Air travel is coming back. So are things people hated about it.
Passenger volumes at U.S. airports hit pandemic records over the weekend, with more than 1.7 million people passing through airport security Friday and again on Sunday.
Frequent fliers like Tim Slabaugh aren’t thrilled. “We had this window in Covid where business travel was just wonderful,” said the medical-supply company representative, who kept up his travel pace throughout the pandemic.
“The airports themselves were empty,” he said. “Now, it’s like somebody turned the light switch back on.”
Many people traveling now are vacationers and “older folks, hopped up on vaccines,” he said, rather than travel pros. To get around obstacles such as a rental-cars shortage, Mr. Slabaugh said he has resorted to tricks like booking a car for longer than he needs.
