BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: And those traveling by air this summer found it quite difficult to get around and to their destinations on time. That may be an understatement. The FAA says June was the worst month on record for delays. More than 50,000 flights were late. As CNN's Chris Wolfe reports, August wasn't much better either.</s>CHRIS WOLFE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As summer glides into fall, the season of record flights delays and cancellations is also waning.</s>DAVID FUSCUS, AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION: Delays are already getting better, and the reason they're getting better is the problem is more concentrated in the summertime.</s>WOLFE: Seasonal thunderstorms combined with more people vacationing caused snags in the system. In addition, airline labor disputes plagued the summer of 2000. Newly-released FAA figures for August show nearly 47,900 flight delays compared to a summer peak of more than 50,000 in June. Delays were higher in August than in July and up more than 28 percent from a year ago.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's very upsetting.</s>WOLFE: After weather, the biggest cause of delays is volume, just too many flights. The FAA notes a significant increase in flights at New York's La Guardia Airport last month. The local port authority is trying to stop additional increases. "The New York Times" reports the ban would affect flights that regional carriers want to add to their rush hour schedules. Some airlines are challenging the action, but port authority leaders say they want to avoid possibly 600 more take offs and landings every day.</s>FUSCUS: Until we get a new, modern air traffic control system these problems of delays and cancellations are not going to go away.</s>WOLFE: To help avoid a travel nightmare of your own, remember a few simple steps. Try to limit your baggage to carry-ons. Keep a cell phone and a paper ticket on-hand, don't just rely on e-tickets. And always have a backup plan in case your next flight is delayed or canceled. Chris Wolfe, CNN, Atlanta.
Passenger Flight Delays Balloon Compared to Last Year