| Airlines faced with staffing problems tied to COVID-19 canceled hundreds of flights during the busiest holiday travel period of the year.
But the latest surge in cases due to the omicron variant didn't keep shoppers away, with holiday sales rising at their fastest pace in 17 years.
According to the flight-tracking website FlightAware, more than 700 flights entering, leaving or flying within the U.S. were canceled Sunday, while nearly 1,000 flights were canceled on Saturday. On Monday, more than 2,200 flights were canceled globally and 700 of those cancellations affected flights within, into or out of the U.S.
Delta, United and JetBlue blamed the omicron variant for staffing shortages that forced the cancellations.
"This was unexpected," United spokesperson Maddie King said of omicron's impact on staffing.
Across the world, more than 6,000 flights were canceled on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after Christmas, based on FlightAware data.
Derek Walls, a spokesperson for American Airlines, said the holiday cancellations were caused by COVID-19-related sick calls.
The virus didn't deter last-minute shoppers from seeking out the best deals, however.
According to Mastercard Spending Pulse, which tracks payments from cash and debit cards, holiday sales rose 8.5% from a year earlier, which is the biggest annual increase in 17 years. The company had predicted an increase of 7.4%.
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