More than three million people passed through security checkpoints at U.S. airports on Sunday, a record number, according to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The peak, which was widely expected to occur over the long July 4 holiday weekend, surpassed the previous record set on June 23, when 2.99 million passengers were screened. Eight of the 10 busiest days in TSA history have occurred this year, as the number of travelers has surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
The TSA was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and replaced a collection of private security firms hired by airlines. The agency reports to the Department of Homeland Security, which said its agents were screening 35 passengers every second on Sunday.
As Americans continue to battle inflation, travel costs, including airfare and hotel prices, have fallen compared with a year ago. Hotel rooms were 1.2% cheaper in May than a year ago, according to recent government inflation data. Those costs have been trending down since the beginning of the year.
While most U.S. airlines lost money in the first quarter — traditionally the slowest time of year for travel — they all expected a summer of packed planes.
This spring, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines said they expected strong second-quarter profits. They joined Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in being optimistic about the April-June period, which includes the start of the carriers’ peak season.
Delta Airlines will report second-quarter results on Thursday, with analysts predicting sales of $15.5 billion, nearly $1 billion more than the same period last year. Next week, United Airlines and American Airlines will report quarterly results. Wall Street is predicting higher revenue than a year ago for both carriers.
Planes have become increasingly crowded since the pandemic shut down travel four years ago. That has led to some downsides for airlines: complaints.
The Transportation Department said last week it received nearly 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the year before. The department said there were so many complaints that it took until July to sort through the files and compile the numbers.
It is the highest number of complaints against airlines since 2020, when they were slow to refund customers after the COVID-19 pandemic halted air travel.
The Department of Transportation said the increase in complaints was partly due to more passengers knowing their rights and how to file a complaint.
Airlines receive many more complaints from travelers who don’t know how the process works or don’t bother to complain to the government, but they don’t publish those numbers.
Associated Press Airlines reporter David Koenig contributed to this report