The chief culprits have been bad weather and a shortage of workers, most notably pilots, but airports themselves are facing a shortage of air traffic controllers. More than 35,000 flights were grounded or delayed over the Juneteenth and Father's Day weekend, according to an analysis of flight data by Business Insider. Delta already suspended flight-change fees but now customers can pick any flight to the same destination by July 8 and not have to pay the fare difference.

(Globally, more than 26,000 flights were grounded.) Also Thursday, over 1,200 Delta pilots and staffers picketed major airports in New York City, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Los Angeles, calling for higher pay, less overtime and better job security.Дelta said the demonstrations wouldn't impact July 4 travel, but the airline is offering travel waiversВ to passengers willing to move their flights out of the busy holiday weekend. On Thursday, 5,182 flights within, into or out of the US were delayed, with another 471 canceled. ET, already 238 US flights had already been canceled, and another nearly 1,300 delayed, according to data gathered by Flight Aware.

As travelers head into the busy July Fourth three-day weekend, relief from air travel headaches is nowhere in sight.

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