Headaches for travelers continue as the number of flight delays and cancellations continues to grow. It comes along with rising ticket prices.

And now United Airlines has announced that it is cutting 12% of flights at Newark Liberty International Airport. The service reduction equates to about 50 flights per day. It is happening just when travelers thought canceled flights and price increases were all they had to deal with.

More than 80% of Americans are planning a trip this summer, but travel experts say planning a summer getaway will likely require more planning, preparation and a bigger budget. Airlines and airports are struggling with staffing shortages, making it difficult to operate planned flights.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg virtually met with airline CEOs last week. His department said they could take action against airlines that don't live up to consumer protection standards.

United’s announcement was made on Thursday. The flight reduction goes into effect on July 1.

Omar Kaywan, of Goose Insurance, says travelers are buying travel insurance more than ever

“Pre-pandemic, there was 100 million Americans who took international trips and less than 4% of them actually had adequate travel medical insurance,” Kaywan says.

The number of people buying travel insurance is now up to nearly 30%, with recent airline issues being the catalyst.

“This is something that airlines should have seen coming and prepared for better,” Kaywan says. “It is an incredible amount of concern, especially for people who have been waiting for the last three years to get on a plane.”

Kaywan says the conflict in eastern Europe caused many Americans to change their travel plans. Inflation is also to blame, however, not in the way one might think.

“People are still saying, ‘No, I'm going to continue to travel, I've been waiting for this. I'm going to continue to go on with my plans,’” says Kaywan.

The chance of the government stepping in will also depend on how airlines fare Fourth of July weekend and the rest of the summer