Thousands of passengers have been forced to queue for hours at security lines in New York as hundreds of unclaimed bags pile up in Los Angeles due to flight chaos across the US.
The latest travel meltdown has seen more than 17,000 flights delayed and 1,120 canceled today alone - with at least 32,000 affected over the past week.
It is expected to get even worse today on what is dubbed the busiest day of the holiday weekend, with some 52,500 flights scheduled.
Travelers at airports across the country have faced misery leading up to July 4 celebrations - with scores of passengers left stranded and out of pocket.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose department includes the FAA, today claimed that the airlines have recovered to a 'more typical cancelation and delay rate' as of Thursday morning - with the exception of United.
He added: 'The FAA will continue to work with airlines to help them minimize disruptions during the busy 4th of July travel weekend.'
A sea of unclaimed luggage was seen inside Terminal 7 of the LA International Airport on Thursday morning after nearly a week of delays and cancellations that plagued travelers.
It comes after a mixture of bad weather - including monster tornadoes - and smoke from Canadian wildfires grounded flights across the country.
NEW YORK: Pictures from LaGuardia airport in New York show passengers sleeping on the floor and in chairs as they attempt to make it to their holiday destinations unscathed on Thursday