This past Fourth of July weekend was a chaotic one for travel, with thousands of flights being delayed or canceled altogether as airlines continue to experience staffing shortages. Dan Ryder, a teacher from Maine, was one of many passengers affected by American Airline’s cancelations.

According to Business Insider, Ryder and two of his colleagues had attended a conference in New Orleans. However, his American Airlines flight home was canceled, turning what should have been a few hours of travel into a three-day ordeal.

The night before their flight they were contacted by American Airlines and notified that their DC-Maine connecting flight had been canceled. Their flights were supposed to have been changed to the following day. But upon arriving at the airport the next day, they discovered that the flight had only been rescheduled for one of them.

Ryder and one of his two colleagues were left stranded. They were rebooked on another American Airlines flight free of charge, however, the new flight was two days later and the airline did not help them secure accommodations for the unwanted extended stay. They were forced to find a place to sleep on their own and left with the extra unexpected lodging cost.

Ryder said, “What’s upsetting is that despite the series of bailouts the airline industry has received, it has not upped its game on pay, benefits and incentives to attract and retain staffing.”

Similarly, American Airlines passengers Valerie Diamante and her husband experienced a delay as they attempted to travel to Geneva, Switzerland. The couple was scheduled to fly from Santa Ana, California to celebrate their anniversary. However, someone was smoking on their plane, causing a delay that led to them missing their connection in Phoenix. They had to rebook the flight twice before they were finally able to make it to their destination.

“We lost two full days of our trip as well as any sort of Fourth of July celebration in either America or in Europe since we would be en-route during that time,” said Diamante.

“We were told things were really busy with the season and all the airlines were bogged down with full flights and being stretched thin with short staff.”

Related: Travelers Experience Thousands Of Flight Cancellations This Memorial Day Weekend

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