four flights were on time in 2000. Some months, some carriers were delayed nearly half the time. This year may bring more of the same.