U.S. travelers have been hammered by airline delays and canceled flights. It's worse in Europe

Overcrowded terminals. Delayed and canceled flights. Thousands of bags piled in airports. Travelers might be surprised to hear that air travel in Europe is a bigger mess than in the States. 

The operational reliability of European airlines has dropped significantly since 2021. And the flights that are operating face continued delays and cancellations — especially for short-haul intra-European flights. The airlines are focusing their operations on long-haul intercontinental flights, which means travelers in New York flying nonstop to Paris have a halfway decent shot of completing the flight somewhat near to its published schedule. But those connecting in Paris to another European destination could have problems.

And those delayed and canceled flights have stranded thousands of passengers, who have filled up terminals as they wait for a way to get where they're going. Plus, there are more than a million fewer ground handlers, customer service agents, gate agents and baggage loaders in Europe than before the pandemic, meaning long wait times for passengers at either end of their journey.