Passengers flying United out of Denver International Airport (DIA) have experienced 980 delays and 519 cancellations since Monday, according to FlightAware, which tracks flights across the world.
The delays and cancellations come as DIA and other airlines at the airport brace for a busy Fourth of July stretch.
DIA officials estimate that its busiest days will be Thursday, Friday and Sunday. They expect to see more than 70,000 passengers during those days, 12.6% more than the same period in 2022.
Travelers will be hoping to avoid fates like that of Adrienne Tourtelot, who got stuck at DIA this week while flying home on a United flight to Los Angeles.
She was supposed to fly out at 11:15 Wednesday morning. She said the flight disruptions affected the one weekday she gets to spend with her daughter and caused her to miss a few work appointments. Tourtelot said she spent about 10 hours at the airport.
"The communication was very little from United. It was just each hour or half hour they would delay it another half hour or hour. Every gate was packed, the customer service line for United in Terminal B was growing and growing and growing," Tourtelot said. "It was an absolute disaster."
United travelers stranded across the country like Tourtelot have slept on cots and struggled to rebook flights. Since Monday, United has canceled more than 2,500 flights nationwide. The airline attributed the delays and cancellations to severe weather in the northeast.
DIA spokesperson Stephanie Figueroa said the airport has provided cots and worked with airport retailers to keep restaurants open later for people stuck at the airport.
"It's really unfortunate, especially considering it's a holiday weekend so it's just extra busy already to begin with and we know cancellations and delays can be unexpected," she said. "It's our role as an airport when delays or cancellations occur to support our passengers and help maintain efficient operations through security checkpoints, the airfield, customs, that sort of thing."
United is trying to deal with workforce issues to keep thing moving along at DIA and other airports.
In an email to staff, United CEO Scott Kirby said the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) "failed" staff and travelers by reducing arrival and departure rates out of Newark Liberty international Airport. Kirby also blamed FAA staffing issues.
But in a statement on Facebook, the United Pilots union accused Kirby of attempting to "deflect blame." "The company is dragging its feet on taking any proactive measures to mitigate further delays, including on settling a new contract with us that will improve our quality of life, upgrade our scheduling system, and fundamentally prioritize the well-being of pilots," they wrote.
United pilots recently picketed in Denver, calling for higher pay and better schedules.
The cancellations come weeks after United's announcement that the airline is adding 35 flights, six routes, 12 gates and thousands of new jobs at DIA.
United spokesperson Russell Carlton said United is increasing flight attendant staffing and offering triple pay to people picking up open shifts. He directed customers looking to rebook flights to United's app, which also has information about meal and hotel vouchers. Travelers canceling trips can also get refunds.
"We're seeing continued meaningful improvement today after an overnight effort to further repair schedules and match separated crews with aircraft," said Carlton told Denverite Thursday. "As the recovery progresses, delays and cancellations will continue to decline as we head into what we expect to be a very busy holiday weekend."
Apart from United's delays, getting around DIA can be a headache, but officials have a few recommendations to make July 4 travel a bit easier.
Figueroa with DIA said travelers should check constantly with their airline about potential cancellations or delays, and to arrive early in anticipation of TSA wait times. Figueroa also suggested taking rideshares or RTD's A Line to the airport if possible, since DIA expects the parking lots to stay full with the busy weekend.
Passengers can check TSA wait times online. A few days out from flying, travelers can also reserve a spot in line for free for a time slot between one to four hours before departure as part of DIA's new DEN Reserve program.
As for the security wait lines?
TSA officials say they are fully staffed, but Figueroa said travelers should still expect long lines during the busy summer travel season. DIA is opening four new TSA PreCheck lanes at the south checkpoint starting Friday morning.
"We're expecting a lot, a lot of passengers in the next five, six, seven days," she said. "It's going to be really busy, but the lines will move."
CPR News intern Jenna McMurtry contributed reporting.
