37 Flights Delayed and 5 Cancelled by PSA, Jazz, American and Other Airlines Leaving Passengers Stranded in Philadelphia, Portland, Luis Munoz and More Airports across the US

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is experiencing significant disruption today, with a total of 37 delays and 5 cancellations affecting flights within, into, and out of the United States. These disruptions are impacting both domestic and international travelers, causing frustration and uncertainty for those attempting to navigate the airport.

This rise in delays and cancellations has prompted questions about the underlying causes and how travelers can best manage their travel plans. While delays at major U.S. airports are not unusual, today’s figures are noticeably higher than average, with all 37 delays occurring within the U.S. The growing number of delays has also contributed to passenger dissatisfaction, as more flights continue to be impacted.

Why Is Philadelphia International Airport Facing So Many Delays and Cancellations?

There are several factors contributing to the flight disruptions at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) today. According to officials, a combination of weather-related delays, increased air traffic, and operational challenges are at the heart of these issues.

One of the main contributors to today’s delays has been weather conditions, with snowfall and icy conditions affecting both departures and arrivals. While Philadelphia has not been hit by any major snowstorms this week, the accumulation of freezing rain in parts of the northeast has led to slippery conditions on the runways, which necessitate additional time for de-icing procedures before takeoff.

Another contributing factor is increased air traffic as the airport enters its busy winter travel season. As more travelers head to popular destinations for ski vacations and other winter activities, the sheer volume of flights passing through the airport can create bottlenecks. With limited available gates and aircraft on standby, the timing of incoming and outgoing flights has become more difficult to manage.

Furthermore, staff shortages due to seasonal employee turnover and higher-than-expected passenger traffic are also playing a role in the delays. Airlines and airport staff are working to manage the influx of travelers, but operational constraints have led to longer wait times at check-in counters, security lines, and boarding gates.

How Travelers Are Being Affected by Delays and Cancellations

For passengers at Philadelphia International Airport, today’s delays and cancellations have caused frustration and confusion. Many travelers are faced with extended layovers, missed connections, and rescheduled flights. With 5 cancellations so far today, those passengers are also dealing with the added stress of finding alternate flights or accommodations.

Those who have been delayed but are still on track to depart may find their departure times changed by hours, as flight crews attempt to accommodate the backlog of flights. Travelers who had hoped for a quick and smooth journey are being forced to adjust their plans on the fly.

Furthermore, passengers who are connecting through Philadelphia to other destinations are feeling the ripple effects of these delays. Missed connections are leading to longer waiting times for connecting flights, and some passengers are being rerouted to different airlines or airports altogether.

As for passengers who had flights that were canceled today, many are already scrambling to rebook. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) advises all affected passengers to keep an eye on their flight status through the airport’s live update system and MiseryMap tool, which provides real-time flight status updates and offers an interactive visualization of flight delays. Travelers are encouraged to check their emails, contact airlines directly, or visit the customer service desk for assistance with rebooking and making alternative arrangements.

The Role of Technology in Managing Disruptions

While today’s delays and cancellations are certainly inconvenient for travelers, technology is helping to reduce the stress of the situation. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) has invested in several tools designed to help travelers navigate disruptions more smoothly.

The MiseryMap, for example, allows passengers to view live flight delays, cancellations, and gate changes in real-time, helping them make informed decisions about whether to continue waiting or to explore other options. In addition, the airport’s mobile app provides users with up-to-the-minute flight status updates and notifications about possible delays.

Moreover, the airport’s adoption of automated systems for flight check-in and baggage handling has helped speed up processes, despite the volume of flights coming and going. Self-service kiosks and biometric screening systems continue to help ease congestion at check-in counters and security lines.

However, as today’s disruptions show, these tools have their limits when faced with severe weather conditions or a large-scale operational issue.

How Can Travelers Minimize the Impact of Delays and Cancellations?

For travelers impacted by delays and cancellations at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), there are several tips that can help mitigate the stress:

1. Stay Informed: Always monitor the status of your flight through the PHL mobile app or via the MiseryMap tool. Keeping track of real-time updates will allow you to make adjustments to your travel plans as needed.
2. Prepare for Extra Time: If your flight has been delayed or canceled, expect longer waiting times. Bring extra food, water, and entertainment to make the wait more comfortable. Charging stations and seating areas are available throughout the airport.
3. Check Airline Policies: Contact your airline as soon as possible if your flight has been canceled or delayed. Many airlines provide vouchers, meal allowances, and hotel accommodations for passengers affected by significant delays or cancellations.
4. Flexible Travel Plans: If you are traveling during peak seasons, consider booking flights with built-in flexibility. Travel insurance can also help protect you in case of unforeseen delays or cancellations.
5. Use Airport Amenities: Take advantage of the PHL’s lounges and facilities designed for long waits. Travelers can use these spaces to relax, recharge, and stay comfortable as they wait for new flight arrangements.

Airline	Cancelled (#)	% Cancelled	Delayed (#)	% Delayed
PSA Airlines (AAL)	3	3%	22	25%
Jazz (ACA)	1	25%	0	0%
American Airlines	1	0%	9	4%
Frontier	0	0%	1	3%
Piedmont (AAL)	0	0%	1	0%
Republic	0	0%	1	2%
Southwest	0	0%	2	9%
Alaska Airlines	0	0%	1	50%

Looking Ahead: Improving the Travel Experience at Philadelphia International Airport

While today’s disruptions may cause short-term inconvenience, Philadelphia International Airport remains committed to improving operational efficiency and passenger experience. With continued investments in infrastructure, digital tools, and customer service, the airport aims to minimize future delays and enhance the travel experience.

As air travel continues to rebound and weather conditions become more unpredictable, Philadelphia International Airport and the airlines operating there are constantly evaluating strategies to handle these challenges. Travelers are encouraged to remain patient and proactive when dealing with unexpected delays and cancellations, as aviation authorities work to address both short-term issues and long-term improvements.

The post 37 Flights Delayed and 5 Cancelled by PSA, Jazz, American and Other Airlines Leaving Passengers Stranded in Philadelphia, Portland, Luis Munoz and More Airports across the US appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

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What does it look like to have an “athletic body?” What does artificial intelligence think it looks like to have one?

A recent study we conducted at the University of Toronto analyzed appearance-related traits of AI-generated images of male and female athletes and non-athletes. We found that we’re being fed exaggerated — and likely impossible — body standards.

Even before AI, athletes have been pressured to look a certain way: thin, muscular and attractive. Coaches, opponents, spectators and the media shape how athletes think about their bodies.

But these pressures and body ideals have little to do with performance; they’re associated with the objectification of the body. And this phenomenon, unfortunately, is related to a negative body image, poor mental health and reduced sport-related performance.

Given the growing use of AI on social media, understanding just how AI depicts athlete and non-athlete bodies has become critical. What it shows, or doesn’t, as “normal” is widely viewed and may soon be normalized.

Lean, young, muscular — and mostly male

As researchers with expertise in body image, sport psychology and social media, we grounded our study in objectification and social media theories. We generated 300 images using different AI platforms to explore how male and female athlete and non-athlete bodies are depicted.

We documented demographics, levels of body fat and muscularity. We assessed clothing fit and type, facial attractiveness like having neat and shiny hair, symmetrical features or clear skin and body exposure in each image. Indicators of visible disabilities, like mobility devices, were also noted. We compared the characteristics of male versus female images as well as the characteristics of athlete and non-athlete images.

The AI-generated male images were frequently young (93.3 per cent), lean (68.4 per cent) and muscular (54.2 per cent). The images of females depicted youth (100 per cent), thinness (87.5 per cent) and revealing clothing (87.5 per cent).

The AI-generated images of athletes were lean (98.4 per cent), muscular (93.4 per cent) and dressed in tight (92.5 per cent) and revealing (100 per cent) exercise gear.

Non-athletes were shown wearing looser clothing and displaying more diversity of body sizes. Even when we asked for an image of just “an athlete,” 90 per cent of the generated images were male. No images showed visible disabilities, larger bodies, wrinkles or baldness.

These results reveal that generative AI perpetuates stereotypes of athletes, depicting them as only fitting into a narrow set of traits — lacking impairment, attractive, thin, muscular, exposed.

The findings of this research illustrate the ways in which three commonly used generative AI platforms — DALL-E, MidJourney and Stable Diffusion — reinforce problematic appearance ideals for all genders, athletes and non-athletes alike.

The real costs of distorted body ideals

Why is this a problem?

More than 4.6 billion people use social media and 71 per cent of social media images are generated by AI. That’s a lot of people repeatedly viewing images that foster self-objectification and the internalization of unrealistic body ideals.

They may then feel compelled to diet and over-exercise because they feel bad about themselves — their body does not look like AI-fabricated images. Alternatively, they may also do less physical activity or drop out of sports altogether.

Negative body image not only affects academic performance for young people but also sport-related performance. While staying active can promote a better body image, negative body image does the exact opposite. It exacerbates dropout and avoidance.

Given that approximately 27 per cent of Canadians over the age of 15 have at least one disability, the fact that none of the generated images included someone with a visible disability is also striking. In addition to not showing disabilities when it generates images, AI has also been reported to erase disabilities on images of real people.

People with body fat, wrinkles or baldness were also largely absent.

Addressing bias in the next generation of AI

These patterns reveal that AI isn’t realistic or creative in its representations. Instead, it pulls from the massive database of media available online, where the same harmful appearance ideals dominate. It’s recycling our prejudices and forms of discrimination and offering them back to us.

AI learns body ideals from the same biased society that has long fuelled body image pressure. This leads to a lack of diversity and a vortex of unreachable standards. AI-generated images present exaggerated, idealized bodies that ultimately limit the diversity of humans and the lowered body image satisfaction that ensues is related greater loneliness.

And so, as original creators of the visual content that trains AI systems, society has a responsibility to ensure these technologies do not perpetuate ableism, racism, fatphobia and ageism. Users of generative AI must be intentional in how image prompts are written, and critical in how they are interpreted.

We need to limit the sort of body standards we internalize through AI. As AI-generated images continue to populate our media landscape, we must be conscious of our exposure to it. Because at the end of the day, if we want AI to reflect reality rather than distort it, we have to insist on seeing, and valuing, every kind of body.

 

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.