Buttigieg Says Holiday Travel Season Is On the Right Track, But More To Improve

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke to NBC News’ Lester Holt about the changes and improvements he’s been able to make in airline travel since this summer.

Buttigieg said airlines had made progress in improving the customer experience, but still have some work ahead of them.

“Often they’ve increased pay for pilots, and I think that’s going to make a big difference,” Buttigieg said. “So I’d say we’re definitely in a much better place by the numbers than we were this summer.”

He added that cancellation rates on any given travel weekend have been much closer to what they were before the pandemic.

“But I do think as we get ready for the Thanksgiving and then the winter holiday travel season, we’re not out of the woods yet,” Buttigeig said. “There is a lot of catching up to do in the system as it works its way through some of the profound disruptions that took place during the pandemic.”

“I think we’re on the right track, but there’s more to do.”

Watch the clip below.

TONIGHT: @LesterHoltNBC interviews Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, asking what changed after a summer of delays and cancellations as we move into the holiday travel season.

Buttigieg: “I think we’re on the right track but there’s more to do.”

More at 6:30 ET / 5:30 CT. pic.twitter.com/DN8AH6DFTK

— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) November 14, 2022