Airlines and Airports

Able-bodied travelers probably never give it a second thought, but airline passengers who are dependent on wheelchairs count into the millions.

And while mishandled wheelchairs don't quite match up with the number of mishandled baggage, it is a big enough problem that United Airlines has decided that it – maybe alone – can make the situation better.

The airline has just released a new digital sizing tool designed to help its passengers determine the right aircraft for their wheelchair. To show it’s serious about this, United will refund the fare difference if someone has to pay more for an alternative flight with a larger cargo door.

Last year, United and United Express, together carried more than 200,000 checked wheelchairs, but the number of wheelchairs and scooters mishandled per 100 enplaned was 1.09. Comparatively, that metric might not create the headlines that United’s other recent problems (hydraulics, losing a wheel, etc.), but it is about 30% higher than Delta which has the best record in that category.

"The more we know about a customer's device, the more likely their experience will be a good one – from booking and check-in to the flight itself," said Linda Jojo, executive vice president and chief customer Officer for United. "These new tools and policies also set our employees up for success, especially those working on the ramp or at the gate."

How It Works

Anyone flying United who needs to bring a personal wheelchair on their flight can visit the United app or united.com and use the filters on the flight search results page before selecting their flight. 

Step two comes after clicking on the wheelchair filter tab near the upper portion of the screen, when customers enter the specific dimensions of their mobility device. At that point, the search results enter the picture to identify which flight options will accommodate those dimensions and let the customer know whether their wheelchair fits or not. 

But in situations where the size of aircraft cargo hold doors can’t handle a larger motorized wheelchair and the customer has to take a United flight with a higher fare that can accommodate their wheelchair on the same day and between the same origin and destination, the customer may seek a refund of the fare difference.

United to offer loaners when it damages a wheelchair, too

United is adding another plus for wheelchair/scooter users. For anyone who’s flying through George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport and finds that their wheelchair was damaged or delayed while traveling, the airline will provide an appropriate loaner wheelchair. 

The airline understands that wheelchairs tend to be tailor-fit for a person’s size, weight, frame, etc. and is currently testing specialized, adjustable Permobil cushions for loaner wheelchairs at its Houston hub that should improve comfort and stability.

The company said that is also reimbursing customers for transportation expenses should they choose to wait at a location other than the airport.

Hurricanes are in but COVID-19 outbreaks are out in Airbnb's new cancellation policy. As part of the company’s ongoing efforts to improve things with travelers, it is introducing updates to its Extenuating Circumstances Policy – including renaming it to the Major Disruptive Events Policy – to better reflect its purpose.

That section will be overhauled to provide cancellation and refund support when major events like natural disasters, government travel restrictions, or weather events impact guests' ability to stay at a location.

Going forward, that shift accomplishes two things. First, it supersedes a host’s booking cancellation policy, thus enabling guests to cancel eligible upcoming and active reservations at the impacted location for a refund; and second, it also allows hosts to cancel reservations without fees and other related consequences.

Breaking that down to real-world situations, the policy will formally apply to foreseeable weather events – like a hurricane during hurricane season – that result in another covered event happening.

For example, if you were going to Florida during hurricane season, and the local government closed the roads or the power was out, you can cancel and receive a refund. Likewise, hosts can cancel without fees and related consequences -- both as long as the bookings are "eligible” reservations.

“The changes to this policy, including its new name, were made to create clarity for our guests and Hosts and ensure it’s meeting the diverse needs of our global community,” Juniper Downs, Airbnb’s head of Community Policy, said.

“Our aim was to clearly explain when the policy applies to a reservation, and to deliver fair and consistent outcomes for our users. These updates also bring the policy in line with industry standards.”

These policy updates come into effect for all reservations taking place on or after June 6, 2024.

Caveats, eligibility, and travel insurance

Airbnb suggested that there’s likely to be a little shakeout while it, guests, and hosts all get to the point where everyone knows what’s supposed to happen in these situations. 

As examples, it gave these three examples:

• Limiting coverage to large-scale events at the destination location only to help balance the needs of our entire community. This means that the policy will only apply to reservations where a major disruptive event has impacted the location of the listing. 

• Making clear that mid-trip cancellations can be made due to a covered event, with guests receiving a refund for any nights they didn’t stay and without fees and related consequences for hosts.

• Reminding hosts that they’re obligated to cancel reservations if their listing is uninhabitable or no longer consistent with what was originally booked by their guest and that they are able to do this without cancellation fees and related consequences.

But, the bottom line appears to be that it’s still the guest’s responsibility to make sure how it impacts them. One of those caveats is the word "eligible" as it applies to a booking. 

ConsumerAffairs asked Airbnb for an explanation of what "eligible" meant and here is their response:

"Reservations outside of the defined area and timeframe may not be eligible, though Hosts may still be able to cancel without adverse consequences if they are unable to host. We continuously monitor these situations and adjust coverage as needed to reflect changing conditions. If you believe this Policy applies to your reservation, please contact us to inquire about eligibility."

The bottom line here is that if you’re going to a destination where there may be some sort of disruption, you should first contact Airbnb to ask what’s covered.

Airbnb goes has far as saying that the second thing is that you might want to consider is travel insurance. “As this cancellation and refund policy is not designed to apply to all types of unexpected issues and emergencies that can impact a trip, guests should consider purchasing travel insurance,” the company said.

Gone are the days of Airbnb hosters having indoor security cameras in their rental properties. 

The company has announced that moving forward, all indoor security cameras will be banned from rental properties around the globe. 

Before this announcement, hosts were allowed to have security cameras in common spaces, like hallways or living rooms. The main caveat was that cameras weren’t allowed in private areas, like bedrooms or bathrooms, and rental descriptions had to explicitly state the presence of cameras. 

However, that is no longer the case. Starting April 30, indoor cameras will no longer be allowed in Airbnb’s rental properties for any purpose and regardless of any prior warnings. 

“Our goal was to create new, clear rules that provide our community with greater clarity about what to expect on Airbnb,” said Juniper Downs, head of community policy and partnerships at Airbnb. “These changes were made in consultation with our guests, hosts, and privacy experts, and we’ll continue to seek feedback to help ensure our policies work for our global community.” 

New rules on outdoor cameras, too

In addition to the indoor camera ban, Airbnb is also making adjustments to its rules on outdoor security cameras. 

While these are still allowed, hosts will be required to disclose the use and location of any outdoor cameras before guests book their stay. The cameras must also be strictly focused on the outdoor area of the property, without catching any indoor footage. 

Additionally, Airbnb is putting limitations on where hosts can have outdoor cameras. Any outdoor areas like saunas or showers must be free of security cameras. 

As part of these new regulations, hosts will also be required to inform renters if they’re utilizing any noise decibel monitors. These units must only be placed in common areas, and they must only be used as a means of measuring sound – not recording or transmitting conversations. 

Airbnb plans to enact these changes starting on April 30, giving hosts time to get into compliance with the new rules. The company stated that the majority of Airbnb listings don’t have security cameras, and these new regulations aren’t likely to greatly impact renters or hosts. 

Airline travel can be stressful, and knowing how to navigate last-minute changes, delays, and disruptions to your itinerary can be even more stressful. 

As part of this year’s Consumer Protection Week, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund shared its best insights for consumers to utilize when they're flying. This includes everything from knowing your rights when flights are canceled or delayed, when bags go missing or when you’re suddenly bumped from a flight. 

“Airline travel has often been unreliable for years as the airlines struggled with post-pandemic staffing and logistics,” wrote Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund. “Almost every airline has had at least one disastrous weekend with mass cancellations during the last couple of years. We could be past the worst, but it’s still best to plan for possible problems.” 

What are your rights as a traveler?

The U.S. PIRG Education Fund has created a Flyer’s Bill of Rights that details everything consumers need to know when flying, including information about canceled or delayed flights, rebooking, tarmac delays, getting bumped from flights, flight delays, delayed bags, lost or damaged bags, and filing complaints. 

Airlines are required to give travelers a full refund, including ticket prices, taxes, baggage fees, extra charges, and ancillary fees if the carrier cancels the flight. Many airlines will cover the cost of a transfer ticket to another airline if your original ticket has been canceled; however, this isn’t required by law. 

If your flight is significantly delayed or canceled because of staffing or equipment issues, or any other reason within the airline’s control, you have options. The U.S. PIRG Education Fund found that: 

• Six of the 10 major airlines will rebook you on another airline for no extra charge. 

• All 10 major airlines will provide a meal voucher. 

• Nine of the 10 major airlines will pay for hotels and ground transportation if you’re stuck somewhere overnight. However, you may have to ask them to do so. 

What about bags? 

Sometimes, you end up at your destination but your checked bag doesn’t. What is the protocol for travelers? 

• Most airlines will reimburse flyers for necessities, like a change of clothes or toiletries, if bags are delayed. 

• When bags are completely lost, travelers should receive reimbursement for any baggage fees as well as up to $3,800 for the items inside. 

As a consumer, you’re also entitled to file a complaint with either the airline or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Any complaints filed with airlines must be acknowledged within 30 days, and responses must be sent in writing within 60 days. 

Tips before you book a flight

Before you book your next trip, there are many things you can do to help reduce your stress levels when you get to the airport. Some tips from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund include: 

• Be careful about booking through third-party ticket websites. While they may offer a discount, when it comes time for a refund or rebooking, it’s often more difficult through these sites, as opposed to navigating the specific airline’s website. 

• Flying early in the morning reduces your chances of delays or other mishaps. 

• Limit how often you book connecting flights, as this can also reduce the likelihood of delays, cancellations, or other frustrations. 

• There are resources online to look at a flight’s statistics in terms of on-time arrivals and departures. This can help you know if you’re more likely to get stuck in a long delay. 

• Avoid a checked bag when possible. However, if you do need to check a bag, put a tracker in it so you know where your bag is at all times. It’s also recommended to take pictures of everything that’s inside your checked bag in the event the bag gets lost and you need to file a claim. 

Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen Airbnb become America’s destination darling, only to go off the rails when hosts – who should’ve never been hosts to begin with – got greedy with fees and forgot what good customer service is all about.

But, a new study claims that while the company still encounters some unhappy campers, it may have turned the corner in eliminating gripes and frustrations and getting back on its balance beam again.

Getting the right stuff in the right place

The new study, commissioned by Photoaid, found that there are still some things that irk Airbnb guests. The top three are issues with refunds or cancellations (74%), noisy surroundings (73%), and misleading photos/descriptions (72%).

The refunds/cancellations issues are a sore point with many ConsumerAffairs reviewers like Denny from Seattle who claims he spent days trying to get an answer from at least half a dozen people about their cancellation policy. Angela from Sunnyvale Calif., suggests that the company may be playing games with its cancellation policy, too.

“They only grant a full service fee refund if you cancel within the free cancellation period. Otherwise, you're left with zilch. When the host chooses a percentage refund, one would assume that the service fee would align with that percentage refund,” she wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review.

However, most Americans had a positive experience with Airbnb. All told, 80% rated their experience as satisfactory (45%) or very satisfactory (34%). Nearly 83% reported choosing Airbnb over hotels at least some of the time in the past 24 months. And a significant 92% of respondents are likely (54%) or very likely (38%) to use Airbnb in the future.

Failing forward fast

Airbnb didn’t share its priority list with ConsumerAffairs, but it did note that out of the 430+ upgrades it made in the last several years, many of those were designed to specifically improve quality and reliability. 

For example, it updated price tools to make pricing more transparent and has tried to verify every listing in the U.S., Canada, Australia, UK, and France to weed out hosts who aren’t holding up their part of the customer service bargain.

Airbnb CEO and Co-Founder Brian Chesky even reached out to users on X to get a handle on what people think about the product and what they would change.

Getting the right person on the phone looks to be the company’s next challenge. Airbnb’s current goals in this regard are to answer calls in 10 different languages within two minutes and clean up its customer service act so that when guests call, they’ll get matched with the best agents to resolve their specific issues, faster.

The cancellation issue? Don’t hold your breath. When ConsumerAffairs asked Airbnb about the complaints our readers are writing, a fix for that wasn’t addressed.

So, until that happens, following Airbnb’s cancellation instructions to a “T” and keeping a record of everything you did – calmly and politely – is in your best interest. 

American Airlines (AA) is upping the price for checked baggage. Joining Alaska and JetBlue – and leaving Southwest Airlines as the only major airline offering free checked bags – AA’s fee is based on when and where you pay for your bags.

If you do it when you purchase the ticket at AA.com, it’ll be $35. If you wait until you get to the airport, it’s $40. And if you want to check a second bag, you’ll be shelling out another $45. 

Those all apply to domestic flights. The new bag fees for Canada and short-haul international flights are $35 for first checked bags and $45 for second checked bags purchased online or at the airport.

Does this qualify as greed or need?

Before you go claiming that this is nothing but greed that falls in line with $5 for a bag of chips, $29.95 for two inches more legroom, and $15 to board before someone else, one airline revenue expert says it’s anything but.

“I think American's increase is more nuanced than a simple grab for more revenue. Their chief commercial officer mentioned the company's desire to move low-fare consumers along this path: buy basic economy, then spend more on a la carte extras to add comfort, then enroll in AAdvantage, and finally to apply for a co-branded credit card,” Jay Sorenson, the president of IdeaWorksCompany, an analyzer of ancillary revenue that airlines use to pump up their bank accounts.

Sorenson says that a higher bag fee encourages consumers to buy Main Cabin or above and to truly consider the checked bag benefit of the credit card.

“The airline must also believe it has the "carry-on problem," an industry-wide issue, under control because these increases discourage checked bags,” he told ConsumerAffairs.

It’s not AA’s only change, though

Starting in May, AA wants its customers to come to it first – not Expedia or Kayak or any other online travel agency. And it says that if you do, they’ll make it worth your while as in earning miles and Loyalty Points on flights when you:

1. Book directly with American and eligible partner airlines

2. Book travel anywhere as an AAdvantage Business member or contracted corporate traveler

3. Book through preferred travel agencies. American will share a list of eligible preferred agencies on aa.com in late April

4. Basic Economy fare tickets will only earn when booked directly with American and eligible partner airlines

Where do all the airlines stack up on baggage fees now?

Here’s a quick breakdown of how the landscape is changing on baggage fees: 

By now, most people have seen the horrifying footage of a Japan Airlines jet completely engulfed in flames after colliding with another plane at Haneda Airport in Tokyo.

But amazingly, all 367 passengers and 12 crew members were evacuated safely in a series of events being compared to the “miracle on the Hudson.” In 2009, US Airways Flight 1549, piloted by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles, ditched in the Hudson River with no fatalities after striking a flock of geese on take-off from New York’s LaGuardia airport.

Five of the six people aboard the Japan Coast Guard plane that struck the Japan Airways airliner died as their plane exploded.

In the case of the Japan Airways fire, the airline said the flight crew used megaphones and their voices to instruct passengers because the aircraft’s public address system was disabled.

How were they able to get everyone to safety with no loss of life? It turns out the crash looked a lot worse outside – with flames completely engulfing the aircraft – than it did in the cabin. Cell phone footage shot by a passenger and aired by Australia’s Sky News reveals what happened.

This is what it looked like from outside the plane:

The training and skill of the flight crew no doubt played a role in this “miracle.” An airline spokesperson said the passengers – including eight infants – were evacuated through three emergency chutes. 

The airline said there were no serious injuries but 14 passengers requested medical attention.

As if carry-ons and airlines weren’t enough of a hot mess, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it anticipates that security checkpoints across the U.S. will be busier than ever this Thanksgiving travel season.

And the rush will happen earlier than you might think, too. The agency says that the travel season actually kicks off this Friday, Nov. 17 and runs for nearly two weeks, through Tuesday, Nov. 28. During that period, TSA expects to screen 30 million passengers.

The spike in TSA screenings is forecast to happen on the Tuesday and Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving and the Sunday afterward which is expected to be the busiest day overall.

The need for speed

TSA Administrator David Pekoske said his agency is equipped for the rush and is shooting for wait time standards of under 10 minutes for TSA PreCheck® lanes and under 30 minutes for standard screening lanes. 

That goal is well and good, but anyone who has TSA PreCheck and who’s flown lately has no doubt noticed that the PreCheck lines are getting longer and longer. Pekoske said there are now more than 17.6 million passengers enrolled in TSA PreCheck, which is 3.9 million more members than there were this time last year.

Travel efficiency requires more than just the TSA, though. When it comes to the airports with the most delays, a new travel study suggests that there are 10 airports where travelers should plan on getting to early.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) tops the list of the “most delays” followed by McCarran International (Las Vegas) (LAS), Orlando International (MCO), Baltimore/Washington (BAL), Chicago Midway (MDW).

In the “busiest” category, it’s Atlanta (ATL), Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW), and Denver (DEN), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), and Los Angeles International (LAX).

Ensuring success at the airport

Travelers also have to take into consideration that how they approach their trip is also a factor. Anyone traveling over the holidays should keep in mind several things before arriving at the airport.

What goes in carry-ons and what doesn’t. If you plan on taking Aunt Edna’s cranberry sauce, gravy, wine, jam or jelly, those foods must be packed in a checked bag because they’re considered liquids or gels. If you try to get them through TSA, it’s a safe bet that they’ll wind up in the trash bin, so remember this: If you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, then it is a liquid and must be packed in your checked bag. Conversely, if it’s a solid food, like a pecan pie, then you can take it through the TSA checkpoint. Check for prohibited items by using the “What Can I Bring?” page on TSA.gov. or just ask @AskTSA.

More technology is being used, but that doesn’t always ensure perfection. TSA is employing more tech than ever, beginning with its Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) units, where a boarding pass is not needed. However, as ConsumerAffairs witnessed recently, technology at airports can malfunction and further delay the process. That’s one more reason to get to the airport at least two hours early.

Get the airline’s app. The airlines’ mobile apps are getting more and more efficient and are the best way to monitor boarding times, seat assignments, changes, and even have a barcode of your ticket that can make getting through the airport screening easier. And if you're flight is delayed or canceled, the app usually gets that information to you faster.

If you’re flying Southwest, you now get an in-app benefit about your bags, too. Now on Southwest.com and the Southwest mobile app, travelers can view the status of their checked bag across three different milestones of each checked piece of luggage: when bag tags are printed, when bags are loaded, and when unloaded from the aircraft.

Southwest also recently launched a new capability for travelers to add checked bags digitally at the time of their check-in, up to 24 hours before arriving at the airport. It's another timesaver that eliminates the steps to print bag tags at kiosks.

One important thing to remember about an airline’s app and TSA PreCheck is this: Just because you’re enrolled in PreCheck doesn’t guarantee your membership has been automatically connected with your ticket.

If you have PreCheck and get in the PreCheck line thinking all is good, it may not be. Three days (72 hours) before you leave, double-check that your ticket actually lists you as a PreCheck member beforehand. If it doesn’t, then, you need to take these steps:

• First, check that your membership has not expired by looking up your account here.  

• If still active, confirm with your airline that your Known Traveler Number, name, and date of birth are accurate and that your airline participates in TSA PreCheck.  If you still do not have a TSA PreCheck indicator on your boarding pass, please call the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673, submit an online form, or contact us at @AskTSA on Twitter and Facebook Messenger.  

Call ahead to request passenger support. If you’re part of a group that will require assistance, such as a wheelchair, you need to contact the TSA Cares helpline toll-free at 855-787-2227 at least 72 hours before travel to find out what to expect at the security checkpoint. 

Don’t think anything will happen, but if it does…

Need another reason to get your departure act together days in advance? Remember Murphy’s Law – "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong and at the worst possible time." 

Interestingly enough, Murphy’s Law actually has its roots in aviation and even though airlines have gotten better about things and there are fewer meltdowns than there were a year ago, don’t think that it’s a perfect system yet.

In an email to ConsumerAffairs, Going.com’s Scott Keyes said that past performance is no guarantee of future results. “I certainly wouldn’t bet my savings on airlines avoiding widespread disruptions, especially considering meltdowns are unpredictable black swan events. But I would bet something that we won’t see disruptions anywhere near last year’s scale,” Keyes said.

If your flight does get delayed or canceled, remember that you do have rights and the TSA is on your side. YourRichBFF explains what on your side means in this video:

If you’ve flown anywhere in the last year, you know what a drag flying has become. Long lines, cancellations, unruly passengers, and having to pay for everything except a visit to the bathroom has given cruise lines an opportunity to bring back the joy of taking a trip.

According to new research from Future Market Insights, cruising is growing 12% a year. The reason cruising is taking a chink out of airlines’ armor is because it incorporates all the aspects consumers want in tourism – transportation, accommodation, attractions, and hospitality.

What's behind this trend?

The researchers said one of the key aspects influencing the cruise business is a change in thinking. "Several businesses are emerging, offering a range of amenities to draw clients to meet the need for maritime cross-border travel," they wrote. 

And these companies are putting ships on the seas like there's no tomorrow. In December 2022, 239 ships entered commercial service, a 15-fold year-over-year increase.

MSC Cruises, with 13 ships and 50,326 beds, is ranked first on the list of ships at sea; then Carnival (17 ships,  54,364 berths); and Royal Caribbean (20 ships, 71,800 berths).

Cruising is no longer a ‘70s “Love Boat” thing, either, but loaded with things airlines can’t provide. Cruise companies these days offer in-room spa treatments, skydiving simulators, pickleball, and Pilates. And many sweeten the deal with hundreds in on-board credit, lots of dining choices, and free drinks.

Travel experts give their thumbs ups

ConsumerAffairs asked travel aficionados and experts both why they think cruising is turning into a travel favorite. Here’s what they had to say:

It’s a better deal than flying.

When you factor in everything that’s included – food and drink, entertainment, rooms, etc. – cruising is about ten times cheaper than air travel because it uses bigger vessels with a higher capacity,  Alexandra Dubakova, Travel Expert and CMO of FreeTour.com, told ConsumerAffairs.

“You get to explore the sea, tour different countries, enjoy different dining experiences, engage in other activities, and shop around, making cruising more fun and enjoyable,” Dubakova said.

If you need a thumbnail idea of what the daily cost of a cruise plays out to be, Cruise Critic Executive Editor, Chris Gray Faust, told us that $75 is the average. “It’s hard to think of a land-based option that’s comparable – especially when you consider what that cost includes.” 

However, consumers trying to “cheap out” might find themselves disappointed. “The cruising ‘experience’ is not a standard thing,” Dubakova reminds cruise newbies.

“Your cruising experience will depend on what you choose, so do not be tempted with the cheapest deal. Know what experience you are looking for before hunting for deals.”

Relaxation and low price. What's not to like?

One cruise option many don't know about are "repositioning" cruises. Because the cruise lines have to take their boats from the Caribbean back to Europe in late Spring for journeys there, most offer repositioning cruises at hard-to-believe prices.

For example, ConsumerAffairs saw a 14-day repositioning cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome for under $800 (interior room). 

Besides the plus of the price, you're also relaxing on the ocean for the first seven days before you hit the Azores, and then, you're off to Spain, then Italy.

It’s not an 'old people’s' thing anymore

If you have a preconceived notion that cruises are nothing but fading baby boomers, youmight have to rethink your position. The average cruise passenger these days is 47 years old, with the three largest demographic groups being: 40 to 49 – 15%; 50 to 59 – 18%; and 60 to 69 – 19%.

The first words out of travel guru Rocky Trifari’s mouth were “Unlike air travel, you only need to unpack once on a cruise.” Whew, that’s a relief.

“From that point on, your hotel essentially moves with you even if you visit multiple destinations. This effectively eliminates the potentially stressful hassle of constantly repacking and unpacking if you have an itinerary that involves visiting more than one destination.”

Opposed to flying, Trifari gives a thumbs-up to the social aspect of cruising, “If you are fortunate enough to meet some new friends aboard the ship, you can spend the rest of the time visiting various destinations with a group of travelers you’ve gotten to know on board.” 

However, cruises are not perfect

Now that you’ve heard the pluses, you need to know the minuses of cruising. 

Who’s in charge? You’re not in charge of the itinerary – you’re going where the ship’s going. If you want to go to  Mexico City or Switzerland, you’re better off flying. 

If you want to spend a few days at a certain place, you’re not likely to get that, either. Cruises try to hit as many places as they can and it’s usually a day in a port and you’re gone. That means, if you want to absorb Barcelona from A-Z, you should plan to go there 3-4 days before you set sail.

A la carte can eat you alive.You’d be smart to get all the perks you can up front, too. Anything not included is expensive, such as internet or cocktails.

“Those with sea sickness should be warned that cruises often travel through rough waters, depending on the time of year and conditions,” David Triana, avid cruiser and account executive with Delight Labs, said.

It's also wise to confirm all the details upfront. In ConsumerAffairs reviews of travel agencies, we found a number of complaints about promise vs. performance. Many of those concerned travelers not getting everything they thought they'd get. Our number one takeaway is to get everything you think you’re supposed to get upfront, detailed in an email, before you put the charge on your credit card.

Finally, big ships can be overwhelming. If a big ship in the middle of the Atlantic with thousands of others seems a bit too much, first-time cruisers might want to try and go the river cruise route. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has come down hard on American Airlines, fining the carrier $4.1 million for violating federal statutes and a Department’s rule.

Specifically, the government agency is punishing American for keeping passengers aboard planes on the tarmac for three hours or more without providing them an opportunity to get off the aircraft.

It’s the largest fine DOT has ever levied for a violation of the “tarmac rule.” And apparently, this is not a one-off case.

DOT said its investigation found that American kept dozens of flights stuck on the tarmac for long periods of time without letting passengers off. In addition to the fine, American has been ordered to cease and desist from violating the law. 

“This is the latest action in our continued drive to enforce the rights of airline passengers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Whether the issue is extreme tarmac delays or problems getting refunds, DOT will continue to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable.”

Investigation results

DOT said its Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) found that between 2018 and 2021, American allowed 43 domestic flights to remain on the tarmac for lengthy periods without providing passengers an opportunity to deplane, in violation of the Department’s tarmac delay rule. 

DOT also found that none of the exceptions to the tarmac delay rule, including the safety and security exceptions, applied to those flights. In addition, on one of the 43 flights, passengers were not provided with food and water as required. 

The investigation report said most of the delays occurred at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and that the delays covered by the investigation affected a total of  5,821 passengers. 

DOT said American Airlines had already made $2.05 in refunds to affected passengers so that amount will be deducted from the fine. DOT said it encourages that practice so that affected passengers are more quickly compensated.

After years of complaints from travelers, DOT has started a new rulemaking process aimed at requiring airlines to provide compensation and cover expenses for amenities such as meals, hotels, and rebooking when airlines are responsible for stranding passengers. 

After a two-year DOT push to improve the passenger experience, the department said the 10 largest airlines now guarantee meals and free rebooking on the same airline and nine guarantee hotel accommodations as part of the Department’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard. 

Without question commercial airline safety has vastly improved in the last two decades. However, in recent weeks there have been a number of high-profile close calls, where aircraft in the air or on the runway have nearly collided.

The New York Times reports these near accidents occur a lot more than travelers think. For example, it reports a Southwest Airlines jet had to abort a landing at Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans last month because another airliner was on the runway, preparing to take off.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says there are multiple layers of safety protecting the traveling public, including Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems on commercial aircraft, surface safety technology at the country's biggest airports and “robust procedures.”

Still, the agency says one close call is one too many. The FAA said it will hold a series of runway safety meetings at approximately 90 airports between now and the end of September.

Runway safety meetings

“Sharing information is critical to improving safety,” said Tim Arel, chief operating officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. “These meetings, along with other efforts, will help us achieve our goal of zero close calls.”

During these meetings, officials from airports and airlines will identify unique risks to surface safety at that airport and develop plans to mitigate or eliminate the risks. Representatives from the FAA’s air traffic organization, airlines, pilots, airport vehicle drivers and others will participate, the agency said. 

The FAA points out that air travel has never been safer. It says U.S. airlines have transported billions of passengers since 2009 without a fatality.

The Times investigation warns that the streak could end at any time. Its investigators found near misses involving U.S. commercial airlines happen on average multiple times a week.

Not enough air traffic controllers?

“The incidents often occur at or near airports and are the result of human error, the agency’s internal records show,” the investigators wrote. “Mistakes by air traffic controllers – stretched thin by a nationwide staffing shortage – have been one major factor.”

Joe Schlosser, an aviation expert and vice president at ISN, agrees that the demands placed on controllers could be a factor.

"Air traffic control facilities are facing massive labor shortages right now," Schlosser told ConsumerAffairs. "As air traffic controllers work mandatory overtime, many are so fatigued that it is potentially impeding their ability to perform their jobs properly. The return of air traffic from pre-pandemic levels is only exacerbating the issue, as more commercial aircraft are in flight and on the runways."

In response to the Times investigation, the FAA has released data showing that the number and rate of “runway incursions” are steadily declining since the pandemic. The data show there were 1,697 in 2022 and 985 so far this year.

View From The Wing’s analysis of FAA data paints a more troubling image. It reports there were 46 near-collisions in July and 300 over the last 12 months.

The last big travel day before the holidays – Labor Day ‘23 – is about to arrive.

And whether you’ve traveled earlier this summer and think you’ve got a handle on all that could be thrown at you – or this is your first trip in some time – you better be prepared because there’ll be a good number of potential stumbling blocks in your path.

You won’t be the only one traveling

Yes, it would be nice to have the sky and the road to yourself, but no such luck. More than 57% -- which is over 148 million American adults -- intend to travel for Labor Day or Labor Day weekend this year. That's 4.07% more than last year, according to TheVacationer.

Long TSA lines and the ripple of headaches they’ll bring

The U.S. Travel Association tells ConsumerAffairs that aging technology and a lack of TSA agents have caused the air travel system to become inefficient. That means long lines, agents who might be new to the job, and heaven forbid, more missed flights.

How long will it take to get through a TSA checkpoint? Planetware’s latest report says it depends on where you are departing. For example, both Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway, George Bush International in Houston, Washington, D.C.’s Dulles, San Francisco International, and Tampa International could be at a snail’s pace, somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes.

One quick note about Chicago Midway: Planetware says that Midway has reported more flight delays (22.6%) and cancellations (5.7%) than any other major airport in the U.S. since 2014.

Friday and Monday might not be much fun

Travel app Hopper’s lead economist Hayley Berg told ConsumerAffairs that the busiest days to travel will be Friday for departures – with 3.7 million travelers expected to depart from U.S airports – and Monday for return flights – with 3.6 million expected to depart from U.S airports.

If you want better odds, The Vacationer’s Eric Jones says that you should fly out the Tuesday or Wednesday before Labor Day and fly home the Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday after.

The busiest airports? Here are Berg’s best estimates: 

Busiest airports and times:

1. Atlanta (ATL) - Estimated Seats Departing: 1,541,254 passengers; Busiest Times: Morning (8 am - 12 pm)

2. Denver (DEN) - Estimated Seats Departing: 1,024,839 passengers; Busiest Times: Morning (8 am - 12 pm)

3. Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) - Estimated Seats Departing: 983,089 passengers; Busiest Times: Evening (4 pm - 8 pm)

4. Los Angeles (LAX) - Estimated Seats Departing: 927,031 passengers; Busiest Times: Morning (8 am - 12 pm)

5. Chicago (ORD) - Estimated Seats Departing: 816,943 passengers; Busiest Times: Evening (4 pm - 8 pm)

Maybe even cancel your reservation and fly another airline

Price4Limo shared some interesting information with ConsumerAffairs that it culled from travel data at the Bureau of Transportation Statistics – data that shows the best places to fly and the best airlines to take if having fewer hassles is one of your goals. 

The company’s analysts point to Hawaiian Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Alaska Airlines as the best airlines to fly because those three have the lowest percentage of departure delays. On the other hand, the analysts' interpretation of the data shows that JetBlue Airways, Allegiant Air, and Frontier Airlines are the worst airlines to fly.

Does that mean you should cancel your flight if you’re on, say, JetBlue? Maybe.

"Canceling a flight can be stressful, especially when concerns about losing money are involved,” Maddie Weirman, part of the creative team at Price4Limo, told ConsumerAffairs.

“In alignment with our recent study, we’ve observed a significant uptick in online searches, with a 19% increase in inquiries about ‘canceling a flight and getting a refund’ over the past year.," Weirman said. "Additionally, searches for ‘compensation for flight delays’ have surged by a remarkable 79%."

Thinking about pulling the plug on your existing reservation? One word of caution: it's not a cakewalk. But if you do, Weirman offers these factors that could influence the difficulty of canceling a flight and obtaining a refund:

Complex policies: "Airlines have a variety of ticket types, each with its own cancellation policies and fees. Understanding these policies can be confusing, leading to difficulties in determining if you can cancel your reservation without losing money," Weirman said.

Non-refundable tickets: Many travelers purchase non-refundable tickets because they are cheaper -- and you may have done the same. Just remember -- those discounted tickets can come with strict cancellation rules and some awfully hefty charges if you do decide to change them.

Time sensitivity: To protect themselves, airlines usually have specific timeframes within which you can cancel and receive a full refund. Miss that window and you could be paying more than you want or more than it's worth changing the flight. 

Reason for cancellation: "The reason for your cancellation can also impact the difficulty of obtaining a refund," Weirman said. "Airlines are more likely to offer flexibility and refunds for cancellations due to factors beyond your control, such as illness or severe weather disruptions."

It’s a prospect that fills an airline passenger with dread. No, not an emergency landing, but the discovery, once you’re safely on the ground, that the airline has lost your luggage.

It’s happening more often, especially this summer with a huge increase in air travel. It’s happening so often that many travelers are investing in Apple AirTags to track their bags. And it turns out the bags are not always lost.

According to CNN, Sandra Shuster and her 15-year-old daughter Ruby were flying home to Denver from Baltimore with a stopover in Chicago, when they were told at their destination their suitcase was lost.

Using her AirTag, Sandra was able to locate her bag at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. After she informed United Airlines she was promised the bag would arrive the next day. Then the day after.

“I told them I could see it at Terminal 1 baggage reclaim in Chicago, and they said ‘We have no record of it,’ Shuster told CNN. “I asked them to call Chicago, and they said ‘No, we’re not allowed.’ They said they’d put notes in the system and the baggage team would take care of it.”

Then the airline told her the bag was in Baltimore. Frustrated, Shuster boarded a plane and traveled to Chicago to pick it up herself. 

Traveler’s aid

This doesn’t appear to be an isolated case. A TikTok user named Sarah posted to the social media site that Air France reported her luggage was lost. But she too had placed an AirTag inside her bag.

“It’s literally in the airport,” she reported, saying she got her luggage back but claimed the airline was of little help.

Why are so many bags getting mishandled? CNBC reports airlines have a shortage of baggage handlers as well as other staff. At the same time, summer travel has surged.

Frequent fliers might consider investing in an Airtag, which Apple developed to help consumers keep track of things that often get misplaced, such as keys. 

A single AirTag starts at $29 and Apple sells a four-pack for $88. They not only locate things around the house but can also find things hundreds of miles away.

As vacation home rentals have grown in popularity, battle lines have been drawn between hosts and guests staying at Airbnb, Vrbo, and other homestay companies.

There were issues with hosts charging outrageous hidden fees -- a matter Airbnb recently took head-on -- and disrespecting guests. Now, a new study from Vivint shows that hosts are pushing their control even further. 

Despite guest concerns, 45% of hosts say they’ll be adding extra safeguards for the summer travel season. A good number of those defenses will come from cameras and microphones inside the home – a move that three in four guests say would force them to choose another place to stay.

Then, there are damage deposits. More than a third of the hosts surveyed said they’ve had guests damage their vacation rental, and nearly a quarter believe the damage was intentional, to the tune of an estimated $530 each time it happens. 

Did we do this to ourselves?

Somewhere along the line, something went wrong and fingers can certainly point both ways. Hosts may have gotten greedy with fees and there were some who should’ve never been allowed to rent their home. But travelers also had a hand in this mess, going too far with disregard for a property and partying down.

“Airbnb was initially built on trust. Hosts and guests both got ratings and feedback after their stays, and hosts could decide which guests they wanted at their property,” Thomas Schaper, Head of Product at DACK, Inc., a guest technology company that enables property managers to provide guests with an all-in-one digital stay experience, told ConsumerAffairs.

"However, as they've scaled, the risk of having troublesome guests has risen as well. Hosts began auto-approving all bookings, and not all OTAs (online travel agencies) protect hosts in the same ways; for example, with some OTAs, the host is the merchant of record and is on the hook for fraud, chargebacks, and, more importantly, property damage or theft.”

Schaper suggests that hosts employing cameras and microphones became a push-come-to-shove matter because short-term rentals didn’t have the same security, safety, and protection guards that hotels do.

No front desk clerk to visually review credit card and ID information from the guest in person. No on-site security, no bellhops, etc. that you would see in a larger hotel. “So technology has to safely and fairly fill that void and make contactless check-in a failproof replacement of the traditional front desk,” he said.

Do guests have a way around this?

If cameras are a little too Big Brother for you, you – the guest – have rights that the hosts are supposed to adhere to.

“It's important to know that most rental platforms have strict policies against this -- both Vrbo and Airbnb do – and guests should report any instances immediately,” Hans Mast, a travel expert at Golden Rule Travel, told ConsumerAffairs. “To mitigate these concerns, guests should thoroughly read reviews and ratings of a potential rental. This way, they can avoid properties with red flags and opt for ones with consistently positive feedback.”

A Vivint spokesperson echoed that, adding that if a guest finds one, they should document that in messages with the host and the company the host lists their property with. 

And the damage issue? That's a gray area that guests should take the time to proactively consider. That gray area is whether the damage was pre-existing or the guest in question is the person who did it.

“While accidents do happen, hosts can have an issue with even the most minor of damages and guests can incur a potential fine. Documenting any existing damages or issues immediately after checking in can be a huge help for both hosts and their guests,” the spokesperson added.

Updated, Friday, June 30.

You can turn on any TV newscast and the first thing you’ll see for the next couple of days is what a hot mess the airlines are. Maybe the hottest mess the industry has seen in several years.

For Friday alone, FlightAware reported total delays within, into, or out of the United States today sat at 1,219, and total cancellations at 922.

“This is not what we want to hear going into a big holiday weekend,” said Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog at U.S. PIRG Education Fund.

“People planning to travel this weekend should take steps now to protect themselves, including learning about their rights, putting trackers in their bags, getting their airline’s app on their phone so they can receive real-time notifications and saving the DOT link that spells out their airline’s guarantees in case of cancellations or delays."

Unfortunately, the potential flood of frustration doesn’t get much attention and ConsumerAffairs thought we’d fill you in on some things you should know about just in case you’re flying out this weekend. Here are some things that you should know about.

The biggest problem no one's talking about

This Saturday, July 1, is the day when wireless carriers can boost their 5G signals. That’s a good thing for those of us on the ground, but it could cause cancellations and delays in situations for planes using older equipment, especially when there’s nasty weather or low visibility. 

And it’s not just a handful of planes, either. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that up to 20% of planes serving U.S. airports don’t yet have updated equipment. 

Misery loves company

Because of the hub-and-spoke system that airlines use, if something goes wrong in, say, Houston, it can affect flights to Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, etc.

As of early Thursday, according to FlightAware, the top three problem spots on its MiseryMap are O'Hare, Newark, and Boston Logan. After those airports, the other major troubles are at Houston's IAH, Denver, and Atlanta. Most everything out West is fairly smooth sailing, although there were six delays in Phoenix, Seattle, and at Los Angeles' LAX.

The best advice to stay on top of things is bookmarking FlightAware’s Misery Map, FlightAware’s Cancellation dashboard, and FlightAware's updates on individual flights.

Do you have your TSA PreCheck mark on your boarding pass?

You probably assume that the TSA automatically takes care of synching everything up with the airlines, but the answer is no.

If you do not have a TSA PreCheck indicator on your boarding pass, call the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673, or contact them at @AskTSA on Twitter and Facebook Messenger.

Pack an empty bag and know before you go 

When airline passengers begin packing for travel, TSA says they should do it carefully, especially on the return trip when they may have picked up a few items not allowed aboard the aircraft. Screening the bag's contents means you are less likely to be stopped at the security checkpoint for having prohibited items and adding 10-15 minutes of patdowns and inspections.

Prior to packing that empty bag, check TSA’s “What Can I Bring?” tool to know what is prohibited. The most common prohibited items at the TSA checkpoint are drinks and foods that are prohibited according to the liquids, gels and aerosols rule.

They lost your bags? Sorry, but…

A lot of bags will be lost this holiday weekend. Possibly well into the thousands. US Pirg’s flier’s bill of rights says that if your bag is delayed overnight, most airlines set guidelines that allow their employees to reimburse you for some emergency expenses. Plus airlines must refund any checked baggage fees, and reimburse you for the lost items up to $3,800.

It may be too late, but if you have an iPhone, you may want to consider getting an AirTag that would enable you to track your luggage.

Don’t lose your wheels if something goes wrong

If anything takes a turn for the worse, keep your cool. Airlines, airports, local police, and TSA are in harmony anytime someone acts up. If you blow your cool, you run the risk of missing your flight, getting arrested, getting fined or any combination of the three.

Yes, and that includes giving a flight attendant grief. All it takes is one p-o’ed flight attendant to ask the pilot to turn the airplane around and take you back to where you came from and causing you to miss your flight.

United Airlines has just made Transportation Secretary Pete Buddideg happy. The company’s latest app helps take the airline off the hook when it comes to addressing at least part of a consumer’s rights on cancellations and delays.

Now, instead of stressing out and waiting in line to talk to an agent or search for options when a flight has been disrupted, United’s new self-service tool automatically presents travelers with personalized re-booking options, bag tracking information, as well as meal and hotel vouchers. 

The company’s decision came from finding itself in a tough spot. Even though United had the lowest mainline flight and seat cancellation rates of any airline in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2023, it still has the most flights impacted by weather given the location of four of its seven major domestic hubs – Chicago, Washington D.C., Denver, and Newark.

"Our goal is to get our customers to their destination on time, but we know things don't always go as planned and that's when a tool like this can make a real difference," said Linda Jojo, chief customer officer for United. 

If you fly United, here’s how it works

Suppose you’re flying United this summer and run into an issue, forcing your flight to be delayed by more than 60 minutes or even canceled completely. In that case, you should automatically see all available options for delays and cancellations on the home screen of the United mobile app. 

Here's how it works:

• Get notified: Before you do anything else, click the link in the automatic text notification or enter flight details in the mobile app or united.com to open the tool. Once you do that, your reservation is already loaded in the app, and you’ll see a prompt right on the home screen.

• Check flight and re-booking status: Step two is to confirm the status of your flight and see if you've been re-booked. If you want another flight option, United also offers those and lets you book based on your preference.

• Track your bags: Follow the status of your checked luggage to see when it is checked in, loaded on your flight and received at your final destination.

• View eligible vouchers: Receive hotel, meal and/or rideshare vouchers if eligible.

• Connect to a United customer service agent virtually: Call, text or video chat with a United agent who can offer the same assistance as the agents at the airport.

What it doesn’t cover… yet

While United’s new app takes some of the sting out of a canceled or delayed flight, the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) customer service dashboard says there are still some holes in what it would like the airline to do. Those include:

• Cash compensation when a cancellation results in passenger waiting for 3 hours or more from the scheduled departure time
• Credit/travel voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for 3 hours or more from the scheduled departure time
• Frequent flier miles when cancellation results in passenger waiting for 3 hours or more from the scheduled departure time

​However, United isn't the only major U.S. carrier that hasn't stepped up to make those perks available to stranded passengers. American, Delta, Southwest, et al yet to have agreed to those caveats, as well.

As of now, according to the agency's dashboard, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines are the only ones offering credit/travel vouchers when cancellation results in passengers waiting for three hours or more from the scheduled departure time.

And only Alaska offers frequent flier miles when cancellation results in passengers waiting for 3 hours or more from the scheduled departure time.

The traveler’s golden “Shoulder Season” has made its first appearances. After Southwest Airlines unleashed a surprise 40%-off flash sale for travel this fall, other airlines are already raising their hands and saying, “Us, too!”

ThePointsGuy (TPG) reports that Aeromexico, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, and United Airlines are all matching Southwest by offering deals to warmer destinations across Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. 

One great thing about these sales is that they cover a wide swath of locations, making them convenient for nearly everyone who lives close to a decent-sized city in the country.

TPG says these deals include flights departing from several hubs, including Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Another plus is that some of these fares are good for up to spring of 2024.

The only iffy thing is that the rug could be pulled out from under these deals at any time, so if you’re interested, you best be making your reservations now.

ConsumerAffairs put these sales to the test on Google Flights and there are considerable savings to be had.

For example, a roundtrip flight from Indianapolis to Miami in early July runs about $375, but in late September, it goes to as low as $156. Cleveland to Phoenix now is costing about $253, but we found roundtrip tickets as low as $138 if we waited until late October.

A new search engine spots the 'perfect' times to travel

Searching for airfares isn’t much fun, but KAYAK has introduced a new “Best Time to Travel” tool that helps consumers find out when to fly and when to book to get the best price.

The widget is helpful in that it can help remove the toil and trouble of going to multiple search engines to gather those data points by yourself. The company says the tool sifts through the billions of pieces of data that others have already used for searches. 

When ConsumerAffairs took the tool for a trial run, it certainly seemed to have a payoff. For example, when we looked at booking a flight from Cincinnati to Rome, its suggestion was to take our trip from 10/3 to 10/16. The reasons it gave were that airfare is lower than normal --  $1,106 during that period compared to a monthly average of $1,192 -- weather will still be good (an avg. of 62F), and it's likely we wouldn't see a lot of crowds.

With Memorial Day behind us, the busy summer travel season has officially begun - with TSA airport volumes already exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

In the wake of thousands of flights being delayed across the U.S. last week, many travelers are asking, should we expect another hectic summer of travel?

In a word, yes. In its new Summer Disruption Outlook, the experts behind travel app Hopper dug into all the TSA data from last summer to come up with a ranking of the U.S. airports expected to be the worst. Plus, the Hopper analysts offered ConsumerAffairs readers some free advice for anyone who’s taking to the skies and possibly flying out of or going to one of these airports.

The worst

The worst airports in the U.S. are the ones you’d expect them to be just because they’re hubs for major airlines, such as Chicago where American and United route a lot of their traffic. 

Worst U.S. Airports for Summer Travel

1. Chicago (MDW) - 44% of flights disrupted during summer 2022

2. Baltimore (BDWI) - 39% of flights disrupted during summer 2022

3. Newark (EWR) - 37% of flights disrupted during summer 2022

4. Dallas (DAL) - 35% of flights disrupted during summer 2022

5. New York City (JFK) - 34% of flights disrupted during summer 2022

The busiest

You could probably close your eyes and guess the busiest airport in the U.S. You know, the one where nearly 100 million people travel through this year? The big Delta hub? Yep, Atlanta.

Busiest U.S. Airports for Summer Travel

1. Atlanta (ATL) - 26% of flights disrupted during summer 2022

2. Chicago (ORD) - 25% of flights disrupted during summer 2022

3. Dallas (DFW) - 28% of flights disrupted during summer 2022

4. Denver (DEN) - 30% of flights disrupted during summer 2022

5. Los Angeles (LAX) - 24% of flights disrupted during summer 2022

Taking care of the investment in your flight plans

Travelers to Europe this summer will want to make sure they get the most out of their money with airfares up 26% from 2019. These top tips from Hopper's experts will hopefully help you travel smoothly this summer:

Add travel protection. There are a few ways to go about this. Some credit card companies offer travel protection so check with the one you used to buy your ticket. Then, there are companies such as Hopper that offer protection such as Flight Disruption Guarantee, which allows you to rebook a new flight immediately on any carrier, if your flight is delayed, canceled or you miss a connection. Thirdly, if you’re price shopping, there are other worthy travel insurers, but it’s important to ask them if they offer that specific type of coverage.

Take the first flight of the day. Getting out of bed at 5 a.m. isn’t any fun, but it might pay off if a storm rolls into town or there’s a domino of disruptions over a certain airline’s route. Flights departing after 9 am are two times more likely to be delayed than those departing between 5-8 am.

Don't leave it up to chance. Build in a buffer day! It's always better to be safe by adding an extra day to your trip, especially for big events or major trips. Should any delays or disruptions interfere with your travel plans, then you'll have some breathing room.

Make sure you sign up for alerts and check flight status before you leave for the airport. Things happen quickly in the airline world. Pilots don’t show up, bad weather causes delays and cancellations, all types of things that can drag a trip down.

You'll want to be aware of delays and cancellations as soon as possible so sign up for whatever the airline you’re flying on offers: the option of receiving text, email, or in-app notifications about changes to their itinerary, including delays and cancellations. If your trip is delayed or canceled, know what options you have, including other flights heading to your destination. 

Whatever you do…

The airline industry is a royal mess right now and the pressure of summer travel is only going to complicate things further. No matter where you’re going, it’s important to know what’s going on so if you run into a problem you know what to do and these two websites will do the trick.

The Department of Transportation’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard. If something goes wrong, you’ll be able to quickly find what the airlines are supposed to be doing to take care of you and the situation as well as who’s committed to doing what they’re supposed to do and the laggards.

The other is FlightAware.com. This site is ConsumerAffairs’ go-to for things like delays and cancellations and within a matter of seconds, anyone can find out where their flight is, what flights are canceled, which ones are delayed, what airports are having issues, and something called a “Misery Map” that isolates each airport and shows what routes are experiencing problems.

If you’re planning to rent an Airbnb residence anytime down the road and throw a party, you better look for someplace else. The company is rolling out measures across the country to help reduce the risk of disruptive and unauthorized parties – especially over major holidays like the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

By and large, most Airbnb renters are probably good guests and happy just to have a place to relax, but the company says it has been forced to act because lately, some guests have broken the rules. 

“Our anti-party system for the upcoming holiday weekends aims to help do this by taking steps to identify certain potentially higher-risk one-night and two-night booking attempts by guests of entire home listings, and preventing those bookings from being made,” the company wrote in a recent blog post.

“The system looks at factors relating to the guest’s account and their booking attempt that may indicate a higher risk for a disruptive or unauthorized party incident, like whether the guest has a history of positive reviews (or lack of positive reviews), the distance to the listing, whether the booking is last-minute, among other considerations.”

The filters guests have to get past

Depending on how you look at computer systems that analyze people and situations based on the information a person inputs when making a reservation, Airbnb’s anti-party filters don’t play around. The system will not only block home bookings that are identified as potentially higher-risk, but it tells guests right up front that if they break the rules, they may be subject to suspension or removal from the platform.  

Overall, Airbnb’s filters appear to be doing their job. The company says that since introducing its party ban in August 2020, it’s seen a global 55% year-over-two-year decrease in the rate of party reports. 

However, computers can be fallible.

Unfortunately, in situations where a system is constructed to “think” a certain way based on the information that’s imputed, the human on the other end who gets rejected has little immediate recourse.

There were a number of ConsumerAffairs reviewers who were stung by Airbnb’s anti-party filters in some rather befuddling ways.

“Traveling on business for the last 40 years, and with many more to go, I was thrilled to see Airbnb. My reviews are all 5-star excellent. This week, for no reason whatsoever, the Airbnb computer rudely informed me that I was booking for a party,” Joe of St. Albert Calif., wrote. 

“I'm an old guy who doesn't drink and is asleep by 9 pm nightly. I'm not sure how Airbnb thinks it's appropriate to offend people like that. Particularly as a regular business traveler, I can't deal with a flaky company whose computer algorithms override common sense.”

Another person who booked with Airbnb got rejected by the anti-party filter because they showed signs of a potential party. Alexis from Gainesville Fla., said she spent 40 minutes on the phone with Airbnb, only to be told that someone else would contact me in 24-48 hours. That time came and went, though, and so was the listing. 

“When I finally found somewhere else for us to go in a different city because the other was unavailable. I still got the same error message and nothing was resolved. They are still passing me around to other people. I will not use them in the future.”

Airbnb responsds

If an Airbnb guest would like to appeal this decision, they can do so by contacting the company. Here's more info.

As summer travel begins this Friday – Memorial Day weekend – and continues through Labor Day, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is preparing airport security checkpoints nationwide to screen high volumes of passengers.

About 2.6 million passengers are expected to be screened on Friday, May 26, the busiest day of the long weekend.

Many of those passengers may not have flown in a while and the TSA suggests they get caught up on all the changes. Even those who have flown in the last few months may be in for a couple of nuances as well.

Here’s what the agency shared with ConsumerAffairs:

Update on TSA PreCheck

Any parent or guardian already enrolled in TSAPrecheck can now accompany teens aged 13-17 to a TSA PreCheck screening when the TSA PreCheck indicator appears on the teen's boarding pass. Children 12 and under may accompany an enrolled parent or guardian without restriction at any time.

“Passengers can help as well by being prepared, by having their identification ready when they begin screening and checking to make sure they aren’t bringing firearms, oversized liquids or any other prohibited item into the checkpoint,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “One person’s actions can delay screening for everyone else.”

Are you who you say you are?

TSA is deploying new technology solutions nationwide to modernize airport checkpoints, enhance security effectiveness, and improve the passenger experience. Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) units now verify a passenger's identification credentials, flight details, and pre-screening status, such as TSA PreCheck, without a boarding pass. With CAT, passengers only need to provide their acceptable photo identification to the officer. 

But, heads up – TSA officers may perform additional passenger verification if they think it’s needed.

If anyone is worried about their images being scanned, the agency said that those travelers may opt out in favor of an alternative identity verification process without losing their place in line. 

More scrutiny of carry-ons

TSA recently installed new state-of-the-art Computed Tomography (CT) units nationwide, which the agency says greatly improves scanning and threat detection capabilities for carry-on bags. 

The upside is that the new CT units give TSA officers the ability to review a 3-D image of passengers’ bags while reducing the need to physically search the contents of those bags. That means that travelers screened in security lanes with CT units no longer have to remove their 3-1-1 liquids or laptops, but they must place every carry-on item, including bags, into a bin for screening. 

Pack an empty bag

The TSA says that it’s been monitoring what trends are happening at U.S. airports and recommends that travelers start with a completely empty bag and take a minute to know what items can be carried on before they go. 

“When airline passengers begin packing for travel with an empty bag, they are less likely to be stopped at the security checkpoint for having prohibited items. Prior to packing that empty bag, check TSA’s What Can I Bring? tool to know what is prohibited,” the agency noted. 

Guns’ll getcha!

One huge concern is the number of firearms that passengers have tried to get through security checkpoints in the last few months. TSA officers intercepted 1,508 firearms at airport security checkpoints during the first quarter of 2023 – more than 93% of them loaded. 

If you try to get a firearm through security, you will get stopped, maybe fined, and the government will confiscate your gun and you won't get it back.

And that fine isn’t cheap, either. Trying to bring a loaded firearm or unloaded firearm with accessible ammunition in a carry-on could cost you $3,000 - $10,700, plus a criminal referral. Unloaded firearms carry a potential fine of  $1,500 - $5,370 + criminal referral for anyone who tries to bring one through a TSA checkpoint. 

For anyone who wants to travel with a firearm, the rule is simple: “You may still travel with a firearm – it just must be properly packed in your checked baggage and you must declare it to the airline,” Pekoske said. 

If you fly Southwest Airlines a lot and have been enjoying the airline’s option to pay a little extra to board sooner, your pocketbook will be enjoying that feature a little less the next time you fly.

In an internal memo shared with View from the Wing, Southwest’s Upgraded Boarding -- which used to cap out at $50 -- will now cost between $30 and $80 depending on the length and popularity of each flight. And those dollar figures can change at any time, too.

“The airline gave employees talking points that are… somewhat suspect,” View from the Wing’s Gary Leff wrote. “They claim to be doing [this] to ‘protect the value’ that Upgraded Boarding ‘offers to our customers’ as the feature ‘becomes more popular on specific routes.’ But this makes no sense at all.”

Southwest's side of the story

Southwest sees it differently, though. “This is another way we’re different. Other airlines charge you fees for things you need or have to have. This is a service that has a value that some customers are willing to purchase. When they do, it helps us keep fares low for everyone,” the company’s memo said.

When Leff asked the airline for a direct response, their official statement was this:

“Upgraded Boarding is one of Southwest’s most popular ancillary products, allowing customers the option to buy an upgraded boarding position in Group A1-A15 (when available). We’ve shared with our employees that Upgraded Boarding now will be offered in a variable range of $30 to $80. Upgraded Boarding price points will work the same as they do today whereby prices can vary based on the length and popularity of each flight. Price points within the new range are subject to change at any time, as they do today. We hope our customers continue to enjoy this product.”

The only people escaping this change are those who hold one of Southwest’s premium co-brand cards from Chase. They’ll still be able to do their free four-times-a-year boarding upgrades without paying or being charged extra.

Just ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, summer travel challenges may be building. Southwest Airlines pilots have voted to authorize a strike if contract negotiations fail.

Earlier this month pilots at American Airlines, who are also in contract negotiations with the carrier, took similar action.

That’s not to say pilots at either airline will actually go on strike, but it’s enough to make travelers booked on either of the airlines later in the summer nervous. Airline capacity has already been reduced because of fewer pilots. A reduction in American and Southwest flights would place added strain on the system.

At this point, almost no one is anticipating a Southwest strike, even though 99% of pilots gave the green light. Industry experts say the strike vote is likely a muscle-flexing move to put pressure on the airline to agree to a favorable deal. For its part, the airline doesn't appear worried.

“We are staffed and prepared to welcome travelers for their summer travel plans,” Southwest said in a statement.

The airline industry is different from other types of businesses when it comes to work stoppages. Under federal law, union employees at the nation’s airlines can’t walk out unless a mediator has determined further negotiations are pointless.

A number of grievances

Still, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) President Casey Murray suggests the union has a number of grievances and will drive a hard bargain.

 "The lack of leadership and the unwillingness to address the failures of our organization have led us to this point,” Murray said. “Our pilots are tired of apologizing to our passengers on behalf of a company that refuses to place its priorities on its internal and external customers."

New rules proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) may also put added pressure on the two airlines. DOT has started the rulemaking process with the goal of requiring airlines to give stranded passengers compensation and reimbursement for meals, hotels, and rebooking when the airline is responsible for flight cancellations. 

When an airline is responsible for stranding passengers at an airport, what should it do for those customers? Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg says it's pretty clear -- passengers deserve compensation and reimbursement for meals, hotels, and rebooking. 

This week, Buttigieg’s DOT announced plans to launch a new rulemaking aimed directly at bringing that wish all the way home.

The DOT has been after this for two years, trying to reverse the trend of negative airline passenger experience and it’s got a lot to show for its efforts. The 10 largest airlines now guarantee meals and free rebooking on the same airline and nine guarantee hotel accommodations as part of the Department’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard at the new FlightRights.gov. Also on the new dashboard are updated commitments airlines have made to allowing families to sit together for free.

The arm twisting that still remains

Buttigieg wants these changes to be mandatory. However, he's got some work to do because no airline has committed to offering everything the DOT wants, at least not yet. 

The closest to perfect is Alaska Airlines which checks seven of the eight commitment boxes for “controllable cancellations” and JetBlue which checks six of the eight. 

Dragging their feet on what the DOT wants are Frontier, which has agreed to only two of eight things the DOT is asking for, and Allegiant which has agreed to only four commitments.

The one glaring holdout that no airline has said yes to is “cash compensation when a cancelation results in passengers waiting for three hours or more from the scheduled departure time.”

Given how that commitment could become a backbreaker, the DOT’s new proposal allows for vouchers/credit, frequent flier miles, as well as cash when a cancelation or delay results in passengers waiting for three hours or more for scheduled departure time.

“When an airline causes a flight cancelation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill,” Buttigieg said. “This rule would, for the first time in U.S. history, propose to require airlines to compensate passengers and cover expenses such as meals, hotels, and rebooking in cases where the airline has caused a cancelation or significant delay.” 

Travelers speak out on what airlines to avoid

If anyone hasn’t booked their summer travel, yet, and the DOT’s new dashboard gives them pause on a certain airline, there’s also a new survey from TheVacationer where Americans had a chance to voice their own opinion on which airlines they avoid flying on at all costs, too. Drum roll, please…

1. Spirit Airlines — 21.06%

2. Allegiant Air — 16.36%

3. American Airlines — 14.40%

4. Frontier Airlines — 14.30%

5. Delta Air Lines — 12.63%

6. JetBlue — 12.63%

7. Alaska Airlines — 10.68%

8. Southwest Airlines — 10.28%

9. United Airlines — 7.64%

10. Hawaiian Airlines — 5.48%

“This means more than one out of every five people you come across will not fly on Spirit under any circumstances,” TheVacationer’s Eric Jones said. “Based on the recent census, the 21.06% that said this equates to more than 54 million people. Having had a few bad experiences with Spirit myself, I can see why Spirit won the contest of airline Americans are most likely to avoid at all costs.”

Jones added that despite these numbers, nearly half of American adults do not avoid flying on any airline. And the reasons they give are because cost and flight dates and times are the most important factors.

“With continued inflation, there should be no surprise that nearly one-third of all American adults said the cost of the flight is most important to them regardless of the airline,” Jones added.

The kickoff of the summer travel season is still a month away, but with all we’ve seen this year already – Southwest’s computer glitch, American pilots voting to strike, and airlines pulling out of markets – anyone flying this summer should be ready for things to go haywire. 

There will probably be the usual weather-related cancellations and delays, but Scott Keyes of Going.com says that the domino that’s in the most precarious position is that Delta, United, JetBlue, and American have gotten the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) approval allowing them to cut back on flights.

Travelers might think there’s a lot that could go wrong given the FAA’s okay, but these preemptive cuts are meant to result in fewer disruptions and less last-minute scrambling down the line. 

“On the other hand, travel demand is at its highest all year, meaning the system is more strained. During the summer, there are comparatively fewer airplanes on reserve—they’re all out flying—so when flights get canceled, there are fewer back-ups to take their place,” Keyes explained to ConsumerAffairs.

The impacts and the options – both good and bad

While this runway of cutbacks may be paved with good intentions, Keyes said that the worst part of this flight cancellation circus is that while it means fewer flights, it could also mean higher fares.

“However, there are a few groups of travelers that these cancellations do bode well for. First, people who have already booked their flights into or out of New York. You’ve already locked in a lower price than the people who have yet to book and are now seeing fares spike. Plus your flight is now more likely to arrive on time.

Keyes said the second group of travelers who are in luck are people whose flights get canceled. It’s frustrating enough anytime a flight is canceled, but in this situation, there are several silver linings, especially when they’re canceled this far in advance. 

Request a full cash refund: “If the new flight does not work for you, you have the right to get your money back,” Keyes said.

Accept the airline’s new booking: If an airline cancels a flight, the airline will probably rebook the flier on a new flight automatically. And if that new flight works for the traveler’s schedule, all’s good!

Request a different flight: Keyes told ConsumerAffairs that if an airline rebooks someone on a new flight that doesn’t work with the traveler’s plans, they can request a different flight at no additional charge.

“This can work in your favor if your original flight was a less-than-ideal itinerary—say it left super in the morning or you had a long layover. You can switch to an optimal itinerary, like one that leaves a little later or is a direct flight,” he said.

A reason to love New York

For those in New York: Keyes says that for people flying in or out of New York City – the U.S.’ largest market with four regional airports in the mix – these cuts are not ideal, but his researchers found a somewhat under-the-radar group of travelers that benefits from those NYC-area flight cancellations.

“Take JetBlue, for instance. When JetBlue cuts flights for the summer, those pilots, planes, and crews get reallocated to other JetBlue flights around the country, meaning that there is added capacity in other JetBlue destinations and lower fares in those cities than you would’ve otherwise seen,” Keyes said. “So if you’re flying into or out of Fort Lauderdale, you may see more flights and lower fares thanks to these New York cuts.”

“The knee-jerk reaction to a canceled flight is to be frustrated, and we definitely get why. Upon closer inspection, canceled flights this summer can actually open up your options, whether you’re looking to reclaim some money, book a better flight, or take advantage of airline deals from other airports around the country,” Keyes concluded.

Flying on American Airlines (AA) anytime soon? You better keep tabs on your flight because the 15,000-strong Allied Pilots Association (APA) has voted in favor of authorizing a strike.

This push-come-to-shove couldn’t happen at a better time for those pilots. They have a busy travel schedule around the corner and that will no doubt give them some leverage in working out an agreement.

“The summer travel season is almost here, and we’re all wondering whether this will be another summer of uncertainty for American Airlines,” said Ed Sicher, APA President. “Fortunately, there is an alternative. By embracing the win-win scheduling and work rule improvements APA has presented at the bargaining table, management can take steps to improve the airline’s operational reliability and efficiency.”

In a demonstration of their resolve, APA members will conduct informational picketing today at all 10 of the airline's major hubs: Boston (BOS), Charlotte (CLT), Chicago (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (LGA), Philadelphia (PHL), Phoenix (PHX), and Washington, D.C. (DCA).

"We remain confident that an agreement for our pilots is within reach and can be finalized quickly. The finish line is in sight," American Airlines said in an email to ConsumerAffairs.

"We understand that a strike authorization vote is one of the important ways pilots express their desire to get a deal done and we respect the message of voting results. Importantly, the results don’t change our commitment or distract us from working expeditiously to complete a deal. We remain focused on completing the handful of matters necessary to reach an agreement our pilots deserve."

What American customers need to know

A spokesperson for APA said that there shouldn’t be an immediate effect on travel plans, but that all depends on what happens at the negotiating table. 

The APA spokesperson said the 67 canceled and 92 delayed AA flight interruptions currently shown on FlightAware are not related to the picketing and that all of the pilots participating in the picket line were already scheduled to be off-duty on Monday. 

Anyone holding a ticket on American flights should frequently check their AA app or the airline’s website for any changes in their scheduled departure.

If you’re flying somewhere this summer and think you’ll be hungry or thirsty by the time you get on the plane, you’ll certainly wind up paying the prices airport food vendors are charging these days. 

Travelers have had enough of overpriced food and drink, like $27 for a Sam Adams beer and $18 for a small pepperoni pizza, but one travel expert says that if you play your cards right, you can get inside a major airline’s lounge for little to nothing and eat and drink to your heart’s content.

You also get to escape those noisy waiting areas and time scouring the hallways looking for a power outlet to charge your devices. Some lounges even have showers for travelers looking for a quick refresh.

“With so many ways to get lounge access today, from credit cards, lounge membership programs, and day passes, a comfortable space with amenities is never too far out of reach,” Katy Nastro of Going.com, told ConsumerAffairs.

“If you’re considering paying high markups on sour patch kids and pretzels, why not use those funds towards a relaxing space with unlimited snacks and fast wifi while you’re at it?”

Two 'free’ish' ways into an airport lounge

Nastro's primer on how a traveler can get access to lounge life is fairly 1-2-3’ish. On top of automatic lounge access for those flying in First or Business class or who have Elite status with an airline because of all the miles they’ve acquired, there are also ways to get in for free, too. 

There are two “frees” – one truly free and one sort of free. If you’re a member of the military, American Airlines Admirals Club and United Airlines United Club both offer complimentary lounge access to active military members who present their military ID and same-day ticket on that airline, in any class at the lounge door. American Airlines requires you to be in uniform, while United does not, Nastro said.

The other “free” is when a traveler has a certain credit card. You’ve probably seen all those airline-branded credit card offers land in your mailbox over the years and as competition has gotten fiercer, the deals have gotten sweeter. Many credit cards include complimentary lounge access as a cardholder benefit, as ConsumerAffairs Kathryn Parkman found, including Chase Sapphire Reserve and the American Express Platinum card.

However, when it comes to airline-branded credit cards, remember that it’s “pay to play” and most any credit card that provides lounge access charges an annual fee – and those can run anywhere from under $100 to more than $500. Nastro tosses in this reminder for those situations: in addition to being a cardholder, you may also need to enroll in a lounge’s membership program before you receive your lounge benefits.

“Check your credit card’s details for more info before you travel,” she said.

Day and annual passes

The two most intriguing lounge access suggestions Nastro shared are subscription-based – where a person buys access to an airport lounge for a day or a year.

Examples that Nastro gave for day passes are American Airlines Admirals Club and United Airlines United Club. Passes can be purchased for $59 by those flying either the parent airline or a partner airline. 

As for longer-term passes, he suggests a company called Priority Pass that allows travelers to pick and choose access to about 1,300 airport lounges in 650 airports across 148 countries. Memberships range from $99 to $429. 

For travelers who want a specific perk, the amenities at participating lounges range from comped refreshments and free wi-fi to spa treatments, massage rooms, and sleeping areas, Nastro said. Parkman noted that one credit card that includes free Priority Pass membership as a card benefit is Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Southwest Airlines (SWA) had another hiccup, Tuesday -- one that's added to the hacking cough of cancelations and delays the airline has been through this over the last four months.

The company suspended all flights on Tuesday morning to work through data connection issues resulting from a firewall failure, according to the airline. By the end of the day according to FlightAware, 2,414 flights were delayed – 57% of those scheduled -- and 14 canceled completely.

“We ask that travelers use Southwest.com to check flight status or visit a Southwest Airlines Customer Service Agent at the airport for assistance with travel needs. We appreciate the patience of our Customers and Employees during this morning’s brief disruption,” the airline said in a statement.

As for early Thursday, all appears to be good -- for now. When ConsumerAffairs checked Flight Aware disruptions, there were none reported by SWA.

How travel insurance would’ve helped those caught in this situation

Analysts at Squaremouth.com, a travel insurance comparison and quoting engine, shared insight on travel insurance coverage for SWA’s impacted flights and said that those who have a travel insurance policy may be covered if their trip was impacted by the Southwest travel disruption. The most likely benefit to apply is Travel Delay. 

“Many policies can cover ‘any delay of a common carrier’,” the analysts said in an email to ConsumerAffairs. “In this case, the Travel Delay benefit can refund your expenses during a significant delay, including coverage for meals and accommodations. In order for coverage to apply, the delay must last three to 12 hours, depending on the policy.”

Specifically, if a delay forces a traveler to miss their connecting flight, they may also be covered for additional costs needed to catch up to their trip. 

“While today’s disruption did not lead to many outright cancellations, if your original Southwest flight was delayed more than 12 hours and you were forced to cancel your trip, your travel insurance policy’s Trip Cancellation benefit can cover your prepaid and non-refundable trip costs. Travelers whose flights were canceled can also contact Southwest directly for a refund,” Squaremouth said.

It added that if Southwest’s problems continue, it has prepared a special Southwest Travel Disruption Travel Insurance Information Center that breaks down coverage information for travelers and offers updates as the situation unfolds.

American, Frontier, and United have cut some flights from their schedules due to delays in delivering new jets and a shortage of pilots. And, nope, we’re not back in COVID-19, either.

Reports from various sources say that the impact will hit both big and small markets alike.

A spokesperson for United put the blame on the U.S. pilot shortage that’s affecting regional carriers more than long-haulers.

“But pilots are not the only issue,” AirlineWeekly’s Edward Russell said. “Continuing aircraft delivery delays at Airbus and Boeing have also hamstrung airline schedules; the latest example being American’s decision to suspend flights between Philadelphia and Madrid in May and June due to late Boeing 787 deliveries.”

Russell says that there's a third problem – a shortage of air traffic controllers – which caused the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to step in and suspend usage rules for 10% of the slots at airports in New York and Washington, D.C.

Frontier’s cutting 14 routes

Frontier is also chopping some of its routes, but basically because they’re dead weight. A Frontier Airlines spokesperson told The Points Guy that it periodically reviews and updates routes based on demand, seasonality, and other factors. It’s not pulling out of 13 of those markets completely, but it is hanging it up in Rochester, N.Y., (ROC) where its bread and butter has been regular flights to and from Orlando. Those flights will cease on May 8. 

United chops 17

United is completely getting out of Erie, Pa., and will cut 16 other regional routes from its network. The Points Guy reported the changes, outlining everything that’s getting taken off the board. They include:

Chicago O’Hare to Bismarck, N.D.; Charlottesville, Va.; Jackson, Miss.; Pasco-Tri-Cities, Wash.; and Redmond, Ore. 

Denver to Dayton, Ohio. 

Houston Bush to Alexandria, La.; Columbia, S.C.; and Akron, Ohio

Newark to Oklahoma City; Omaha, Neb.; and Knoxville, Tenn.

Washington Dulles to Allentown, Pa.; Lexington, Ky.; Madison, Wis.; Oklahoma City; and Pensacola, Fla. 

American’s cuts hit Philadelphia pretty hard

American had already announced plans to eliminate 3,729 flights – about 10% – from its summer schedule at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). Those flights won’t operate from June through August. writes Holden Wilen and Emma Dooling at Philadelphia Business Journal.

Do you have a reservation on one of these routes?

It's a safe bet that any airline that cuts a flight from its schedule will make things right with the traveler. For example, in American's situation, a spokesperson said anyone whose flights were changed will be granted alternate options and, if there’s a traveler who can’t be accommodated, refunds will be available because of the airline’s schedule-changing policy. You can find United's schedule change policy here, and Frontier's here.

For the next few weeks, airports are going to be bustling with travelers trying to get to their spring break destinations, but AirHelp, an air passenger rights company, says that some airports aren’t equipped to handle the influx.

Based on its data of airports with the most flight disruptions in the month of February – AirHelp says it’s putting travelers on alert that they should be prepared to sit and wait at certain airports.

Going to Hawaii? Thru Dallas? Anywhere in Nevada?

At the top of the list of airports with the highest percentage of flight disruptions is Kahului Airport (OGG) in Mauiwhere 30.82% of flights were disrupted last month. 

The others in the Top 5 were:

• Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO): 29.15% of flights disrupted;
• Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport (LAS): 28.52% of flights disrupted;
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): 28.51% of flights disrupted; and
• Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS): 28.23% of flights disrupted.

When it comes to flight cancellations, anyone going through, to, or from Dallas might want to rethink their routing. Dallas had two airports in the top five for the highest percentage of canceled flights in February – Dallas Love Field (4.85%) and Dallas/Fort Worth International (4.6%). 

Students at the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville campus shouldn’t have any problems flying out, though. AirtHelp deemed McGhee Tyson Airport outside Knoxville worthy of the country's most reliable airport with over 85% of flights leaving on time in February.

One more ski trip, a flight to Florida?

Thinking about trying to sneak in one last ski trip? AirHelp analysts said that you’d be better off going through Salt Lake City International than Denver because it has fewer flights disrupted.

Flying to the sunny South? The analysts give the nod to Jacksonville and Tampa as Florida’s two best airports, both with under 18% of total flights disrupted. If you’re going to South Florida, however, patience will be necessary.

“If you’re heading to Miami, fly directly to Miami and avoid West Palm or Fort Lauderdale, which canceled a higher percentage of flights than Miami International,” the analysts said.

For reliable travel and warm weather, the best bet is Georgia because both Savannah/Hilton Head (84.15% of flights left on time) and Hartsfield Jackson in Atlanta have reliability of nearly 85% when it comes to flights leaving on time.

Should you fly stand-by if you think a flight departure is risky?

Flight cancellations and delays can domino like crazy! If your flight gets canceled, then you and the umpteen others on that flight will be rebooked on another flight, but that other flight also has people already on it so the airline has to figure out a way to fit both groups of fliers on the same flight. If there's more than one delay or cancelation, then that situation multiplies even further. 

Scott Keyes of Going.com suggests flying standby on an earlier flight if one’s available. Keyes told ConsumerAffairs that it’s pretty much a slam dunk if there's space on the flight, you already have a ticket for a flight, and you’re trying to get on an earlier one. 

The only thing that you’ll have to work out with the airline is if there’s space available in the same fare class as your already existing flight. It’s possible that if there’s a fare discrepancy you’ll have to pay extra to sit in Business or First, but that’s an airline-to-airline matter and one you’ll have to deal with and decide whether it’s worth the extra money in those situations. 

Revisiting new changes for families and delayed/canceled flights

Don’t forget – the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has made some changes to what airlines must do in cases where families are flying together and flights are either canceled or delayed.

To get current with what those changes are and what airlines are required to do and at what point, all you need to do is visit the DOT’s special travel dashboard available here.

The latest Air Travel Consumer Report is out and it shows that airlines have their work cut out for them if they want to please their passengers. On-time arrivals and departure, luggage, and flight cancelations appear to be issues.

Airlines have work to do… lots

Overall, there’s some serious work to be done. Complaints were up more than double from the latest report vs. a year ago. The biggest complaint categories shake out like this:

1. Refunds -- about 30% of all complaints

2. Flight problems (delays, etc.) 

3. Baggage 

4. Fares 

5. Reservations

Here are some highlights ConsumerAffairs found interesting:

On-time arrivals. Getting somewhere on-time is crucial and must be on the lips of every Delta pilot in that airline’s workforce. Its percentage of on-time arrivals was a domestic airline best at 85.5%. United was second at 83.9% and Southwest* was third at 81%. Bringing up the rear was Frontier with its flights landing when they were supposed to 64.6% of the time. *It's important to note that these reports lag by a couple of months and Southwest’s holiday troubles were not included.

Baggage woes continue to grow. If you’ve flown lately, you’ve noticed that more and more travelers are bringing their bags with them in the cabin. They have a good reason, too. The report shows that the number of baggage-related complaints the Department of Transportation has received has quadrupled in the last year. 

When it came to “mishandled baggage” per 100 people on a flight, it was American at 0.76 bags per 100, then Alaska (.62), and JetBlue (.58). Allegiant had the fewest number of “mishandled baggage” complaints per 100 fliers with 0.15.

Sorry, you’re not getting on. When it comes to who’s not getting on a flight – “involuntary,” “denied boardings” – American, Southwest, and Frontier have some explaining to do. Each of those carriers drew complaints more than 1,000 times between July and September ‘22, with Frontier complaints jumping 64%, Southwest complaints jumping 57%, and American complaints 35% from the same period in ‘21.

One truly amazing metric was how Delta and Allegiant fared on the good side of the “involuntary,” “denied boarding” scoreboard. Out of 34,955,144 flights Delta put up during the period tracked, the airline suffered zero complaints regarding being denied boarding; and while Allegiant only put 397 flights in the air, it still had zero complaints, too.

Refund? What refund? When it came to problems in obtaining refunds for unused or lost tickets, fare adjustments, or bankruptcies, Frontier (236), American (146), and United (107) scored the most complaints. With the added effort American has put toward improving consumer perception about refunds, it probably hopes this is the last time it shows up near the top of this category.

“Not fair” fares! The report showed that when it came to fare issues such as discount fare conditions, Frontier scored the most complaints (104) among the major U.S. carriers, more than double what Spirit received (40), and about triple what American did (35). Delta Air Lines received 30 complaints about fare issues and Southwest 10.

Because of the airline industry’s holiday collapse, some wannabe travelers might be thinking of other options to get to their vacation destination. Bus? Train? Renting a car? RV?

On the surface, they all seem expensive and, in fact, can be. But one travel blogger who went the RV route insists that when gas, accommodations, meals, etc. are figured into the equation, renting an RV may offer more upside than most people realize.

“This topic of airline travel fees vs the cost of an RV road trip came up after I, along with many others, experienced the stress, panic, and cost of travel this past holiday,” Megan Meade told ConsumerAffairs.”

“After our flights to and from the Midwest were canceled the night before we had to leave, our plan of catching a cheap flight turned into a hectic rescheduling for some much more expensive tickets and the loss of a day on our trip. This got me thinking, how much would it have cost us to just take our RV and make a road trip out of it?”

Meade said that thanks to some online tools like the U.S. government’s fuel trip calculator and tips from blogs on calculating the price of an RV road trip, she was able to get a good idea of just how much her 1,200-mile trip from the east coast to the Midwest would set her back. She said she took everything she could into account, including a one-night stop at a campground each way, a high-end estimate on the price of gas, and tolls. 

When it was all added up, Meade said that while the estimated cost of gas seemed off the chart – like $840 – everything added together was about the cost of one to one-and-a-half airline tickets. 

And Fido rides free!

One plus that Meade brought to our attention is that she was able to avoid the cost of boarding – or shipping – her dog.

That factor alone saved her around $350, making the savings for this trip far more considerable, she said.

“In total, the cost of an RV road trip would have cost in the ballpark of $1,000-$1,200. This is $600 less than what it cost us to fly, including the additional expense to leave our pup behind,” was her takeaway.

“These savings alone are enough to make me strongly reconsider flying for our next trip, but one day when kids are added to the mix, we will definitely be skipping the stress of airline travel and embracing the life-long memories that come with family road trips whenever possible.”

RV parks are all-in on upgrades, too

Meade apparently isn’t alone in using an RV for her vacation transportation. All told, more than 70 million Americans did the same in 2022, 10 million more than they did in COVID-heavy 2021.

To meet the rush, campground owners are finding they need to up their game, too, if they want to stay in business. On top of natural add-ins like wi-fi, sustainability, and environmental impact to meet the expectations of the younger, more diverse traveler, Steve Mwan at RVPlusYou says campground owners are being nudged to find unique overnight options that might appeal to demographics who’ve written off  RVing as old-fogey stuff.

“For the road-weary traveler who has spent too many nights in a cramped RV, onsite lodging can be a welcome relief. Getting creative with your accommodations is a clever way to appeal to a wider range of campers,” Mwan said.

“People are increasingly interested in unique or unusual accommodations, so you can add options such as cabins, yurts, teepees, tree houses, or vintage trailers. You can even include bio-domes or hammocks for those who want to soak in the stars.”

Just in time for Spring Break travels, United Airlines announced its new system that will allow families to book seats next to each other for no additional cost. 

The new process is geared toward families with children under the age of 12 years old. Travelers will now be able to book adjoining seats for themselves and their young children without paying extra. 

“In an era where more families are working in a hybrid environment, they’re traveling more often – and they’re flying United,” said Linda Jojo, chief customer officer for United. “We’re focused on delivering a great experience for our younger passengers and their parents and know it often starts with the right seat. We look forward to rolling out more family-friendly features this year.” 

Updated seat maps will help families sit together

With this update, fliers will be automatically directed to a new seat map that will highlight seats that are next to each other. This will make it easier for parents to see where there are openings and where they’ll be able to sit with their kids. 

The new policy will also give travelers options when adjoining seats aren’t available. When traveling with kids on a flight that is full or when an aircraft gets changed, consumers will have the opportunity to switch their flight – at no cost – to get seats that are next to each other. 

The goal of this new system is for parents to avoid having to ask flight attendants or their fellow travelers to switch seats so their children can be next to them. 

Additionally, parents won’t have to worry about getting randomly assigned seats. The new policy will be available for travelers who purchase Basic Economy seats – a tier where seats are usually not assigned until fliers check in or get to their gates. 

There are a few tiers of tickets that won’t fall under this new policy, including: Economy Plus, United Polaris, and United First Class. 

United will begin rolling out these updates immediately, and all travelers will have access to them starting in the first week of March. 

Southwest Airlines, under fire after its widespread holiday cancellation issues, is turning a page and announcing new flights that are scheduled to run through nearly the end of the year. 

Southwest released its entire schedule through October 4, 2023, and also announced new flights, as well as flights that will become available throughout the year from some of the biggest markets across the country. 

What can fliers expect? 

One of the biggest announcements is the expansion of flights from Long Beach, California, to other destinations across the country – without layovers. These are the anticipated adjustments: 

• Beginning March 9: daily nonstop service between Long Beach and Kansas City 

• Beginning July 11: daily nonstop service between Long Beach and Colorado Springs and El Paso 

• Beginning July 15: Saturday nonstop service between Long Beach and Orlando

• Beginning September 5: daily nonstop service between Long Beach and Albuquerque 

The expansion comes after much demand from customers to offer more direct flights from Long Beach to other major cities within the U.S. 

Later in the year, fliers can expect the addition of more nonstop flights from various markets across the country. Many of these will be seasonal weekend flights while others will run on a daily basis. 

Some of these include: 

• Beginning September 5: daily nonstop service between Baltimore/Washington International Airport and Oakland 

• Beginning September 5: daily nonstop service between Las Vegas and Little Rock 

• Beginning September 9: nonstop weekend service between Dallas and Philadelphia 

• Beginning September 9: nonstop weekend service between Los Angeles and Portland

• Beginning September 10: nonstop Sunday service between Boston and Houston 

More of the updated routes for the remainder of the year can be found here. 

Airlines have been served notice that what happened with the great Southwest Night Before Christmas meltdown can’t happen again.

Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Edward Markey (D-MA) have introduced two new bills – the Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights and the Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous (FAIR) Fees Act – imploring Congress to set things right once and for all.

“Airlines need to be given some incentives to do the right thing and consumers need protection,” said Blumenthal, calling the expenses and hardship from recent delays and cancellations, “just one example of what happens every day to many consumers across the country because they have no bill of rights right now.”

In Blumenthal's mind, this couldn’t be simpler – or more bipartisan. To him, this Bill of Rights provides practical, tangible guarantees that would ensure airlines provide passengers with fair compensation, refunds, and recourse in the event of airline-caused flight delays and cancellations. 

“If Southwest faced these kinds of potential penalties and consumer class action, it might have updated its IT system," Blumenthal said. "It might have revised its point-to-point travel system. And it would have done the right thing voluntarily rather than incur these humongous disruptions and expenses to its consumer. There’s nothing Republican or Democrat about being stranded in an airport.”

The latest winter storm showed that airlines are being more responsive already

As anyone who's observed part of this week’s news cycle knows, winter storm Mara that blasted the South, canceling thousands of flights and sending airlines that fly Southern U.S. routes into we-can't-let-what-happened-to-Southwest-happen-to-us mode. 

Southwest to its credit responded quickly issuing weather waivers that allowed passengers to reschedule their flights at no cost. American did the same.

New expert suggestions on what stranded passengers can do

Mother Nature doesn’t always broadcast her intentions, but it’s evident she hasn’t been happy lately. According to new numbers from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 20.12% (144,515) of all flights in the U.S. were delayed in 2022, up from 16% (86,307) in 2021 – a huge swing that impacted more than 60,000 flights and all the travelers who planned to be on board those flights.

United Airlines' CEO has already sent up a flare, warning that more disruptions are ahead. Until all of this is resolved, however, travelers don't have that many good options.  

For any hesitant traveler, the standard issue rules of the road (er, sky) still apply – fly nonstop and use only carry-on bags. ConsumerAffairs found a couple of additional new tricks that might help travelers out if a cancellation happens to them.

Clint Henderson at ThePointsGuy recommends that those who have to check bags should use Apple AirTags in their luggage. However, AirTags only work with Apple iPhones, leaving Android users out in the cold – to a degree.

Android users could always use something like PingTag which would allow airlines (or other kind souls) to scan a QR code sticker on a bag and send a message directly to the flier. 

Henderson also recommends that before heading out, check your credit card benefits.

“Your credit card may cover any extra expenses you incur during long delays or cancellations,” he said.

Blake Walsh, travel expert at Travel Lens added that because getting through to an airline’s customer service department can take forever, stranded travelers should use social media to their advantage.

“Sadly, not all customer service teams are as helpful as they should be and getting in touch with them via a phone call isn’t always easy,” he told ConsumerAffairs.

“Airlines value their reputation on social media and platforms like Twitter are a great way to get in contact with an employee. If you do use Twitter to reach out, then it’s important to remain polite and calm as this will work in your favor.”

Is blaming the weather for a flight cancelation too easy for an airline to use as an excuse? Some aviation pundits claim it might be.

During the pandemic, airlines were called out for using weather as an excuse when there was likely a pilot shortage.

However, in the aftermath of Southwest Airlines' recent implosion and with winter not even halfway through its yearly dance, travelers should know how to interpret what an airline really means when it takes a scheduled flight off the board for weather-related reasons.

Southwest agents did try the weather excuse as a reason to deny covering costs for stranded passengers, airline travel expert Gary Leff writes at A View from the Wing, but the cop-out didn’t stick with passengers or the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the airline’s hand was forced to cover any reasonable hotel and alternate transportation expenses passengers were facing.

What airlines are being forced to face now

Leff said that Southwest’s switcheroo has shifted rhetoric in the travel industry over what consumers are owed – and when. As proof, just take a look at the recent CNBC interview with American Airlines CEO Robert Isom where he went on record saying that when a delay or cancelation is the fault of American “we owe the customers.”

“That is likely news to American’s Customer Relations team,” Leff said. “If you send in a request for compensation due to a delay that the carrier stretches to call ‘weather-related’, respond with this clip from their boss’s boss’s boss saying ‘not so fast, when you don’t recover your operation Robert Isom says you owe your customers!’”

ConsumerAffairs reached out to American for comment but did not hear back from the company immediately.

"Squishy," is how another airline expert puts the industry’s definition of weather.

"The definition of weather has expanded a bit," Meara McLaughlin, vice president of business development for flight data site FlightStats.com, told Frommers. 

"It isn't just the conditions at your airport, along the way, or at your destination that count, but weather anywhere in the system that can be invoked. That's because the airlines' so-called ‘hub and spoke’ system relies on aircraft coming from other cities, which could be affected by weather. To my way of thinking, you have to call that something other than weather," she said.

How travelers can avoid 'weather-related' problems

In seasons where weather is iffy – like winter and tornadoes/hurricanes – it’s typical for a major airline to issue weather waivers in advance so travelers have an opportunity to make changes in advance, frequently without having to pay a change fee.

For example, when United Airlines saw nasty forecasts for weather across the Rockies and the Plains, it gave travelers the wherewithal to make changes at no cost. ThriftyTraveler has a list of what waivers other airlines offer, too.

But if all goes to hell in a handbasket and you find yourself at the airport across the counter from an airline agent who’s telling you that your flight is canceled because of weather, you apparently have rights, but getting something satisfactory might take some doing.

“Here in the U.S., travelers have shockingly few rights,” ThriftyTraveler’s Kyle Potter said. “Really, there's just this one: If your airline cancels your flight, you can cancel your reservation and get a full refund – not just a voucher or credit that expires in a year, but your money back. And that includes when weather is the cause of the disruption.”

If the agent is trying to save their hide and their airline the cost of a refund, they might try and rebook you on the next available flight, Potter said. The problem there is that the “next available flight” could be hours – or days – away. Still, “this law means you've got the option to cancel the reservation altogether and get your money back.”

At that point, travelers need to have a serious talk with themselves because a knee-jerk decision could cause the problem to snowball.

“Of course, that means you'd have to scrap your entire trip and try again another time. At the very least, if you decide to call it quits on your trip, make sure to request a full refund – don't just settle for a travel voucher,” Potter said.

Travelers woke up Wednesday morning to a flood of cancellations caused by an overnight outage of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Notice to Air Missions system that provides safety info to flight crews.

By 9 am, FlightAware data listed  4,314 total delays within, into, or out of the United States today. The airport hit the hardest was Baltimore/Washington Intl (BWI) where 41% of the flights were delayed.

Southwest, still reeling from its Christmas holiday meltdown, was also hit heavily. Three Southwest hubs – Chicago Midway (37%), Houston Hobby and Dallas Love (31% each) -- were right behind BWI in delays.

By mid-morning, the FAA was able to get things under control and lift its pause on departures. But, on the heels of the Southwest debacle, the question experts are asking is this: does this point to a fragility of the nation's commercial aviation system, which faces heavier demands as air travel demand increases?

“We continue to look into the cause of the initial problem,” the agency tweeted at 8:50 a.m.

Hello, airlines… hello, Pete!

Yaniv Hakim, CEO and co-founder of CommBox, a company that provides digital customer communications platform to airlines told ConsumerAffairs, “The FAA system failure, like the Southwest Airlines fiasco, shows how important it is that every airline will offer their passengers digital services on messaging channels, and provide both human and virtual AI-powered assistance.”

“Airlines need to step it up and offer communication and self-service tasks such as rebooking or canceling flights to their customers in the easiest way possible, not just through websites and apps.”

Hakim said that instead of customers taking to social media to complain about airlines or waiting for hours on hold, they should be able to quickly and easily take care of their concerns through channels like social media messaging, SMS texting, and WhatsApp. 

“When a traveler is stressed and stranded at an airport, especially during a major disruption - whether human, technical or natural - the last thing they want to do is wait on hold, download an app or listen to irrelevant options from an [interactive voice response] system."

In an email to ConsumerAffairs, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) wasted no time saying that he’s already gotten into Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s ear about the issue.

"I spoke with Secretary Buttigieg about this development and will continue to monitor this disruption to our air travel system until it is resolved."

If there ever was a shout-from-the-mountaintops by consumers, all one needs to do is look at the massive fallout from Southwest’s recent meltdown.

That fact is not lost on Delta Air Lines. On Thursday, CEO Ed Bastian said at this year’s CES conference that the airline will follow through with its promise to make in-flight Wi-Fi free for everyone aboard starting this February. 

“It is going to be free, it is going to be fast, and it is going to be available to everyone,” Bastian said. All a traveler has to do to access the service is login to their SkyMiles account -- and they can connect as many devices as they want, too. 

But…

There has to be at least one “but,” doesn’t there? Delta said that the Wi-Fi rollout will only be available on its aircraft that are equipped with a new system built by satellite internet provider Viasat. So far, about 80% of Delta’s domestic fleet is equipped with Viasat and the company’s goal is to have the service installed on 700 aircraft by the end of 2023 and on all of its flights by the end of 2024.

Will others follow suit?

No other airline played their “me, too” card in response to Delta’s announcement. But since Viasat has systems already in place on JetBlue, United, and American, those carriers might consider dropping their internet fee ($14/day on American) so they don’t lose any business to Delta.

“I have been a satisfied Southwest customer for years until experiencing the utter chaos that was Southwest over the holiday weekend,” Rhonda, of Fair Oaks, Calif., wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review when her flight was canceled with little notice.

Rhonda told us Southwest waited until the very last minute to notify travelers that their flights were being taken off the board, causing a domino effect of stranded passengers and unattended piles of luggage she said had been “heaved” all around the airport.

“I feel traumatized by the whole experience and I will definitely think twice about flying again!” she said.

But she’s not alone, nor will she be over the next few days. On Tuesday, Southwest canceled 2,570 flights according to FlightAware and has already canceled another 2,477 for Wednesday, and 917 on Thursday.

What to do

So, what is Rhonda to do? In an email to ConsumerAffairs, a Southwest spokesperson said that “when a carrier-controlled delay is a factor, …we already do other-airline rebooking when Southwest is not an option.”

Unfortunately for many fliers, Southwest flies out of secondary airports where it’s the only airline, leaving no other airline to easily put stranded passengers. In situations like that, a passenger would endure the hassle of taking a cab across town like they would have to in Dallas to go from Love Field where Southwest is the only airline to DFW that all the other major carriers serve. 

But if you take a look at the weather forecast, things could get worse. Southwest has already said that its short-term plans are to operate a third of its schedule “for the next several days,” hopefully to get some breathing room. However, without a complete reset of the carrier’s dominoes, it’s tempting fate if the New Year’s surge creates another round of chaos as travelers try to return home Sunday and Monday.

Hogwash, says a consumer watchdog

In response, U.S. PIRG Consumer Watchdog Teresa Murray said: "Unreliable airline travel has been an ongoing nightmare for more than two and a half years and now caused anguish for so many families looking forward to gathering for the first time since 2019 before the pandemic started. The tales of passengers who spent the holiday weekend sleeping on the floor at an airport are heartbreaking.”

“While the awful weather isn’t anyone’s fault, the way travelers were treated and accommodated – or not – sits squarely on the shoulders of most of the airlines,” Murray said in a statement to ConsumerAffairs.

Among the stranded? How to get help.

In a statement, Southwest said it would offer affected passengers either a refund or a voucher with no expiration date. Murray emphasized that passengers should not take their rights lightly nor should they take the first thing an airline offers them.

“If they choose to accept a credit or voucher, it’s important to understand how they work at each of the 10 largest domestic airlines,” she said.

What exactly are your rights if your flight is canceled? The U.S. Department of Transportation spells it out this way:

• If your flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook you for free on their next flight to your destination as long as the flight has available seats.
• If your flight is canceled and you choose to cancel your trip as a result, you are entitled to a refund for the unused transportation – even for non-refundable tickets.  You are also entitled to a refund for any bag fee that you paid, and any extras you may have purchased, such as a seat assignment.  
•  If the airline offers you a voucher for future travel instead of a refund, you should ask the airline about any restrictions that may apply, such as blackout and expiration dates, advanced booking requirements, and limits on number of seats.

The second point is important. You do not have to accept the alternative travel and if you cancel your plans you are due a refund -- not a voucher for future travel, but a refund.

The DOT recently issued a strong rebuke and large fine for Frontier Airlines on that very point.

And if all else fails, filing a complaint with the DOT has been known to get an airline’s attention.

Just ahead of the holiday travel crush, things seemed to be getting better for airline travelers. But the latest Air Travel Consumer Report shows there's still a long way to go.

According to the Transportation Department, consumer complaints about everything from on-time peformance to lost baggage fell 15.6% from August to September – the latest month for which there are data.

At the same time, though, complaints are more than 380% above pre-pandemic levels.

Arrivals and Departures

Getting where you're going on time showed improvement in September, with carriers reporting an on-time arrival rate of 82.1%, compared with 75.6% in August. However, the rate in the pre-pandemic month of September 2019 was 84.1%.

Airlines posting the best on-time rates were Delta, United and Alaska. The lowest were JetBlue, Frontier and Allegiant.

Probably among the most irritating experiences a traveler has is sitting on the runway waiting to depart.

In September 2022, there were 13 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, a big improvement over the 72 reported in August. There was just one delay of more than four hours on international flights, versus five tarmac delays reported in August.

Where's my suitcase?

Carriers handled 37 million bags in September with a mishandled baggage rate of 0.48%. That's a lower rate than a month earlier and on par with the pre-pandemic September 2019 rate of 0.47%.

The mishandled baggage rate for the third quarter was 0.61%, slightly higher than in the July – September period of 20019, befor the pandemic hit.

Other areas covered by the report include bumping oversales, treatment of disabled passengers and discrimnation, which may be found here.

If you’re flying somewhere over the holidays, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says you should be prepared for changes going through security. And, you should be prepared for more fellow travelers than you’ve seen since before the pandemic.

“We are prepared for the increased volume and expect to meet our wait time standards of 30 minutes or less in standard lanes and 10 minutes or less in TSA PreCheck lanes. However, there may be some situations where the capacity of a checkpoint is exceeded,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. 

ConsumerAffairs went through the TSA’s laundry list of suggestions and found some things that travelers might not be aware of.

Flying on Thursday, Dec. 22 or Friday, Dec. 30

If you’re going anywhere on Dec. 22 or Dec. 30, get to the airport early and be prepared for crowds. Those days may be among the most hectic of the holidays. Plenty of patience may be required. 

Trying to get a gun through security could cost you dearly

Travelers and firearms have become a major pain point for the TSA. This year, TSA officers intercepted a record 6,301 firearms – more than 88% of those were loaded. Passengers who attempt to bring a firearm through a checkpoint can expect to receive a fine up to $15,000, plus they’ll lose eligibility for TSA PreCheck, and local law enforcement will be called in.

In addition to firearms, there are other items not permitted at the checkpoint. These include explosives, flammables, knives, razors and replica weapons. To see if an item is prohibited, check the TSA website under “What Can I Bring?” 

But, if you baked a cake for Aunt Annie, you can bring that along. As always, passengers may bring solid foods such as cakes and other baked goods through the TSA checkpoint.

Make sure gifts are unwrapped

You’ve already wrapped the gifts you’re taking? Sorry. TSA says you might have to unwrap those – especially ones with lids – so they can inspect those items if they’re curious about the contents. Instead, the agency prefers travelers place their unwrapped gifts in their checked bags as opposed to carry-ons.

Is your ID 'acceptable'?

ID requirements have changed a bit, as have how to show your ID. At many airport checkpoints, a security officer may ask you to insert your physical ID into one of the agency’s new Credential Authentication Technology units. 

There’s a special new perk for people who live in Arizona, Colorado, and Maryland when it comes to showing their IDs. They can use their Apple mobile device to store their ID in Apple Wallet and use their mobile device in certain TSA PreCheck lanes at participating airports.

Ask for help – in advance

If you’re traveling with someone who is disabled or has a particular medical condition, you should contact the TSA Cares helpline at 855-787-2227 at least 72 hours prior to travel. TSA Cares can help with any questions about screening procedures, help you find out what to expect at the security checkpoint, and even arrange for assistance at the checkpoint for travelers with specific needs.

Since most of us have taken to texting, the TSA has, too. If you have questions that you want quickly answered, you can get assistance in real time by submitting your questions and comments to @AskTSA on Twitter, Facebook Messenger and via text message using any mobile device to “AskTSA” (275-872). 

As a word of caution – when ConsumerAffairs tried out the text option, we found out that you need to use simple, short phrases such as “damaged passport.” Asking a question got us nowhere and you’re likely to experience the same

During the holidays, many consumers flock to airports around the country to celebrate with their friends and family. However, this time of year usually means more crowds at TSA security checkpoints, more stress, and more uncertainty about making it to the airport on time. 

To help give holiday travelers some insight into when to get to the airport, Upgraded Points conducted a survey to determine when consumers should arrive at the airport to ensure they don’t miss their flights. The survey covers 50 airports across the U.S. and even features a list of the top 15 airports in the country where arriving early is imperative. 

“Preplanning is always key to a smooth travel experience,” said Alex Miller, founder of Upgraded Points. “But as we all know, things happen when it comes to travel – especially around the holidays. By knowing which airports are busier and why you can pre-plan for any delays and ensure your timing sets you up for success.” 

Time is of the essence in these 15 airports

Fifty of the largest airports across the country were included in this study, and they were ranked based on 15 criteria: number of enplanements, number of passengers, airport size, average TSA wait time, number of terminals, number of gates, number of airport employees (per square mile), number of airport lounges (per square mile), number of restaurants/bars (per square mile), number of shops (per square mile), number of parking lots/decks, percentage of on-time departures, percentage of delayed departures, car traffic volume, and car traffic index. 

Each factor was given a weighted score, and airports with the highest scores were those where travelers needed to arrive earlier. The survey ultimately narrowed down the top 15 airports where arriving early was critical:  

• O’Hare International Airport (Chicago, IL)

• Los Angeles International Airport (Los Angeles, CA)

• John F. Kennedy International Airport (Queens, NY)

• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston, TX) 

• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Dallas/Fort Worth, TX)

• Miami International Airport (Miami, FL)

• San Francisco International Airport (San Francisco, CA) 

• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (Charlotte, NC) 

• Philadelphia International Airport (Philadelphia, PA)

• Newark Liberty International Airport (Newark, NJ)

• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Seattle, WA)

• Orlando International Airport (Orlando, FL) 

• Boston Logan International Airport (Boston, MA) 

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Atlanta, GA) 

• Denver International Airport (Denver, CO)

Based on the survey, Chicago’s O’Hare is the most important airport to get to early. The results recommend travelers get there three hours and four minutes before their flights are scheduled to take off. On the other end of the spectrum is John Glenn Columbus International Airport, which requires travelers to get there just one hour before departure. 

What contributes to slowdowns? 

There are several factors that contribute to slowdowns in these major airports – and that put travelers in jeopardy of missing their flights. Everything from airport staff, TSA wait times, the total acreage of the airport, the number of gates in an airport, and even the number of restaurants or bars in an airport make it harder to be on time for a flight.

The survey showed that the number of employees in all of O’Hare International Airport is nearly 10% lower than the national average. On top of that, the airport has nearly 200 gates and welcomes tens of millions of passengers a year. 

Overall, to help ease some of the stress of traveling during the holidays, experts recommend giving yourself plenty of time at the airport – especially in some of the biggest, most populated areas. 

Ask anyone what the most important considerations are when they travel and they’ll tell you customer care. One bad experience with an airline could taint that company’s relationship with a person forever. 

To demonstrate which carriers cater to consumers with all their love and which ones don't, all one needs to do is look at air passenger rights experts AirHelp's 7th annual ranking of best service, fly on time, and treatment of passengers if and when problems occur.

To calculate the scores, AirHelp uses its own database of flight statistics, thousands of customer poll responses and its own experience in helping 1.3 million passengers around the world receive compensation following flight disruption.

The winners

While a few U.S. airlines fared well, international carriers and airports left most of their U.S. peers at the gate. Qatar Airways, United Airlines, Qantas, Etihad Airways, and South America’s LATAM Airlines were rated highest among carriers worldwide.

As far as airports are concerned, AirHelp found Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Recife/Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre International Airport in Brazil, and Tokyo Narita International Airport to be the best global airports for 2022. 

In addition to its second place finish worldwide, United Airlines was also ranked as number one in the U.S., followed by American, and Delta finishing 8th and 19th respectively. As for airports stateside, Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston was the highest-scoring airport. 

When you break that down to individual metrics of claim handling, on-time performance, and customer satisfaction among domestic airlines, Delta ranked first in on-time performance; JetBlue came in number one in customer opinion and United earned the top spot in how effectively claims were handled.

And the losers

Overall among domestic airlines, Spirit, Frontier, and JetBlue came up as the losers in the overall AirHelp Score.

JetBlue took last place in on-time performance; Frontier in customer opinion and Spirit in the claims processive category. Newark Liberty Airport was ranked as the worst both at home and in the world. 

As for the holidays…

In a separate study, Forbes Advisor thought it would be interesting to find where the trouble spots for holiday travelers might be. For that study, researchers analyzed data from the Bureau of Transportation to determine which airports and airlines are the best and worst for holiday travel, specifically considering data from November through January for the 100 busiest airports and eight of the largest airlines. For them, the good and the bad look like this:

Worst airports for holiday travel: Westchester County Airport (HPN) earned the top spot on the list of worst airports for holiday travel, followed by Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS).

Best airports for holiday travel: Long Beach Airport (LGB) is the best airport for holiday travel, followed by Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC).

For those who are heading toward sunny California, you’re in luck, Forbes’ analysts said. Six of the top 10 best airports for holiday travel are located in California, including Long Beach Airport (LGB), Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Oakland International Airport (OAK), Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR).

Worst airline for holiday travel: JetBlue Airways

Best airline for holiday travel: Alaska Airlines 

“Your call is very important to us, but we are experiencing higher-than-normal call volumes.”

If you’ve tried to contact an airline in the past year, you might have that message and it's probably still ringing in your ears, not to mention that crick in your neck from staying on hold for what seem like days.

You’re not alone.

Joe of Hingham, Mass. told ConsumerAffairs in his review of American Airlines that he was on hold with customer service for four hours yesterday only to be told his problem could only be resolved at the airport. 

Cynthia of Northville, Mich. said she had the same experience with Southwest. “After one hr and 47 minutes on hold, I was told that nothing could be done,” but the Southwest representative offered to have someone call me back in “six to eight business days,” Cynthia said.

What can a customer do to get around impossible on-hold times?

"We are experiencing higher than normal call volumes” has become a broken record. But, in truth, it may just mean that "We are experiencing normal call volumes and we are understaffed" – a problem that Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian admitted to last year. And one that he doesn’t like his airline to be associated with.

When Bastian came under fire about the matter during one of the carrier’s earnings calls, he said “Just email me, I’ll take care of it.” By the way, Delta’s email addresses are generally FirstName.LastName@delta.com.

But, what if the airline you’re dealing with doesn’t have someone in charge who boldly puts their email address out there as Bastian does, or you’re forced to use the airline’s app that also ends up as a dead end? Is there a real live human being left in the travel world who you can speak to? Travel expert Wendy Perrin says there is: Call the airline’s customer-service office in a different country.

“Major airlines have overseas locations where staffers speak English—in the U.K., Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, for example—and they are typically just as able to help you as their U.S.-based counterparts, as long as their office is open (not all call centers are open 24 hours) and not dealing with a snowstorm,” she said. Note: If you use your credit card with a customer service agent rep who’s based in another country, a foreign transaction fee may be tacked on.

“So if you need to speak with someone at American Airlines, try calling one of its worldwide phone numbers. To keep the cost of the call down, use WhatsApp, Skype, or Google Voice,” Perrin said.

ConsumerAffairs found that other airlines like United also post international, European, or Asian phone numbers online.

But, fair warning – Delta doesn’t offer that overseas-office option anymore. Airline expert Gary Leff, says there is a workaround though – dial 1-855-548-2505 when you have to travel within 48 hours.

“This is the number that’s printed on the airline’s red ‘Need Help?’ cards and on their ‘Need Help?’ signs at the airport,” he said.

“They’ll only assist with travel needs in the upcoming 48 hours, but it circumvents the waits.”

Let the other guy wait on hold for a change

Perrin credits Leff for turning her onto GetHuman.com – a site devoted to ID’ing customer service phone numbers for nearly every major company you can think of. 

“Its crown jewel is a free, automated callback service that gives you an estimate of the current hold duration, sits on hold for you, and calls you back and connects you when a representative answers. Just search the database for your airline to get started,” Perrin said.

Why not just hire someone to handle this hassle for you instead?

There’s an answer for everything, but is there someone somewhere you could hire to do all the customer service dirty work for you instead? Evidently. Perrin says that CrankyConcierge.com can possibly save the day for a traveler whose flight is canceled or delayed. Emergency help starts at $175. 

If a customer isn’t satisfied that it’s done everything it can to try and help – and the customer has done what they ask in their terms of service – “just ask for a refund of our service fees and you'll get it,” the company says on its site.

Anyone who’s had a flight canceled or significantly changed in the last year or so is due a refund. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said it’s had enough of airlines not giving mistreated passengers their due, fining Frontier Airlines and five foreign carriers -- Air India, TAP Portugal, Aeromexico, El Al, Avianca -- $7.2 million in penalties and forcing those six to cough up $600 million in refunds to those scorned fliers.

When the DOT mandated that airlines must offer refunds over vouchers for canceled flights during COVID-19 outbreak, Frontier played the victim card and refused, taking the issue to court where a Federal judge let the company off the hook.

“When a flight gets canceled, passengers seeking refunds should be paid back promptly. Whenever that doesn’t happen, we will act to hold airlines accountable on behalf of American travelers and get passengers their money back,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “A flight cancellation is frustrating enough, and you shouldn’t also have to haggle or wait months to get your refund.” 

With those fines, the department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection has assessed $8.1 million in civil penalties in 2022, the largest amount ever issued in a single year by that office. 

So, will this refund refusal stop now?

Under U.S. law, airlines and ticket agents are legally obligated to refund anyone holding a ticket if the airline cancels or significantly changes a flight to, from, and within the United States, if the passenger does not wish to accept the alternative offer, which is usually a voucher. The DOT says it is unlawful for an airline to refuse refunds and instead provide vouchers to such consumers.  

Locking down price transparency – especially for those fees airlines have for nearly everything – is the next major move consumers can expect from the DOT. 

Under a recently proposed rule, airlines and travel search websites, like Expedia and Travelocity, would have to make it clear as day upfront any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or canceling your flight, and for checked or carry-on baggage. 

ConsumerAffairs reviewers have had as much of this fee business as they can take. In the last year, nearly 90 consumers have written concerns about Frontier Airlines and its refund policies, and another 30 plus about the same dissatisfaction with Orbitz.

“They have a policy that states they do not give refunds on flights booked within 7 days,” Jon of Los Angeles, wrote. “I booked through Orbitz and Orbitz did not notify me of this.”

It’s about time says consumer watchdog

“It’s great that the DOT is finally demanding some accountability, but  $600 million is a drop in the bucket. Airlines owe some $10 billion in refunds going back to the beginning of the pandemic,” U.S. PIRG Consumer Watchdog Teresa Murray said in response.

“Furthermore, only one U.S.-based airline is in this group. Domestic carriers accepted billions of dollars in taxpayer money to stay afloat during the early months of the pandemic. As travelers know all too well, the industry used the money to offer employees lucrative buyouts and retirement packages, leaving their operations understaffed." 

If this holiday travel season traffic continues to grow in numbers like the rest of 2022 has, travelers who haven’t flown since the pandemic lifted should be ready for changes that they might not have seen before.

Here are some possible wrinkles and ideas that ConsumerAffairs found that may be worth considering. It may be worth printing this out and using it as a guide as you plan out your holiday air travel.

Flights might be packed to the gills. “Flights will all be full so if sitting together with family and friends is important, ensure you have seats reserved,” Sandra McLemore, travel TV host and industry expert told ConsumerAffairs, adding an extra warning that it's unlikely you'll be able to switch on the day of travel without asking another passenger.

AirlineRatings' Geoffrey Thomas said that if you want more comfort, seating-wise, consider buying an exit row. “It is an excellent investment and not only gives more comfort but reduces stress levels,” he said.

Drop off your luggage ahead of time. One of the little known tricks of the trade for seasoned travelers is that you actually check your luggage ahead of time!

“If you're able to do this it can help cut down the amount of time you need to spend in the airport, potentially avoiding some queues. Alternatively, if you can opt just for hand luggage you can reduce any wait times even further,” Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner’s trend and destination expert told ConsumerAffairs. 

For a complete list of airlines that offer this service, click here.

Prepare for delays

Pack a ton of patience for the airport. McLemore says travelers should arrive at the airport 2-3 hours earlier than normal if they don't have TSA and/or CLEAR* membership. Lines will be long, less experienced travelers and people with special needs will take longer to maneuver through the airport.”

*CLEAR is an airport security membership platform that helps passengers get through security faster at these U.S. airports.

Some U.S. airports will be especially busy over the Thanksgiving weekend – among them, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Charlotte. Hopper offers a list of the 10 busiest airports and the 10 that suffer the most disruptions. You can find that here.

If you can, avoid checking luggage. In her opinion, McLemore thinks that a carry-on offers faster movement and less chance of your items going astray.

However, for those who need to check a bag or are concerned that they could lose or misplace something while traveling, ConsumerAffairs recently found something called PingTag, “lost and found” QR code stickers that can go on things like luggage so if a bag gets lost, anyone who finds it can scan the code and contact the owner.  

App up! Mary DeSpain, President at Destination CLEs told ConsumerAffairs that travelers should be sure to have their airline’s app downloaded. You’ll be able to use it for boarding, baggage tracking, getting immediate updates, etc.

Check-in online. “Checking in online can really save time on arrival at the airport. Online check-in is obligatory for some airlines, but even for airlines where it’s not, it’s usually an option,” Lindsay said.

“If you’ve already checked in online, you can completely avoid the first check-in queue at the airport, going straight to bag drop or security. You’ll also be able to choose your seats in advance, snagging some extra leg room or a window seat before the other passengers get the chance.”

Keep an eye on the sky

Watch for weather changes. Putting on her weathercaster hat, DeSpain added that if a traveler sees bad weather coming, they should call their airline immediately to see if they can make changes to their itinerary.

Travelers can check on whether their flight is on time or stuck somewhere else because of bad weather at FlightAware, ConsumerAffairs go-to site for flight snafus.

Check how long the lines are in advance. “You can always check the airport’s website for information on whether the security lines are longer than usual,” noted Mercedes Zach, a travel expert at ASAP Tickets. “To save time, check in online or at a self-service desk at the airport whenever possible.”

Thomas added that if you’re flying with a low-cost airline, you should consider buying priority check-in and boarding.

“Saves long queues which can be very stressful. At some airports, you can also buy security on departure and customs on arrival priority lanes,” he said. “Worth every cent!”

How to get through security faster. Zach also told ConsumerAffairs that some locations and airlines may still require masks or even proof of vaccination, so it’s smart to take that documentation with you just in case. 

Skyscanner’s Lindsay added to dress for success – in the security line! “You’ll likely have to take off your coat and belt before walking through the security screening, as well as some shoes, like boots or high heels. The more you prepare before passing through security, the faster the process will be,” she said.

Speaking of security checks, are you enrolled in TSA PreCheck?

Having TSA PreCheck can save a lot of time. In fact, during October 2022, 91% of PreCheck holders waited less than 5 minutes.

“We always encourage travelers to enroll in TSA PreCheck to facilitate a more seamless experience,” a spokesperson for Airlines for America told us.

Just so you know, PreCheck comes at a price, but TSA just discounted in-person enrollment and renewals to $78 and online for $70 for 5 years – so that needs to be considered if you don’t plan on flying frequently.

But, lucky you, one airline industry watcher has found seven ways around TSA Pre-Check fees, as well as Clear and Global Entry.

"Currently, there are nearly 50 cobranded airline, hotel, and other credit cards offering up to $100 in statement credit reimbursement for the application fees associated with Global Entry or TSA PreCheck," said ThePointsGuy's Caroline Tanner.

"This credit is typically available every four to five years, though you should check the terms for your specific card for the exact frequency."

Pack your own snacks

Bring some snacks if you want to save money. Airlines are still charging for seemingly everything short of going to the bathroom. Yes, water, coffee, tea, etc. are still free, but you’ll pay dearly if you want some snacks. If you want to save money, bring your own snacks.

The TSA allows travelers to bring everything from bread to yogurt onboard. Some items have to be under a certain size, but with a little advance planning, you could put together some to-go bags for everyone in your group.

Prepare for flights to be delayed or canceled. “Delays and cancellations are a fact of life any holiday season, but we could see more of them than usual this year as airlines adjust their schedules based on demand, and as they struggle to find qualified workers in some cases,” Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights told ConsumerAffairs.

“Remember, though, if the airline significantly alters your schedule, you can get a full refund or request that they accommodate you on another flight. It's easier for the larger airlines to do the latter, as they have interline agreements with other airlines,” Keyes added. 

One important thing to note, however, is the airlines that haven’t agreed to rebook a traveler on another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost when a cancellation or delay of a flight is “controllable" (maintenance or crew problems, cabin cleaning, baggage loading, and fueling).

According to the Department of Transportation's dashboard, Allegiant, Frontier, Southwest*, and Spirit have yet to agree to that rule and anyone flying on those airlines should be aware of what they can and can’t expect in a delay or cancellation. Airlines for America offers a comprehensive guide on the matter, as well. 

And, if you do get in a jam with a cancellation, there’s AirHelp, a fee-based service that can offer advice to travelers regarding cancellation and other rights.

Once upon a time flying used to be fun and kind of glamorous, but the pandemic and the airlines' struggle for profitability sucked the life out of the experience. Even though COVID-19 seems like a fading vapor trail, air traveler satisfaction with North American airports can’t seem to get airborne again.

According to the J.D. Power 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, overall satisfaction with airports is down 25 points this year as travelers encounter fewer flights, more crowded terminals, and skimpy food and beverage offerings.

“The combination of pent-up demand for air travel, the nationwide labor shortage, and steadily rising prices on everything from jet fuel to a bottle of water has created a scenario in which airports are extremely crowded and passengers are increasingly frustrated, and it is likely to continue through 2023,” said Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power. 

“In some ways, this is a return to normal as larger crowds at airports tend to make travelers more frazzled, but in cases where parking lots are over capacity, gates are standing room only and restaurants and bars are not even open to offer some reprieve, it is clear that increased capacity in airports can’t come soon enough.”

$27.85 for a beer?

The J.D. Power survey takers were the least happy with the inflationary prices they’ve encountered at airports. Nearly one-fourth (24%) of travelers say they did not make any food or beverage purchases at the airport because they were ridiculously expensive and, yes, $27.85 for a beer is a real thing. Food and drink prices at airports are up from 20% in 2021 and 23% in 2019, a far cry from what a traveler would term as reasonable.

Another major moan is that many airports don’t have enough parking spaces. The analysts said that issue is one of the prime reasons traveler satisfaction faltered this year. Satisfaction with surface parking lots declined 45 points from 2021, with 14% of travelers saying parking was more expensive than they expected, up from 12% in 2021 and 11% in 2019.

MSP is best 

Among the “mega” airports, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) ranks highest in passenger satisfaction with a score of 800. San Francisco International Airport (796) ranks second while Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (791) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (791) each rank third in a tie.

For the next size tier – “large” airports – the title goes to Tampa International Airport with a score of 846, followed by John Wayne Airport, Orange County (826), and Dallas Love Field (825).

Indianapolis International Airport ranks highest among medium-size airports with a score of 842. Pittsburgh International Airport (839) ranks second while Jacksonville International Airport and its Sunshine State neighbor, the Southwest Florida International Airport serving the Ft. Myers and southwest Florida areas (826), are tied for third place.

Calmer winds coming

Will things get better? Scott Keyes of ScottsCheapFlights says yes. He told ConsumerAffairs that as airlines get their post-COVID act together, airport chaos is calming down.

“This summer was the wild west of air travel. Mass amounts of cancellations and delays, lines that snaked out of the airport, and thousands of lost bags made air travel fraught with complications and annoyances,” he said.

“Thankfully, as the summer travel rush comes to an end, so has the worst of the chaos. For example, the flight cancellation rate over Memorial Day weekend was 2.2% while over the Labor Day holiday weekend it was just 0.6%.”

Keyes said that anyone traveling over the next month or so should still give themselves a little extra time at the airport, in addition to booking longer layovers, and traveling lighter or taking precautions to avoid a lost bag. Still, one’s chances of encountering major delays are less as fewer people are traveling.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans planning on traveling over Labor Day weekend, you need to ask yourself if you’re ready for anything that could go wrong – canceled flights, lost baggage, etc. And if you are worried, you’re not alone. A new survey from Insuranks found that 71% of those planning to travel this year are worried about those things, too.

In the good news department, there are two things that might give you hope: One, FlightAware lists relatively few cancellations or delays for U.S. based airlines or domestic airports. Two is that the Department of Transportation is full speed ahead on providing travelers a “dashboard” of what types of accommodations that airlines have committed to provide to customers in the event of a delay or cancellation – anything within an airline’s control, such as a mechanical issue. 

With the new dashboard, passengers who are stuck in Scranton or delayed in Des Moines can pull up the new widget and quickly find out what they can expect to happen. The new dashboard is also a good tool for people who are booking flights to see what carriers are offering when things go bad.

What airlines are the most committed and the least committed?

When you first look at the dashboard, the stark contrast between the green checkmarks and the red X’s speaks volumes. Among the U.S. five largest airlines, American, Delta, JetBlue, and United all had checkmarks in every category – every single one of the DOT’s 10 requested commitments, including rebooking passengers on the same airline at no additional cost and complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.

The two things that the other member of the big five -- Southwest -- didn’t commit to were: rebooking passengers on another airline at no additional cost when a flight was “controllably” canceled or delayed. However, one of those X's apparently has a caveat. A Southwest spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs that it does offer other-airline rebooking when Southwest is not an option.

Other airlines where the red X’s marked the spot included Allegiant, which had yet to say “yes” to any of the DOT’s requested commitments; Frontier was uncommitted on six caveats; Spirit, uncommitted on four; and Hawaiian had an X on one commitment. 

To make sure it covered all the bases, the DOT’s dashboard also provides links to all U.S. airlines' current customer service plans.

Why do Allegiant and Frontier appear uncommitted?

ConsumerAffairs reached out to Allegiant and Frontier to get their side of the story on their red X’s.

Allegiant said it welcomes and supports the DOT’s efforts to give travelers a consumer-friendly platform that catalogs all the U.S. airlines’ policies in one place, but it said that in its current form, the dashboard does not accurately portray all that Allegiant does for its customers in the event of cancellations and schedule changes. An airline spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs that it was in the process of publishing the information from its contract of carriage and expects the dashboard to reflect that when it’s updated next week.  

So, until then, what?

“Allegiant has always gone above and beyond its Customer Service Plan in assisting and providing for its customers when they experience controllable travel disruptions,” the airline said in emailed comments.

What does that mean in layman’s terms? Allegiant’s spokesperson gave the example of when it cancels a flight for a controllable reason, the airline offers customers re-accommodation on other Allegiant flights, or refunds for the affected leg of their trip. 

“Depending on the circumstances and length of delay, we also issue vouchers to use for future travel, as well as extra cash compensation through Paynuver, our online payment distribution platform,” the spokesperson said.

“In many cases, we also provide reimbursement for hotel accommodations and ground transportation expenses incurred due to a controllable flight cancellation.”

Allegiant said that when it comes to a minimum one-hour delay, it will serve customers complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and snacks.

“If a delay stretches to four hours, we provide customers with a meal or meal vouchers. These are all established practices that Allegiant has long used to take care of our customers when a flight is unexpectedly disrupted,” the company said.

In response to the items the DOT listed Frontier uncommitted to, it too has policies in place to accommodate and assist passengers in the event of a travel disruption. As to exactly what a Frontier passenger can expect in the event of a controllable delay or cancellation, here’s what a company spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs: 

“Accommodation on the next available Frontier flight at no additional cost; one night of hotel accommodation if the next available Frontier flight necessitates a hotel overnight; meal vouchers for flight delays of three hours or more or cancellations that result in a rebooking on Frontier that results in a flight departure three hours or more from the originally scheduled flight; or alternatively, if a flight is canceled or delayed in excess of three hours, a full refund of the unused portion of the ticket.”

Fall flight fares are falling… fast (say that 10 times!). After a spike in airfare prices in the spring, the price to get from point A to point B might be the best it’s been in awhile.

Why is that important to know?

“Because if your sense of what flight prices should be hasn’t been updated since the spring, you’re at risk of overpaying for your next trip,” Scott Keyes at Scott’s Cheap Flights told ConsumerAffairs.

Keyes said that after airfares peaked in late May, airfare fell 3% in June, and 8% in July – the third largest fare drop on record. 

When ConsumerAffairs asked Keyes why fares are falling so quickly, he said that in the airline industry, there’s a rule of thumb about summer travel: flights after Labor Day are 50% cheaper than flights before Labor Day.

The logic there being that as schools resume, the number of travelers slides throughout August and then nosedives after Labor Day. 

“There are still plenty of expensive flights around, but far more cheap flights in the mix now, too,” he said. “In the past few weeks, we’ve seen roundtrip fares from various cities like $161 to Hawaii, $226 to Norway, and $366 to Lisbon—all nonstop. Don’t settle for expensive flights because you haven’t updated your priors on airfare.”

The Goldilocks Window

Keyes said that for people looking for a trip, a key element is what’s known in the airline industry as the “Goldilocks Window.” 

“Though there’s no set time or date that’s always cheapest to book, there’s still a period when cheap fares are most likely to pop up. I call these Goldilocks Windows,” Keyes said.

Examples? “For domestic flights, it’s normally one to three months before your travel dates. For international trips, it’s two to eight months prior. If your trip is during a peak travel period -- Christmas, summer, St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin -- add a couple of months to those windows.”

But if you’re hoping to take a September trip, Keyes said time is wasting because the Goldilocks Window is closing.

“Even if average fares fall further in next month’s inflation report -- as I expect they will! -- that won’t help because waiting means you’d be booking those dreaded, most-expensive type of tickets: last-minute,” he said.

Remember to rebook if fares drop so you can save more

This won’t work if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool non-refundable economy ticket buyer, but if you’re in any other refundable ticket class, Keyes said that if you see a better fare after you’ve already purchased your ticket, you can rebook the same flight and pocket the difference in flight credit.

“For example, I booked a domestic flight not long ago for $300. It was painful, but I had very little flexibility,” he said, adding the next strategic step is this: “A few weeks later, when fares for that flight dropped to $160, I canceled the ticket for $300 in travel credit, used that to repurchase the same flight, and wound up with the same ticket plus $140 in flight vouchers.

After American Airlines’ announcement that it is shaving 31,000 flights off its November schedule, travelers – especially those going somewhere for Thanksgiving – were likely wondering what that meant for them. And that’s a good question. 

To try and find out a little more of how those cuts will impact people holding reservations on American, ConsumerAffairs reached out to the airline to get some clear-cut, actionable information. To its credit, American has a very simple, and direct, answer. 

“Customers whose flights may have changed as a result of future schedule changes will be contacted directly with alternate travel options that get them to their destinations,” the company told ConsumerAffairs. “If a change doesn’t meet a customer’s needs, they can seek a full refund under our standard schedule change policy.”

A return to pre-COVID

Typically, U.S. airlines open their booking window around 330 days in advance. For American, it’s 331 days. But a lot can happen in that span that can throw everything off. 

A spokesperson for American told ConsumerAffairs that, just like its peers, it regularly makes adjustments to its future schedule so its schedule aligns as best as it can with customer demand and set up the types of airplanes it uses, the routes its customers want to fly, etc., so it can corral the resources it has available for the operating conditions it faces. 

In fact, while 31,000 flight cancellations was the headline that grabbed the most attention, American had earlier made adjustments to its September and October schedules. The airline says that travelers can expect schedule changes 100 days in advance, but for only as long as it takes to return to the way schedules were built pre-COVID in 2019.  

“But we still aren't where we need to be. And we have a lot of flying ahead of us still in the summer,” American’s CEO Robert Isom said in the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

“So, we're investing in our operation to ensure we meet our reliability goals and deliver for our customers. We're taking proactive steps to build an additional buffer into our schedule for the rest of the year. As I said a minute ago, we're sizing the airline for the resources we have available and the operating conditions we face, and we'll make other changes as needed.”

American Airlines is trimming 31,000 flights out of its November schedule. According to both CNN and aviation analytics company Cirium, that accounts for 16% of the airlines’ total schedule. American couched the move as being "in line with our approach to network and schedule planning throughout the year."

Breaking down Cirium’s data, the two routes suffering the most cancellations are American’s Boston to Philadelphia route and Chicago O'Hare to Dallas-Fort Worth.

"Preliminary schedules are published 331 days in advance and then adjustments are made closer in based on the schedule we intend to operate," American told CNN in a statement. "We are now loading schedule adjustments approximately 100 days in advance, which is in line with how we adjusted our schedule in 2019 prior to the pandemic."

Do analysts expect more of this?

American Airlines isn’t the only U.S. carrier to have taken an ax to its schedule. Delta, Southwest, and United have all cut flights in the last few months, but a whopping 31,000 cancellations does seem a bit ominous. Should travelers worry? One analyst says his forecast for the airline industry is devoid of dark clouds that would pose any short-term threat.

“Operating challenges, particularly in Europe, the US and Canada, are causing the industry to operate less capacity than the level of passenger demand, supporting strong pricing,” Jonathan Root, Senior Vice President at Moody's Investors Service, told ConsumerAffairs.

Root pointed to staffing shortages as a key factor, not only with pilots and flight attendants but at airports and air traffic control operations. Root says that despite those issues, airlines are in good shape. However, there was one thing he pointed out that might not sit well with budget-conscious travelers.

“Operating less capacity than demand is allowing the airlines to raise ticket prices sufficiently to cover most if not all of their higher costs. We expect capacity to remain below demand even if the long wait times at certain airports this summer cause some travelers to skip additional trips in the near term,” Root said.

Thanks to a new plan in the works by the Department of Transportation (DOT), it looks like wheelchair users might get the green light to bring their mobility devices onboard commercial airplanes. A recent feasibility study determined that there were no “formidable issues” preventing the installation of in-cabin wheelchair securement systems in airplanes.

 A DOT spokesperson said the only thing that requires additional testing is determining how a personal wheelchair would match up with the crashworthiness and other pertinent safety requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

There are a considerable number of people who would be positively affected by this change. The recent Portrait of Travelers with Disabilities Mobility & Accessibility study found that among the 75% of respondents who had taken a leisure trip in the last 12 months, disabled travelers had taken an average of 3.4 trips during that time. That's higher than the average number of trips (3.0 trips) taken by nondisabled leisure travelers.

“No other form of transportation – trains, buses, boats – forces you to give up your mobility device when you board,”  U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “The same ought to be true of airlines. So, in the months and years ahead, we plan to record a new rule that will allow passengers to stay in their personal wheelchairs when they fly. We know this won’t happen overnight, but it is a goal that we have to work to fulfill.”

Earlier this summer, the DOT launched other initiatives focused on disabled travelers. One of them is designed to modernize more than 900 transit stations across the country to make them fully accessible for passenger use; another would require single-aisle aircraft with at least 125 seats to have accessible toilets.

Southwest Airlines is saying goodbye to expiration dates on vouchers. In a first-of-its-kind policy shift, the Dallas-based airline says any unexpired Southwest flight credits will be good forever as of July 28, 2022. Vouchers created on or after that date will also be treated the same way.

“The more than 62,000 People at Southwest share a renewed pride in our unmatched access to flexibility that once again reshapes the landscape of Hospitality and value in the industry,” said Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan. 

“Flight credits don’t expire aligns with the boldness of a philosophy to give our Customers definitive simplicity and ease in travel, just like Bags fly free, just like No change fees, just like Points don’t expire — they’re a first-in-our-industry combination of differentiators that only Southwest offers."

In reviewing the fine print of Southwest’s promise, ConsumerAffairs found little that travelers will have to worry about. The only minor note that travelers should be aware of is that flight credits for non-refundable fares will be issued as long as the reservation is canceled more than 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.

Airline officials also noted that while the credits are now good “forever,” a customer’s account will show an expiration date of 12/31/2040 until the company's systems are updated. 

Will other airlines follow suit?

Will Southwest’s move create a domino effect in the airline industry? It’s too early to tell, but recent moves made by other carriers suggest that it's a possibility.

When millions of Americans were forced to deal with canceled flights during the pandemic and were issued $10 billion in vouchers, most of those were only good for 12-24 months. That didn’t sit well with Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), nor members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The lawmakers thought that consumers needed more time to use the vouchers they were issued because of the volatility of flight schedules during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the other four largest airlines, Delta and United seem to be the only ones that reacted positively to regulators' concerns. Both carriers pushed the expiration date on vouchers to the end of 2023.

When ConsumerAffairs reviewed American’s policy, we found that the company is sticking to its guns on its eVouchers. Unless things change, American vouchers are valid for one year from the date of issue, “and we won’t reissue them past the expiration date,” the airline said.

Spirit Airlines has finally decided which of its two suitors it wants to partner up with. Early Thursday, the company’s board of directors announced that they have chosen JetBlue’s proposal as the winning pitch.

The companies have signed off on a definitive merger agreement that would create America's fifth-largest airline -- one that will now have a 10.2% market share of miles flown by passengers on domestic flights.

“We are excited to deliver this compelling combination that turbocharges our strategic growth, enabling JetBlue to bring our unique blend of low fares and exceptional service to more customers, on more routes,” said JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes.“Spirit and JetBlue will continue to advance our shared goal of disrupting the industry to bring down fares from the Big Four airlines."

Frontier had Spirit’s attention for a long time, and Spirit honored its original commitment to become part of Frontier’s family after JetBlue pursued a hostile bid and offered a higher price. But, as JetBlue said in an SEC filing, it was fearful that a successful Frontier-Spirit merger would prove to be a larger competitor that could possibly affect its competitiveness. 

Spirit had its reservations too. It may have given in to JetBlue’s advances sooner, but it was concerned that regulators wouldn’t sign off on a deal because of the issues JetBlue was already facing with the “northeast alliance” that it had created with American Airlines.

What this will mean for travelers

It’s too early to tell how all of this will shake out, but airline experts aren't necessarily buying Hayes' comment about industry-disrupting fares.

One issue that could lead to higher fares is JetBlue’s cost of converting Spirit’s jets to its existing configuration – a schematic that has 10-15% fewer revenue-producing seats. “There is no way JetBlue can deliver profitable operations on fewer total seats flying without raising the prices on those seats,” wrote PAXEX.AERO’s Seth Miller.

“[JetBlue] will have to operate the legacy Spirit fleet at fares higher than what Spirit charges today. Plus, with a lower fare competitor eliminated JetBlue likely can afford to raise fares beyond what it charges today.”

You also have to factor in what the big four airlines – American, Delta, United, and Southwest – might do in their reaction to any change in JetBlue-Spirit fares.

"Spirit and Frontier play a big role in the fare you pay, even if you never fly either one," Scott Keyes, founder of discounted fare-finding website Scott's Cheap Flights, told ConsumerAffairs. "When Delta announced the basic economy fare in 2012, they described it to investors as a 'Spirit-matching fare,' because their lunch was getting eaten by the budget carriers of the world. I'm not a fan of either merger, but I like the JetBlue option even less."

The Frontier-Spirit-JetBlue saga is not quite over yet. According to CNBC, Frontier Airlines has asked Spirit Airlines to delay a shareholder vote on their planned merger for just a little longer.

In a letter that Frontier CEO Barry Biffle sent to his peers at Spirit, he called his airline’s most recent upgraded cash-and-stock bid the “last, best and final” offer.

However, the real reason seems to be that Spirit’s stockholders aren’t fully buying into the Frontier purchase. “We still remain very far from obtaining approval from Spirit stockholders,” Biffle admitted in the letter.

Where will this all stop?

This merger saga has been packed with twists and turns. Spirit spurned JetBlue’s advances three times, but it decided last week that it would give new consideration to the larger carrier's proposal. Spirit's board pushed back a shareholder vote so that it could have one more round of talks with both airlines and take the temperature of its stockholders. For it's part, Frontier would like for all of this to come to a close too.

“As has been the case throughout this process, we remain committed to this transaction,” Biffle wrote in his letter to Spirit. “However, should the Spirit Board of Directors conclude that it would instead desire to pursue an alternative transaction with JetBlue, we would appreciate being advised of that determination.”

Biffle also reminded Spirit in his letter that a recent decision by the Department of Transportation that granted Spirit an additional 16 slots at Newark Liberty International Airport gave the airline a competitive advantage over JetBlue.

“The path to regulatory approval of a JetBlue-Spirit combination seems more impossible by the day,” he wrote.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) is advising U.S. airlines to do everything possible to ensure that children under the age of 14 are seated next to their parents at no additional charge.  

While the number of family seating complaints that the agency receives is relatively low compared to other types of complaints, officials believe that airlines are going too far when they charge travelers extra for child seating accommodations.

“Airlines should do everything that they can to ensure the ability of a young child (age 13 or younger) to be seated next to an accompanying adult (over age 13) family member or other accompanying adult, without charging fees for adjacent seating,” the Department stated. 

Expectations and "what if" scenarios

The DOT is giving airlines a little time to get their act together on this issue. Beginning November 8, 2022, the Department will be monitoring airlines to ensure that carrier policies and practices do not create a hurdle to a young child being seated next to an adult family member or accompanying adult. 

Parents traveling with children can also do some homework so that they know what their rights are regarding seating arrangements on flights. The DOT offers these two suggestions:

Understand your airline’s seating policies. Parents can get information about a specific airline’s family seating policies directly from the airline. ConsumerAffairs found that the U.S.’ four largest carriers -- Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines -- all had that information on their websites. Consumers who need additional information can also contact the airline through its reservations system.

Book your ticket as early as possible. DOT officials say families should book their flights early to get the best chance of reserving seats next to each other. They note that children should be booked on the same reservation as adults because airlines generally regard all travelers as belonging to one party if they are on the same reservation record. That means they will assign seats with priority given to parents and children on the same reservation. 

For cases in which parents and children are booked on different reservations, the DOT recommends that parents contact their airline as soon as possible to ask if the entire party can be put on the same reservation record or, at a minimum, have their reservations cross-referenced in the booking notes.

Since Murphy’s Law doesn’t exclude airlines, parents need to be ready if something goes wrong and the family is not able to obtain seats together. In those situations, the Department advises parents to ask the airline how it can accommodate the family. Again, the earlier this request is made, the better. 

“Discuss with the airline your concerns about a child being seated alone,” the DOT advises. “Even if the airline is unable to seat the whole family together, they may be able to assure you that each child is seated next to an adult family member.”

The agency offers a list of contacts for consumers who might need to reach out to a specific airline. That list is available here.

JetBlue’s countless proposals to bring Spirit Airlines into its fold appear to have finally sunk in. Spirit’s board of directors announced that it intends to reopen and immediately adjourn a Special Meeting of Stockholders relating to the proposed merger agreement with Frontier so that it can continue discussions with both Frontier and JetBlue. 

Spirit seems serious enough about its decision that it’s filed a solicitation/recommendation statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Spirit’s board intends to hold the Special Meeting on July 15. Needless to say, JetBlue felt encouraged by what Spirit had to say.

“[We] are hopeful they now recognize that Spirit shareholders have indicated their clear, overwhelming preference for an agreement with JetBlue,” the airline said in a statement. “We strongly recommend that Spirit shareholders continue to let the Spirit Board know they want to receive the superior value JetBlue has proposed, by voting AGAINST the Frontier transaction.”

Frontier takes its gloves off

Frontier has laid low while JetBlue sought to entice Spirit into merging with it instead, but the company recently denounced JetBlue for coloring the scenario in its favor.

“Over the last few weeks, JetBlue has proclaimed that Spirit management is hiding behind ‘false’ and ‘misleading’ antitrust concerns so as to deny JetBlue the right to take over—and erase from existence—the nation’s largest ultra-low cost carrier,” Frontier said in a press release.

“JetBlue is not telling you the truth. A Spirit acquisition by JetBlue would lead to a dead end—a fact that no amount of money, bluster, or misdirection will change. And the only value Spirit stockholders would be likely to receive from JetBlue’s proposal is the reverse termination fee, because JetBlue’s proposal lacks any realistic likelihood of obtaining regulatory approval.”

If Frontier’s perspective is true, travelers might not like what may come out of a JetBlue-Spirit merger.

“JetBlue admitted that it will permanently remove capacity from the market by retrofitting Spirit’s fleet to remove seats. Antitrust lawyers call that an ‘output restriction,’ and it is fatal to JetBlue’s bid. So are JetBlue’s admitted price increases. Less airline capacity means higher fares,” Frontier said. 

“JetBlue’s CEO, Robin Hayes, certainly knows that. He observed just a few days ago, ‘The average price of air fares will go up because there is [sic] less seats.’ That is exactly what JetBlue would do with Spirit’s fleet.”

After a wild Fourth of July weekend that saw flight cancellations in the U.S. hitting 1,927 on Sunday, things seem to be slowing down but still a far cry from leaving travelers waiting on the tarmac for the next shoe to drop.

According to flight tracking site FlightAware, Monday’s cancellations showed 1,603 flights but that figure could change as the day progressed. From ConsumerAffairs’ experience with these situations, predicting what will happen on Wednesday or Thursday might be a little early, but there’s only 47 flights into, out of, or within the U.S. canceled for Wednesday and 10 for Thursday as of mid-morning Monday.

While a thousand-plus may seem like a significant number, when it’s compared to the total number of flights scheduled, it’s tiny percentage-wise. For example, American Airlines listed 47 canceled flights for Monday, but that only accounts for 1% of its scheduled departures. 

When that percentage climbs double digits, that's when the real fretting should begin. An example of that is for travelers who are flying overseas, particularly to Scandinavia. SAS Airlines – a carrier that serves New York, Miami, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles taking travelers to Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen – filed for bankruptcy early Tuesday, forcing 78% (236) of its flights to be taken off the board. FlightAware already has SAS penciled in for another 31% (98) of its scheduled flights to be canceled on Wednesday. 

Get used to it

While it’s no fun for any traveler to play this game, it’s something we might have to contend with for a while. Kathleen Bangs, a former airline pilot now working for FlightAware, said that cancellations continue to be expected because of the staffing situation.

"Weather has always impacted aviation, but the weather so far this summer hasn't been any worse than normal," Bangs told CNN. "When we see severe weather, it is taking airlines longer to scramble and recover. They don't have the deep bench of pilots to call in. It really seems to be more of a systemwide staffing issue, trickling down to the FAA in terms of [the] air traffic control system." In SAS' case, the airline pinned its bankruptcy directly on the pilots.

The unfortunate consequence of the pilot shortage-driven cancellation flurry is that travelers sometimes find themselves put out – completely put out.

“United does not understand that they are not just flying planes, they are transporting PEOPLE. People is a word that United Airlines does not know,” wrote Edgar of Pittsburgh in a recent review he submitted to ConsumerAffairs.

Edgar said the thing that bugged him most about his United nightmare was that the airline waited until “the last minute” to let people know their flight was canceled. “It took me and my wife two hours standing in the check-in counter … until they could figure out what was happening. The United representative was unbelievably rude and unprofessional … laughing at us when we asked [for] a printed hotel confirmation, since we did not have internet access in our phones. It was a very humiliating situation.”

Airlines have been canceling flights all year long, and the prospects don’t look any better for the Fourth of July weekend. According to FlightAware, there were 1,948 flights canceled on Friday and another 705 on Saturday.

For many travelers, the Fourth of July weekend is the only time they’ll venture somewhere this summer. That, in and of itself, will be a major headache for the airlines, but the bigger issue airlines are facing is trying to find enough pilots to fly their planes. 

Airlines continue to struggle to replace the thousands of pilots who took buyouts when airlines responded to the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago. Without those pilots to depend on, airlines have little choice but to ground flights. The only thing that might resolve the issue is something that industry analysts are proposing – easing the requirements for pilot certification, including the rule requiring 1,500 hours of flight time before ever sitting in the pilot’s seat on a commercial aircraft.

If you’re flying on Delta, things might be better than on other airlines

If the fact that consumer complaints against airlines have risen 300% above pre-pandemic levels is any indication, anyone who’s flying somewhere this summer needs to be ready for the possibility of their flight being canceled or them being bumped from a flight – a move that, by the way, may sound egregious but is not illegal.

Some of that may depend on what airline you’re flying on. According to Department of Transportation data from April, Delta Air Lines sports the highest on-time arrival rates – 81.9%. The airline looks like it's prepared for the worst this weekend. FlightAware data shows that Delta has zero flights canceled for Saturday.

But Delta knows things can change quickly, and it has decided to be as proactive as possible to avoid creating headaches for holiday travelers by preemptively issuing travel waivers for flights between July 1 and July 4.

According to SimpleFlying, Delta Air Lines is “significantly” allowing its customers to change their flights for free and waive any resulting difference in fare for travel booked for July 1 - 4. It's also giving those fliers an opportunity to rebook their trips before or after potentially challenging weekend travel days.

“This unique waiver is being issued to give Delta customers greater flexibility to plan around busy travel times, weather forecasts and other variables without worrying about a potential cost to do so," the airline noted in a blog post. 

Waiver or not, even the most undaunted of travelers should be thinking ahead and considering their options.

"If you’re flying Delta — or any other airline — this weekend, it might be best to try and change to the first flight of the day, if possible, as those flights are the least likely to be delayed or canceled," Ethan Klapper wrote for The Points Guy. 

"Also, if you’re traveling ahead of a cruise or an important gathering, try and leave some additional buffer between your flight and wherever you’re headed," Klapper added.

United Airlines and its 14,000-strong pilots' union have a tentative deal in place that would bump up pilots’ pay by more than 14.5% in the next year and a half. The agreement makes United the first major U.S. airline to reach a deal since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and likely establishes a new mark that its competitors will be asked to match.

The agreement has also added an incentive for pilots who are looking for work to knock on United’s door. There are plenty of pilot jobs for the industry to fill, with the shortage forcing some carriers to pull back on their flight schedules. A successful contract negotiation means there is less of a chance of there being canceled flights or fallout in the future.

“This agreement raises the bar for all airline pilots and leads the industry forward,” said Capt. Michael Hamilton, Chair of ALPA’s United pilot group. “Our ability to reach this agreement, and the current success of United Airlines, is driven by front-line United pilots who stayed unified and focused throughout negotiations despite the incredible challenges we faced during the largest disruption in the history of aviation.”

If ratified, the tentative agreement will reportedly generate an additional $1.3 billion of value for United pilots over the course of the two-year agreement.

What else is in the deal?

The two-year agreement also includes several attractive perks, including:

• Eight weeks of paid maternity leave, a first for the carrier’s pilots and a definite plus for the 7% of United pilots who are women

• “Enhanced” overtime compensation and “premium” pay

• “Quality of life improvements” that are designed to give pilots more flexibility in their schedules

Approval by a majority of the voting membership is needed for ratification, and voting closes July 15, 2022.

If you haven’t booked your flight yet, your summer travel plans just got more expensive. The cost of commercial airline fares continued to rise last month, soaring 12.6% in May after increasing 18.6% in April.

While inflation is pushing up the cost of nearly everything, airfares face an economic “perfect storm.” After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Americans are ready to travel again, so demand for airline tickets is higher than usual.

At the same time, airlines are facing a shortage of pilots. Many took early retirement at the start of the pandemic at the encouragement of their employers. COVID-19 also led to a reduction in training programs for new pilots.

And then there is the cost of fuel. Distillate prices have recently hit record highs, along with gasoline prices. An airline’s cost to fly from one city to another is significantly higher than six months ago.

But staff shortages may prove to be the biggest driver of high airfares because there will be fewer planes in the air this summer. Back in 2021, United fired about 1% of its workforce for not getting a COVID-19 vaccination.

Problem began pre-pandemic

The management consulting firm Oliver Wyman reports U.S. airlines were facing a growing pilot shortage in 2019, before the pandemic. It traces the problem to an aging workforce, barriers to entry and fewer pilots leaving the military – a significant source of new commercial pilots.

The problem was made worse by how airlines reacted to the pandemic. With a huge drop in business almost overnight, airlines canceled flights and encouraged older pilots to retire. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told analysts in April that he expects the pilot shortage could last for five years or more.

Now that people want to fly again, travel experts say there is more demand than supply, the classic ingredient for inflation. Willis Orlando, senior product operations specialist at Scott’s Cheap Flights, says demand is really what’s driving the current surge in airfares.

“The airlines are charging a premium right now for summer travel because they can, with demand through the roof,” Orlando told ConsumerAffairs. “But once demand levels out, as it does every autumn, prices should level out with it.”

In the meantime, Orlando says summer travelers should be as flexible as possible. For the best fares, he suggests traveling in the middle of the week and avoiding the most popular destinations.

The last hurdle for international travelers entering the United States is on the verge of being removed. CNN reports that the Biden White House is expected to announce sometime Friday that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will lift its mandate that air travelers flying into the U.S. must test negative for COVID-19 before entering the country.

If all goes accordingly, the requirement will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, June 12.

CNN cited an anonymous CDC official who said the agency would continue to evaluate the situation every 90 days. If a new variant emerges and causes concern, the mandate could be reinstated at a later date.

Travel groups celebrate the move

Travel groups have been begging the White House to lift some COVID-19 test requirements for vaccinated passengers since February, and research backs up those pleas. A recent study from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health concluded that being on an airplane is as safe – if not safer – than shopping at a grocery store or going to a restaurant.

Relief won’t just be felt by travelers; the travel industry stated that repealing pre-departure testing requirements could bring an additional 5.4 million visitors to the U.S. and an additional $9 billion in travel spending through the remainder of 2022.

“Today marks another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States,” U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement sent to ConsumerAffairs. “The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of the U.S. travel industry.”

“International inbound travel is vitally important to businesses and workers across the country who have struggled to regain losses from this valuable sector. More than half of international travelers in a recent survey pointed to the pre-departure testing requirement as a major deterrent for inbound travel to the U.S.”​​

JetBlue has come knocking on Spirit Airlines' door again. On Monday, Spirit confirmed that JetBlue sent its third proposal to acquire every last outstanding share of Spirit's common stock that’s available, enabling Spirit to call off its other proposed merger with Frontier Airlines.

By this time, Spirit’s Board of Directors knows the drill. Because it has fiduciary duties to honor, the Board will work with its financial and legal advisors to appraise what JetBlue is pitching, then decide what its next step would be depending on what it considers to be the best interests of both the company and its stockholders. 

Enticing shareholders

In its latest effort, JetBlue sent a message to Spirit team members in a not-so-shy effort to curry some favor from within.

“We know this process may be unsettling, and we thought you might like to hear from us directly. We do not want all the conversation about a ‘hostile’ takeover to discourage you about your potential future with JetBlue should we reach an agreement with Spirit,” the letter said.

JetBlue went on to pitch all the perks it has laid on the table so far: higher pay, better benefits, retention incentives, and the fact that it’s never furloughed any crewmembers or been sent a WARN Act notice in its 22-year history. The furlough pitch might have some interest for Spirit employees since the airline went through a small furlough and got dangerously close to another in 2020.

“More than anything, we want you to know that we are genuinely excited about the opportunity to combine with Spirit. We have so much respect for Spirit Team Members and believe we can bring together the best of both airlines to create a new national low-fare carrier to go up against the Big Four,” JetBlue stated.

Until its board members change their minds, Spirit appears fully committed to its deal with Frontier and is out trying to muster some Yes votes of its own. On its special “VoteSpiritFrontier” website, the airline tells voters that "everyone wins" if they vote for the Frontier deal.

“Everyone wins. A vote FOR the merger is a vote FOR even more ultra-low fares to more places,” the airlines stated. “This is the right deal for Spirit and its shareholders.”

After huddling with outside legal and financial advisors, Spirit Airlines announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously decided to reject a hostile takeover effort recently taken by JetBlue.

The directors believe the JetBlue deal would face substantial regulatory hurdles, especially while the Northeast Alliance ("NEA") with American Airlines hangs in the balance. In their estimation, the potential deal is not superior to the merger Spirit has already agreed to with Frontier.

Just in case Spirit stockholders were leaning towards supporting the deal with JetBlue, the Spirit Board has written them a letter asking them not to. Instead, they're urging shareholders to vote for the merger agreement with Frontier. 

“In that scenario, a $1.83 per share reverse break-up fee will not come close to adequately compensating Spirit stockholders for the significant business disruption Spirit will face during what JetBlue acknowledges will be a protracted regulatory process,” wrote Mac Gardner, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Spirit Airlines.

JetBlue responds

As much as it seems like some Spirit officials would like JetBlue to just go away, the company is not giving up on its merger goal.

“It’s no surprise that Spirit shareholders are getting more of the same from the Spirit Board. The Spirit Board, driven by serious conflicts of interest, continues to ignore the best interests of its shareholders by distorting the facts to distract from their flawed process and protect their inferior deal with Frontier,” JetBlue said in a statement.

JetBlue added that the merger deal between Spirit and Frontier is also far from a slam dunk when it comes to regulatory approval. 

"Both deals are subject to regulatory review, and both deals have a similar risk profile. Frontier offers less value, more risk, and no regulatory commitments, despite a similar regulatory profile," JetBlue said in its response.

"We are confident that as we continue to share the facts directly with Spirit shareholders, they will be even more perplexed than they already are about why the conflicted Spirit Board has refused to negotiate with us in good faith. We believe that the Spirit shareholders will make their views known by voting against the Frontier offer and tendering their shares into our offer."

United Airlines confirmed Tuesday that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given it permission to return 52 Boeing 777 aircraft to service. The planes had been grounded due to engine failure following a flight from Denver to Honolulu in February 2021.

The airline said it would take a measured approach in bringing the aircraft back into action to ensure that they are safe for the flying public. The carrier had previously pushed back returning the planes to service by an extra month.

The grounded 777s accounted for only about 10% of United’s capacity. The carrier typically uses 777s for longer and more traveled flights, such as Washington Dulles to Los Angeles and Chicago to San Francisco.

“Late last night, the FAA issued the final paperwork on our Pratt & Whitney-powered triple sevens,” Andrew Nocella, Chief Commercial Officer at United Airlines, said at a Bank of America industry conference.

JetBlue doesn't appear to be taking "no" for an answer. After Spirit Airlines rejected JetBlue's recent offer to merge in favor of a deal with Frontier Airlines, the jilted company decided to ask Spirit shareholders for their support.

In both a letter to Spirit’s board of directors and a special website designed to convince Spirit’s board, JetBlue told Spirit that it has filed a “Vote No” proxy statement that urges Spirit shareholders to vote against “the inferior, high risk, and low-value Spirit/Frontier transaction at Spirit’s upcoming special meeting.”

How badly does JetBlue want Spirit as one of its own? How about a $200 million reverse break-up fee as an incentive? 

Didn’t get a fair shake

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes rolled out everything he could to convince Spirit that it was going in the wrong direction.

“JetBlue offers more value – a significant premium in cash – more certainty, and more benefits for all stakeholders. Frontier offers less value, more risk, no divestiture commitments, and no reverse break-up fee, despite more overlap on non-stop routes and their own regulatory challenges," Hayes wrote in his letter.

The thing that apparently irritates Hayes the most is that Spirit didn’t give JetBlue a fair or equal chance.

“The Spirit Board … rejected our proposal … without asking us even a single question about it. The Spirit Board based its rejection on unsupportable claims that are easily refuted,” Hayes said.

ConsumerAffairs reached out to Spirit for a response to JetBlue’s latest move but did not immediately receive a response.

Airports are crowded once again, and the increase in Americans taking to the sky coincides with a sharp drop in airline customer satisfaction, according to the latest survey by J.D. Power.

After a year in which planes sometimes flew with half their seats empty, aircraft cabins are packed once again. That middle seat that was unoccupied for the better part of 2020 and 2021 has someone in it now.

Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power, says customer satisfaction with North American airlines was very high over the last couple of years, but that was mainly because there were fewer people flying.

“Fewer passengers meant more space on airplanes, less waiting in line, and more attention from flight attendants,” Taylor said. “But that business model was simply not sustainable.”

While passengers were fairly content the airlines were losing money. Now planes are full once again and passengers are having to contend with long lines at security checkpoints and crowded aircraft.

Twenty points lower than a year ago

The J.D. Power survey found that overall passenger satisfaction across all three segments – first/business, premium economy, and economy/basic economy – registered just 798 on a 1,000-point scale, more than 20 points lower than a year ago. Passenger satisfaction with cost, flight crews, and aircraft all declined in this year’s study.

The top-rated airlines in J.D. Power’s study are JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines, and Delta Air Lines. In the economy/basic economy class, Southwest Airlines ranks highest.

ConsumerAffairs reviewers, however, have a different point of view. Based on thousands of verified reviews over the last 12 months using our 5-star rating system, here’s how our reviewers rate the major airlines:

• American 3.8-stars

• Spirit 3.8-stars

• United  3.7-stars

• Delta  3.7-stars

• Jet Blue 3.6-stars

• Alaska 3.0-stars

• Southwest 1.5-stars

‘Like losing an old friend’

The shocker is Southwest’s 1.5-star rating, which is driven largely by a significant number of 1-star reviews over the last 12 months. Tiffany, of Covina, Calif., describes herself as a longtime Southwest fan. However, she told us that she lost patience after the airline lost her luggage on two flights between December and April.

“Come on SW...live up to the standards you once set,” Tiffany wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “It is like losing an old friend.”

Another surprise in our ratings was Spirit Airlines' tie for first place. Stephanie, of Cresent City, Fla., posted a glowing review in January.

“Every time I fly with them they leave and land on time,” Stephanie wrote. “My last flight we were in seats all the way in the back with no window. They got our seats changed in an already full flight. They are always friendly. I’ve yet to have a problem with them. And their fares are always priced right.” 

Fares are rising because of skyrocketing jet fuel prices, and J.D. Power predicts that those increases could keep satisfaction levels low for a while. Even before the latest price spike, overall satisfaction with cost and fees declined in the premium economy segment by 66 points and by 21 points in the first/business class segment.

Back in February, Spirit Airlines announced that it would be merging with Frontier Airlines to create a larger, combined carrier. However, JetBlue recently made an offer for Spirit to break up that previous deal and merge with it instead.

Unfortunately for JetBlue, it seems that Spirit is staying with the deal it originally cut with Frontier Airlines. After consulting with outside financial and legal advisors, Spirit officials announced Monday that the company's board of directors unanimously determined that JetBlue’s “unsolicited proposal” did not constitute a 'Superior Proposal' as defined in Spirit's merger agreement with Frontier. 

“The Board continues to believe that the pending transaction with Frontier represents the best opportunity to maximize value and recommends that Spirit shareholders adopt the merger agreement with Frontier,” the announcement read. 

Potential legal issues

It wasn’t that becoming part of the JetBlue family didn’t have upside potential -- like "creating the most compelling national low-fare challenger to the U.S. major airlines" -- but changing partners in the middle of Spirit’s walk down the aisle with Frontier apparently raised legal concerns. 

“After a thorough review and extensive dialogue with JetBlue, the Board determined that the JetBlue proposal involves an unacceptable level of closing risk that would be assumed by Spirit stockholders,” said Mac Gardner, Chairman of Board of Directors for Spirit Airlines.

The board stated that the JetBlue-Spirit combination has a “low probability of receiving antitrust clearance so long as JetBlue's Northeast Alliance with American Airlines remains in existence.” 

The U.S. Department of Justice has sued to block that very alliance, alleging that it "will not only eliminate important competition in [Boston and New York City], but will also harm air travelers across the country by significantly diminishing JetBlue's incentive to compete with American elsewhere, further consolidating an already highly concentrated industry."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it has seen enough bad behavior over the last couple of years that it’s going to make its Zero Tolerance policy against unruly passengers permanent. 

While the agency's Zero Tolerance policy has helped reduce incident rates by more than 60%, the FAA feels it still has a long way to go. Officials say they will issue a fine of up to $37,000 to anyone who crosses the policy's lines going forward. In the past, the FAA tried to deal with unruly passengers by issuing warning letters or requiring counseling, but those attempts apparently weren’t taken seriously and are no longer part of the FAA’s disciplining procedures. Previously, the maximum civil penalty per violation was $25,000. 

“Behaving dangerously on a plane will cost you; that’s a promise,” said Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen. “Unsafe behavior simply does not fly and keeping our Zero Tolerance policy will help us continue making progress to prevent and punish this behavior.” 

Unruly passengers might be looking at even tougher penalties soon. Legislation that could permanently ban a traveler from flying ever again was recently introduced in Congress.

What passengers shouldn't do

The FAA wants it made clear that there are certain lines under its updated policy that travelers should never cross. Here are two big points that travelers should keep in mind:

Travelers who interfere with the duties of a crewmember are violating federal law. By “interfering,” the agency means assault, intimidation, or threats made to anyone involved with the plane’s operation.

A $37,000 fine will be assessed for each violation. If a passenger crosses the line in several different ways, they could be hit with multiple fines.

If it had the power to do so, the FAA might have taken even tougher action. However, the agency only has civil authority to impose fines and does not have criminal prosecutorial authority.

Nonetheless, officials say they're trying to add in a little more sting. For one thing, the FAA is now working with the Transportation Safety Authority (TSA) to revoke TSA PreCheck for unruly passengers that it fines. As of Feb. 16, 2022, it had referred 80 unruly passenger cases to the FBI for criminal review. 

Some airlines revoke bans for mask violations

Despite the TSA fining 922 people for violating mask mandates and issuing 2,709 warnings between Feb. 2, 2021, and March 7, 2022, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have decided that they will let some passengers banned for mask violations back on their flights.

"At Delta, nothing is more important than the safety and security of our customers and our people. With masks now optional, Delta will restore flight privileges for customers on the mask non-compliance no-fly list only after each case is reviewed and each customer demonstrates an understanding of their expected behavior when flying with us," the airline said in a statement.

As for United, it said it's taking things on a case-by-case basis.

"We will allow some customers who were previously banned for failing to comply with mask-related rules to fly United again -- after ensuring their commitment to follow all crewmember instructions on board," the airline said in a statement.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom says the airline is all ready to go for the 2022 summer travel season. In a meeting with pilots, Isom said travelers can count on American to manage the expected increase in passengers for both the summer and beyond.

The airline has had to deal with some bumps in recent months, including issues with fuel shortages, system-wide cancellations brought on by bad weather, and issues with pilots. However, Isom says that’s all in the past. 

“People really need to feel like they have control of their itineraries and we give them control by making sure they get to where they want to go on time. I just can’t be any more blunt about it than that,” Isom told pilots during a company town hall, according to CNBC. “Other airlines are really struggling.” 

Isom didn’t call any other airline out specifically, but he may be talking about JetBlue and Alaska Airlines. Earlier this month, both companies said they were pulling back on their normal flight schedules. For JetBlue, that cut was sizable – 8% to 10% at least through the end of May. The company is hoping to minimize the impact of seasonal weather interruptions and air traffic control disruptions going forward.

Airlines offer more to keep consumers happy

Airlines will need to be on top of their game in the coming months to satisfy the throngs of people who are returning to the skies. Many carriers are already taking extra steps like upgrading mileage programs or offering enticing fares to keep travelers happy.

Despite an extension of the face mask mandate, the Transportation Security Administration reports that it is already seeing more people going through security. Passenger screenings jumped to 2.3 million people this past Friday, up 57% from a year ago.

A bill designed to protect airline crew members, security screening personnel, and passengers by banning abusive travelers from commercial aircraft flights has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the lawmaker behind the effort, said his Protection from Abusive Passengers Act is directed at “eliminating the rash of violence and abuse” travelers have been facing for more than two years.

Despite the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) trying everything from fines to turning unruly passengers over to the FBI for criminal review, some flyers continue to disrupt flights with their behaviors. The FAA’s latest report on the situation shows that there have been 1,081 reports of unruly passengers so far this year.

"The goal of our bill is to send a clear signal that individuals who engage in serious abusive or violent behavior on an aircraft or at an airport security checkpoint will be banned from flying,” Reed said in introducing the bill. “Clearly, the existing regime of civil and criminal penalties has not been enough to deter the upsurge in cases. We need to send a signal that such types of behavior will not be tolerated.”

The bill is also being introduced in the House by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA).

Flight attendants applaud proposal

If the legislation makes it to President Biden’s desk and gets his signature, it should give airline officials enough muscle to affect real change. If passed, the legislation would require the TSA to create and manage a program that would ban certain disruptive or violent passengers from ever stepping foot on a commercial airline. The bill would also permanently ban abusive passengers from participating in the TSA PreCheck or Customs' Global Entry programs.

Flight attendants – who have borne the brunt of much of the abuse – are cheerleading Reed’s efforts wholeheartedly. 

"It’s about time we take real action to keep Flight Attendants and passengers safe in the air. Senator Reed and Representative Swalwell are heroes for introducing the legislation to protect Flight Attendants and Passenger Service Agents,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, a group that represents nearly 50,000 Flight Attendants at 17 airlines. 

“Violence and disruptions put everyone at risk and disrupts the safety of flight," Nelson added. "That is never acceptable. We've been punched, kicked, spit on, and sexually assaulted. We urge members of Congress to co-sign this bill and pass this legislation without delay. Hold violent passengers accountable, protect aviation workers and improve aviation safety.”

With pandemic troubles continuing to subside, more people are venturing out and looking to travel. It's a fact that’s making everyone in the travel food chain – from amusement parks to airlines – excited about the prospects of 2022’s summer travel season.

But those prospects come loaded with questions when it comes to airlines. Which carriers offer the best fares, what frequent flyer programs are the best, and who do travelers consider the best airlines? To help travelers arrive at the best decisions for their budgets, WalletHub has released its 2022 report for one of those segments – frequent flyer programs.

The winners

WalletHub analysts ranked the 10 largest U.S. airlines based on 21 key metrics, ranging from the value of a point/mile to blackout dates for reward flights. Here are the points/miles programs that WalletHub scored the highest:

Best Frequent Flyer Program: Overall, the WalletHub researchers gave Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan the nod for the best frequent flyer program of 2022, beating last year’s winner -- United MileagePlus.

Best Bang for the Buck: When it comes to “value spent,” the analysts found that Hawaiian Airlines offers the most rewards value, at $24.78 per $100 spent. Alaska Airlines came in second, with $24.65 per $100 spent. Rounding out the top five in that category were Frontier Airlines ($14.67 per $100 spent), Delta Air Lines ($10.35), and United Airlines ($10.30).

Best Airline Credit Card: The JetBlue Plus Card is 2022’s best airline credit card, according to the WalletHub editors. Also ranked high on that list were co-branded credit cards from American, Delta, United, Southwest, and Alaska Airlines. Most of those also ranked high on ConsumerAffairs’ list of the Best Airline Credit Cards of 2022.

Should travelers try to shoot for elite status?

Travelers often wonder whether it's really worth it to try to reach an airline’s elite status level. When that question was posed to Charles R. Taylor, the John A. Murphy Professor of Marketing at the Villanova School of Business, he said the benefits are good – and plentiful. 

“While it can be difficult (and probably more difficult than it should be) in some programs to redeem free flights, consumers willing to be flexible in the time of the reward flights will generally come out okay. For elite flyers, the benefits of shorter check-in lines, free baggage, customer service hotlines, and occasional or frequent complimentary upgrades are very real,” Taylor commented.

“There is little question that most of the major carriers have skewed more benefits to those who are the most frequent flyers. While this has ruffled some feathers due to some benefits being rolled back for general members, it does make sense in the sense that the elite flyers spend considerably more on air travel than most every day flyers.”

U.S. airline officials are asking the White House to lift the federal mask mandate on airplanes, as well as the pre-departure testing requirement for international travelers flying back into the U.S.

In their collective opinion, chief executives and officials representing Delta, United, American, Airlines for America, and seven other U.S. airlines say discontinuing the mandate is warranted due to the falloff in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. They also say these actions are already happening in other consumer categories across the country. 

This is the second such effort to roll back the federal mask mandate in the last couple of weeks. Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution to end the mandate for travel after President Biden, the Transportation Safety Authority (TSA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the mask mandate until mid-April.

Mandate doesn't fit the COVID-19 situation

The main ax the airlines have to grind with the White House is that the mandate is “no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment.”

"During the global health crisis, U.S. airlines have supported and cooperated with the federal government's measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. We are encouraged by the current data and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions from coast to coast, which indicate it is past time to eliminate COVID-era transportation policies," the group wrote in a letter to President Biden. 

The U.S. Travel Association also called on the Biden administration to drop the current protocol mandates, saying in a statement that the "public health benefits of these policies have now greatly diminished" and that the "economic consequences continue to grow."

The plea to end the federal mask mandate comes as Canada, the Netherlands, Thailand, and other countries have dropped pre-arrival testing. Aruba, Ireland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom have also removed pandemic-era travel restrictions completely.

As the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to subside, travel is once again on the upswing. There are plenty of great airfare deals being offered, and several countries -- including the U.K., France, Ireland, and the Netherlands -- are officially ending or easing their COVID-19 restrictions. Travel groups are also asking the White House to loosen its testing requirements for flyers.

Although there has been some improvement, anxious travelers are still facing a tangled mess of where they can go and what the requirements are. In looking for a comprehensive list of where people can travel without having to worry about a lot of restrictions, ConsumerAffairs found all it needed from travel expert Wendy Perrin.

Wendy offers a full list of countries that are open to vaccinated travelers with no pre-trip COVID-19, including Denmark, Germany, and Spain. Consumers can view the full list here.

Other requirements may still apply

While some countries might have done away with pre-test requirements, that doesn’t mean they’ve lifted all restrictions. Some still require a traveler to be fully vaccinated or to have received one vaccine dose while also having recovered from COVID-19.

Some countries – like Peru – require either full vaccination or a PCR test issued up to 48 hours before boarding a flight. Others like Sweden have an either/or of their own, such as a full vaccination with the initial dose within the last 180 days, or a booster shot.

Before booking a flight, travelers are being urged to make sure they understand what each individual country requires for entry. It's also smart to check which countries the State Department has designated as "do not travel" destinations. A complete list of those countries is available here.

Travelers need test to come back to the U.S.

The U.S. hasn’t moved off of its requirement that returning American travelers must show proof of a negative test result taken within one day of travel.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a complete rundown of requirements and suggestions for international travelers. You can find that information here.

Budget carriers Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines are merging into what officials hope will be America’s most competitive ultra-low fare airline.

The union brings with it some great upsides for travelers if all goes according to plan. In an announcement, the companies project that consumers will save a billion dollars annually and have more flights to small- and mid-sized cities. By the time the ink dries on the deal, the combined power will get Frontier/Spirit into 145 markets across the U.S., the Caribbean, and Latin America.

A name for the new combined entity is still up in the air. A Frontier spokesperson said a brand name won’t be determined “for some time. The new Frontier/Spirit combination should be formidable when it comes to fares -- especially at a time when they are expected to rise. 

“Competition between airlines is the single biggest determinant of how many airlines travelers will see on a given route. If the Frontier-Spirit merger (assuming it's approved by regulators) results in a consolidated airline that flies fewer routes, higher profits for the airline will mean more expensive fares for Americans,” Scott Keyes, Founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights, told ConsumerAffairs. 

“But if the new airline remains aggressive in its route network—as both airlines have historically been—and puts more international routes on the schedule, we could see cheaper flights across the board, even for consumers who never fly budget carriers. We've been living in the Golden Age of Cheap Flights since 2015, thanks in large part to budget airlines forcing full-service airlines to slash their fares. With today's news, the best case scenario for consumers is a stronger, larger budget airline that can compete even more with U.S. legacy carriers.”

More jobs and greener airlines

Combining forces will have some other positive upsides too. For one thing, the new company will add 10,000 direct jobs by 2026. It is also ordering 350 new energy-efficient Airbus A320neo jets that will supposedly make the new combined company the youngest and greenest airline.

“This combination is all about growth, opportunities and creating value for everyone – from our Guests to our Team Members to the flying public at large,” said Mac Gardner, Chairman of the Board of Spirit Airlines.

“We’re a perfect fit – our businesses share similar values, including our longstanding commitment to affordable travel. At the same time, we have complementary footprints and fleets, including one of the youngest and greenest fleets worldwide. Together, we will be even more competitive for our Guests and our Team Members, and we are confident we can deliver on the benefits of this combination to consumers.”

Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization representing United, Delta, American, and other major U.S. airlines, is spearheading a drive to have the requirement for pre-departure testing for vaccinated passengers traveling to the United States completely removed.

In its letter to Jeffrey Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, A4A argued that a lower pervasiveness of COVID-19 cases in all 50 states, increased immunity, higher vaccination rates, and new treatments make some testing unnecessary.

“Removing the requirement will greatly support the recovery of travel and aviation in the United States and globally without increasing the spread of COVID-19 and its variants,” wrote the 29 groups behind the effort. 

What the group is asserting

To support its pitch, A4A pointed out several things:

We have to deal with the fact that COVID-19 has become a part of everyone’s lives. The group stated that attempts to control COVID-19’s importation via air travel under today’s circumstances are unlikely to change the fact that the pandemic is literally everywhere. “No new threatening variants appear to be imminent, but if they were, pre-departure testing could be easily reinstituted,” it stated.

The EU has already made a similar move. A4A's second contention is that the European Union has recommended that its countries remove intra-Europe COVID-19 travel restrictions, and the United Kingdom has announced the removal of COVID-19 pre-departure testing for vaccinated air travelers to enter the country. The group asked Zients to look at what the UK discovered when it faced the same situation.

“It concluded that the cost to both passengers and airlines of the testing mandate could no longer be justified as there was no evidence the regime protected the population from COVID,” the group's letter read.

The WHO agrees with A4A's position. While the White House probably favors studies and conclusions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the group suggested that officials look at what the World Health Organization (WHO) has to say about the situation.

“The WHO recommends that states consider a risk-based approach to the facilitation of international travel by lifting measures, such as testing and/or quarantine requirements, for individual travelers who are fully vaccinated, at least two weeks prior to traveling, with COVID-19 vaccines listed by the WHO for emergency use or approved by a stringent regulatory authority,” A4A stated.

Pre-departure testing is hurting international travel. “Surveys of air passengers indicate that pre-departure testing is a leading factor in the decision not to travel internationally,” the group claims. “People simply are unwilling to take the chance that they will be unable to return to the U.S. at the end of their business trip or vacation. As a result, international travel in 2021 was 75 percent below 2019 levels.”

“Till further notice” for international travelers

The group may not get a response anytime soon, so international travelers will have to continue proving that they are healthy before setting foot on a plane. The CDC’s basic requirements for international travel are that:

• Travelers need to get a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status or citizenship) no more than 1 day before they travel by air into the United States.
• Travelers must show their negative result to the airline before they board their flight.
• For travelers who recently recovered from COVID-19, they may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., a positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).

While test providers say the turnaround time for test results is a matter of hours, that promise may come with a precaution. Take CVS, for example. On its COVID-19 testing website, the company says rapid-result (PCR) results can be provided "within hours." However, it also hedges that statement by stating that high demand at labs "can lead to delays in turnaround times."

One ConsumerAffairs reviewer found out about that proviso personally. “BEWARE those who are considering CVS for their Covid test results for travel,” wrote Pooja from Enola, Penn. “I am so disappointed with CVS on Covid testing, better look for other options if you are traveling and a negative Covid test is a requirement for boarding the flight.”

Pooja said they gave CVS their swab on Saturday at noon and had mentioned that it was for travel purposes. They were assured that they would receive the test results by Monday afternoon for an evening flight. You can guess what came next.

“But [I] didn't receive the test results until midnight. I had to reschedule my international travel because of this delay of CVS and had to pay the fare difference.”

As winter storm Landon begins its 2,000-mile journey from Texas through the Northeast, it’s causing thousands of flight cancellations for most of the major airlines.

On Thursday, FlightAware had logged over 5,000 cancellations within, into, or out of the U.S., a statistic that is likely to hold its own as Landon continues its trek over the weekend.

Carriers like Southwest and American are canceling more flights than others because many of their flights start in Texas. Carriers like Delta and Allegiant have fewer canceled flights because many of their flights start from Atlanta, where the temperature is currently in the 50s and appears to be out of the storm’s path. Many of Allegiant's flights are also below the storm line.

What you need to know if your flight is canceled

Ever since the pandemic entered our lives, the question of consumer rights when flights are canceled has become a hot topic. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says there are certain things travelers need to know when a flight is delayed or canceled.

The agency notes that if a flight is “delayed," then a traveler is not entitled to money or other compensation from the airline.

“There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed,” the FAA stated. “Each airline has its own policies about what it will do for delayed passengers.  If your flight is experiencing a long delay, ask airline staff if they will pay for meals or a hotel room. While some airlines offer these amenities to passengers, others do not provide any amenities to stranded passengers.”

If a flight is “significantly" delayed, then things start to change a bit. Unfortunately, the Department of Transportation has not put a time limit on how “significantly” is defined. However, the FAA says you may be entitled to a refund in some situations, including a refund for all optional fees associated with the purchase of your ticket (such as baggage fees, seat upgrades, etc.). 

As far as a complete flight “cancellation” goes, things are a bit better for travelers. Here are the things the FAA says you need to know if your flight is canceled:

• Most airlines will rebook you for free on their next flight to your destination as long as that flight has seats available.

• If your flight is canceled and you – not the airline – choose to cancel your trip as a result, you are entitled to a refund for the unused transportation – even for non-refundable tickets. You are also entitled to a refund for any bag fee that you paid and any extras you may have purchased, such as a seat assignment.  

• Some airlines may prefer you to accept a voucher instead of a refund so that they can keep your money. If that happens and you accept the voucher, ask questions about any restrictions that may apply, such as blackout and expiration dates, advanced booking requirements, and limits on the number of seats.

• What about putting you up in a hotel and giving you money for food or cab fare? The FAA says airlines are not required to provide these things when a flight is canceled. “If your flight is canceled, ask the airline staff if they will pay for meals or a hotel room. While some airlines offer these amenities to passengers, others do not provide any amenities to stranded passengers,” the FAA said.

• Lastly, an airline “can” put you on another airline’s flight to where you’re going. It’s not a requirement, but if the airline prides itself on good customer service, it doesn’t hurt to politely ask the airline if it will transfer your ticket to another airline that has a flight with available seats. 

There’s apparently been a deal cut regarding the chaos that AT&T and Verizon’s new 5G service would create on airplanes' instruments and guidance systems.

As the clock ticked precariously toward the launch of the 5G enhancement, the White House stepped in late Tuesday to referee the situation. It apparently was able to get the telecom companies to agree to delay 5G C-band deployment around key airports and help airlines avoid a rash of potentially canceled flights.

“This agreement will avoid potentially devastating disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations, and our economic recovery, while allowing more than 90 percent of wireless tower deployment to occur as scheduled,” President Biden said in a statement.

“This agreement protects flight safety and allows aviation operations to continue without significant disruption and will bring more high-speed internet options to millions of Americans. Expanding 5G and promoting competition in internet service are critical priorities of mine, and tomorrow will be a massive step in the right direction.”

The 5G fuss

To some, this issue is a tempest in a teapot. Trade association CTIA – which represents the U.S. wireless communications -- claims that 5G C-band communications operate safely without causing harmful interference to aviation equipment. Putting some numbers to that assertion, it says that nearly 40 countries already use the service with no impact on aviation.

However, the Biden administration is playing it safe. The President said this pause will give the wireless carriers, airlines, and aviation equipment manufacturers an opportunity to work with the Department of Transportation on a safe way to make their 5G hopes a reality. He also stated that his team is already on the case and engaging with all parties.

“At my direction, they will continue to do so until we close the remaining gap and reach a permanent, workable solution around these key airports," Biden said.

Consumers can still get the new 5G service 

AT&T and Verizon may be standing down at the airport, but that doesn't mean consumers won't have access to new 5G services.

AT&T said that its new 5G+ is available in parts of 44 cities in the U.S. as well as in public and private venues like stadiums, arenas, school campuses, hospitals, and concert halls.

Wednesday morning, Verizon stepped aside from the aviation issue to also announce that its new 5G Ultra Wideband network will be available to 100 million more people this month in over 1,700 cities across the U.S.

Over the last few weeks, airlines have been forced to deal with cancellations brought on by pandemic-stricken workers and weather conditions. Now, they’re facing a completely different specter – one brought on by a new 5G service set to be launched this week by AT&T and Verizon.

Airlines first waved the red flag on the issue in December, moving AT&T and Verizon to agree to hold off on 5G deployment until January 20 to help prevent problems within the aviation industry. Now that the launch’s reset is nearing the eleventh hour, major U.S. airlines are doing all they can to bring about another pause.

On Monday, the chief executives of several major U.S. airlines – including American, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, and United – publicly cautioned that the "vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded" if the new 5G technology is permitted to begin.

United Airlines separately raised a concern that the issue could affect more than 15,000 of its flights, more than a million passengers, and knot up tons of cargo annually.

FAA agrees with airline officials

Those executives were speaking to the choir at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The agency agreed that interference from the 5G rollout could possibly have an impact on flying in low-visibility situations, not to mention affect vital airplane instruments like altimeters. 

“This means that on a day like yesterday, more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subjected to cancellations, diversions or delays,” the agency warned. However, it tried to mollify the airlines by saying that it "will continue to ensure that the traveling public is safe as wireless companies deploy 5G.”

The agency said it continues to work with both the aviation industry and wireless companies to try to find a solution in which 5G-related flight delays and cancellations would be limited.

The impact could also impact deliveries

Shipping giants UPS and FedEx are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their airline industry brethren on this issue.

"The ripple effects across both passenger and cargo operations, our workforce and the broader economy are simply incalculable,” the carriers said in a letter. “To be blunt, the nation’s commerce will grind to a halt.”

If Wednesday comes and there’s no resolution, consumers and businesses could also be affected. "Immediate intervention is needed to avoid significant operational disruption to air passengers, shippers, supply chain and delivery of needed medical supplies," UPS and FedEx officials concluded.

Since Christmas Eve, thousands of U.S. flights have been canceled due to bad weather and COVID-19 infections among airline personnel.

An analysis of recent airline reviews posted on ConsumerAffairs shows the extent of the problem and the rising level of frustration among travelers. Alexa, of Rockville, Md., reported a bad experience on American Airlines.

“They canceled my flight on Christmas with less than 10 hours' notice,” Alexa wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “I ended up having to get a flight a day later and they said they would give me no compensation for the change in flight.”

Is Alexa entitled to a refund? Here’s what the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has to say about her situation:

“A passenger is entitled to a refund if the airline canceled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the passenger chooses not to travel.”

Delays sometimes result in refunds

When an airline cancels a flight, it will sometimes offer passengers vouchers for future travel, or in Alexa’s case, schedule them on a later flight. But if the passenger chooses not to travel, then the regulation is very clear – the passenger is entitled to a full refund. Similar rules are also in place for delays.

“Our flight going was delayed with the threat of canceling for 6 hours as if it was a routine event,” Lori, of Oak Park, Calif., wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review of United. “No help at the gate to get on a different flight. The return flight was canceled at the last minute due to no crew.”

Lori would have had a strong case for a refund had she decided not to make her trip. Here’s what the DOT regulation has to say about delays:

“A passenger is entitled to a refund if the airline made a significant schedule change and/or significantly delays a flight and the passenger chooses not to travel.”

The DOT does not define what a “significant” delay is, but a delay of six hours would likely fall into that category. But again, when the passenger accepts whatever accommodation the airline offers and proceeds with the trip, they lose their right to a refund.

In this case, Alexa, Lori, and others who were traveling during the holidays to see friends and family were likely determined to complete the journey despite the obstacles. Making the choice not to travel is the only way to get a refund.

Southwest Airlines may have escaped major cancellations from New Year’s weekend, but it’s in the hot seat now. The discount carrier pulled 658 flights off the board on Thursday, according to FlightAware. Another 519 were canceled on Friday, and there are another 230 cancellations predicted for Saturday and 19 for Sunday.

In an email to ConsumerAffairs, a Southwest spokesperson explained that “ongoing staff challenges” – most likely coronavirus-related sick calls from workers – and weather “disruptions” at major operation locations were the cause of the cancellations. The weather situation isn’t likely to change soon, with winter storm Garrett continuing to create travel problems as it blankets parts of the mid-South and Northeast with snow. 

Southwest doesn’t appear to be the only airline that is canceling flights. United, American, SkyWest, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Endeavor, and Delta have canceled 1,078 flights on Friday. FlightAware’s estimates show that United and SkyWest have called off 234 flights on Saturday and another 39 on Sunday. However, those numbers could change quickly because airlines have to shuffle schedules when weather conditions change or workers call in sick.

What travelers can do about canceled flights

While flight cancellations can upset someone’s travel plans, the government has protections in place to keep consumers from losing the price of their tickets.

"In the face of the run of cancellations and delays we’ve been seeing since just before Christmas, the biggest thing passengers need to keep in mind is that, under federal law, if an airport cancels or significantly alters their itinerary and they choose not to fly, they’re owed a full refund in their original form of payment, regardless of the reason for the cancellation or change,” Willis Orlando, Scott’sCheapFlights Senior Product Operations Specialist, told ConsumerAffairs.

Airlines would probably rather have a traveler take a voucher so they don’t lose any hard money, but it’s certainly worth your while to call or text a customer service representative and claim your cash refund if flight cancellations cause you to miss your trip.  

“In terms of when this might end, it’s impossible to predict with Omicron, but we do expect weather permitting, as we get into the second half of January and passenger numbers drop off from their holiday highs, that we should see airlines move into a better position to adjust staffing and schedules to stave off any further mass delays,” Orlando said.

While Southwest has a slew of conditions when it comes to using vouchers, travelers can sometimes be blindsided by a term they didn’t expect. Lynne, of Honolulu, Hawaii, recently told us that she had an unpleasant surprise when booking a new flight. 

“If your Southwest ticket was affected from the pandemic and the expiration date was extended to 9/2022, beware as once you buy a ticket now with your travel funds from the canceled pandemic flight, and then decide that you have to change that ticket, your expiration will be only about 15 days from the day you cancel the new flight,” Lynne wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review.

Get ready for another rash of flight cancellations as we enter the New Year’s weekend. According to FlightAware data, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, Delta Air Lines, SkyWest, and Horizon have all canceled 50 or more flights between Thursday and Saturday.

JetBlue is suffering much of that interruption due to a growing number of coronavirus-related illnesses among its crew members. FlightAware data shows that JetBlue’s current list of cancellations totals 367 through New Year’s Day.

"We expect the number of Covid cases in the northeast -- where most of our crewmembers are based -- to continue to surge for the next week or two," a JetBlue spokesperson told Reuters. "This means there is a high likelihood of additional cancellations until case counts start to come down."

The impact of JetBlue’s cancellations could also be felt in other parts of the country where it has secondary hubs – such as Florida, Virginia, and California. A spokesperson for FlightAware said JetBlue probably won’t be the only airline that will be canceling a large number of flights.

“We would expect to see more delays and possibly more cancellations over the weekend if the thunderstorm weather that is forecast to be an issue in the southeast United States actually happens, and if there is a widespread area of weather,” the spokesperson told ConsumerAffairs. “That area of projected storms could impact Atlanta, which could be problematic especially for Delta Airlines as that’s their main base.”

What cancellations travelers can expect

For a full rundown of flight cancellation data, consumers can view FlightAware’s data here. Below are some of the details that ConsumerAffairs pulled out as of Thursday afternoon. 

Affected Points of Departure

The greatest number of canceled domestic flights on Thursday – 148 – began at Seatac Airport in Seattle. After that, other affected points of departure include Liberty Newark with 48, JFK with 40, and Orlando, Boston, and Ft. Lauderdale with 34 each.

Friday cancellations are similar, but Denver International rises to the top of the list with 69 cancellations. There has also been a spike in cancellations at Houston Bush International (17) and Chicago O’Hare (13).

It’s probably too early to tell how Saturday will eventually play out, but New Year's Day cancellations for origin airports are currently led by Liberty Newark (14), JFK (8), and Los Angeles’ LAX (8).

Affected Destinations

As far as destination airports are concerned, Seattle’s Seatac leads the way with 141 cancellations. It’s followed by Newark with 60, Los Angeles’ LAX with 45, and Denver with 40.

For Friday, Denver moves into the top spot with 62 cancellations. It’s followed by Newark with 38, Seattle with 37, Boston Logan with 26, JFK with 25, Ft. Lauderdale with 23, and Houston Bush with 22.

Domestic U.S. cancellations for Saturday are too early to predict accurately, but Denver, Newark, and JFK all listed 16 cancellations apiece on Thursday afternoon. 

Even though air travel is beginning to return to its pre-pandemic numbers, the issues airlines are running into with COVID-19 requirements, unseasonable weather, and labor shortages have put the aviation industry in a tough spot when it comes to catering to customers.

In a recent data story, UpgradedPoints examined how travelers feel about the service they’re receiving, with researchers comparing monthly averages for complaints, canceled flights, and mishandled baggage.

The best and worst carriers for customer service

Delta Air Lines subsidiary Endeavor Air took home the prize for the airline with the best customer service, with an overall score of 83.94 points. Delta Air Lines by itself also had a good showing, with a second-place customer service score of 75.77 points. 

The third-place airline was another regional carrier like Endeavor – SkyWest Airlines. Notably, the company’s customer service was put to the test just this week when hundreds of its flights were canceled. 

When it came to the airlines with the worst customer service scores, the last place finisher with a score of 29.06 was Frontier Airlines. The company continues to collect concerning comments from ConsumerAffairs reviewers. 

“Worst customer service ever. [The] price to cancel is $79. Even if you try to change your flight, [the] same price [is] $79,” wrote Rocky from Jensen Beach, Fla. in a ConsumerAffairs post. “What a joke. If you can avoid booking/flying with this airline you will be doing yourself a huge favor.”

JetBlue was close to being the big loser. Its total score was only 3 points higher than Frontier’s, at 32.64 overall. 

Canceled flights and mishandled baggage scores

Delta Air Lines earned some bonus points in the study by scoring first and second (with Endeavor) in the lowest percentage of canceled flights. The worst airline, according to the study, was Hawaiian Airlines. 

When it came to taking good care of a traveler’s bags, Allegiant beat out the competition by only mishandling 1.52 bags per 1,000 over an average month. UpgradedPoints’ Alex Miller says American Airlines lies on the other end of that spectrum. 

“No one mishandles bags like American, which is present in every single one of the top 5 spots [with its regional partners] here,” he wrote. “In fact, American mishandles approximately 30,262 bags per month, or about 7.37 bags per every 1,000. If you lump American in with Envoy and PSA? That number reaches 39,704, or 6.66 bags per every 1,000.”

Thousands of flights were canceled as we entered the Christmas weekend, and anyone who flew and actually made it to their destination should feel lucky. However, they’ll need even more luck getting home because the list of cancellations started growing again on Monday morning. 

According to FlightAware, there were 7,690 delays and 2,523 cancellations by noon on Monday – growing at a rate of about 4% an hour.

Airlines are pinning most of the blame on the continued spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, which is forcing some airline workers to stay home. A United Airlines memo reviewed by CNN stated that the “nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation.”

CNN reports that Lufthansa plans to cancel 10% of its winter schedule – or 33,000 individual flights – because of the pandemic’s impact on the aviation industry.

Cancellations continue to grow

At the top of the “most canceled” list is SkyWest Airlines, with 249 Monday cancellations. SkyWest is a partner of Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines that typically takes passengers from major hubs to smaller markets.

“SkyWest teams are working to recover after weather impacting several hubs, as well as increased COVID cases and quarantines amongst crewmembers, have resulted in higher than normal flight cancels through the weekend and today,” the airline said in a statement emailed to ConsumerAffairs. “We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to resume normal operations as quickly as possible.”

The list of cancellations is already getting bigger. FlightAware data shows that 826 flights have already been canceled for Tuesday; more than 200 have also been canceled for Wednesday.

Adding to travelers’ woes is the potential for bad weather between now and the end of the week. Western U.S. states are already getting hit by winter storm Elmer, and there’s a likelihood of major storms – and even tornadoes – forecast for the south-central U.S. going into the New Year’s weekend. 

Airlines are waving the caution flag on 5G service, fearing that when the wireless service gets updated in January 2022, it could create extensive flight delays in situations like snowstorms and low visibility. 

The reason? Officials say the new wireless signals could hamper the effectiveness of equipment on planes and helicopters used to track aircraft altitude.

Billions lost in flight disruptions

With a Jan. 5 launch day looming, the White House, industry groups, and aviation regulators are rushing to come to some form of agreement. To help out, AT&T and Verizon have offered power reductions in their new 5G services, but the aviation industry says those cuts are “inadequate.”

Aviation trade group Airlines for America says the 5G conflict could cost as much as $2.1 billion in flight disruptions. 

“If you were to ask us what our number one concern is in the near term, it is the deployment of 5G,” Southwest Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said in testimony given at a Senate hearing earlier this month. 

Unfounded fears?

While many airline officials continue to worry about this issue, some people in the wireless industry say fears about 5G are completely unfounded.

“The aviation industry’s fear-mongering relies on completely discredited information and deliberate distortions of fact,” Nick Ludlum, a senior vice president at the trade group CTIA, which includes AT&T and Verizon as members, told Bloomberg News. “5G operates safely and without causing harmful interference to aviation operations in nearly 40 countries around the world,” Ludlum said. “U.S. airlines fly in and out of these countries every day.”

Only weeks ago, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was concerned about interference from the 5G wireless spectrum, but it now believes the expansion of 5G and aviation can safely co-exist.

“Today, we took an important step toward that goal by issuing two airworthiness directives to provide a framework and to gather more information to avoid potential effects on aviation safety equipment,” the agency said in a statement. “The FAA is working closely with the Federal Communications Commission and wireless companies, and has made progress toward safely implementing the 5G expansion. We are confident with ongoing collaboration we will reach this shared goal.”

Forecasts from a variety of travel watchers suggest that travelers hoping to go somewhere this week need to be more prepared for more delays than they have in the past couple of years.  

Overall, the American Automobile Association (AAA) and Inrix state that there will be 109 million people on the road or in the skies this year. That’s 34% higher than last year, accounting for an additional 27.7 million travelers. That won’t quite get us all the way back to where we were before the pandemic, but the study said travel volume will reach 92% of 2019’s levels.

Much of that increase will come from travelers who will fly rather than drive somewhere. AAA and Inrix stated that the airline industry will see a 184% increase from last holiday season. For a full breakdown of the best times to travel by day, check out Inrix’s forecast here.

Hit the road early, but get your car checked out before you leave

With such a dramatic increase, travelers who want to stay clear of the rush should try to hit the road early. Inrix stated that some major metro areas could see three times as many delays, and AAA said it expects to respond to as many as 917,000 calls for help. 

AAA added that if a vehicle hasn’t been inspected lately, then it would be smart for travelers to have someone take a look under the hood as a safety precaution.

“Vehicles that have been driven less during the pandemic should get an inspection to check key components like the battery, fuel system, tires, brakes and fluid levels to avoid an unnecessary breakdown,” a spokesperson for AAA said. “It’s important to do this as early as possible in case there is an issue that needs to be fixed.”

COVID-19 requirements complicate travel plans

Travelers also need to be prepared for the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19 stipulations. Not only has the White House set out new requirements, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s travel requisites can also change like the wind.

“These large crowds, combined with ever-evolving Covid-related rules mean travelers should really be prepared for some turbulence as they get ready to head to the airport this year. Long check-in lines, particularly for international flights, are to be expected,” Willis Orlando, Scott’s Cheap Flights’ Senior Product Operations Specialist, told ConsumerAffairs. “Airline agents are tasked with confirming Covid-related documentation prior to checking folks in, which means that lines that used to be relatively quick are very likely to take quite a bit longer.”

Airlines may bump passengers

Ever since COVID-19 jumped into the pilot’s seat, buying an airline ticket has come with a new set of risks – one that will probably linger during the holidays. Experts say staffing shortages, overbookings, and cancellations may lead some airlines to bump passengers out of flights.

The top 5 offenders, according to tracking data provided by UpgradedPoints, are a mix of smaller airlines and regional/feeder airlines that get passengers from smaller towns to larger hubs. They include:

1. Envoy Air (a subsidiary of American Airlines), which bumped an average of 6.88 passengers per 100,000 between the start of 2020 to September 2021. 

2. Frontier Airlines came in second with 3.73 involuntary denied boardings. 

3. PSA Airlines (also a subsidiary of American) followed close behind in third with 3.06 bumps per 100,000 passengers. 

4. Horizon Air (a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines) came in at fourth, with 2.37 denied bookings per 100,000 passengers.

5. Republic Airlines (an operator of regional flights for American, United, and Delta) rounded out the Top 5, with 2.05 denied boardings per 100,000 passengers.

“If you're traveling with Delta, JetBlue, United, or Allegiant, you can rest assured that you won't be bumped from your flight this holiday travel season,” a spokesperson for UpgradePoints told ConsumerAffairs. “These airlines were the least likely offenders on the list." 

If there’s any sort of issue, such as getting bumped from an overbooked flight,  passengers can expect longer-than-usual waits for customer service. “Our best advice is to check your flight status frequently ahead of time on the airline’s website, so that if you are faced with any schedule changes, you can get out ahead of them,” Orlando said.

“If you don’t need to check a bag, don’t. That’s just one fewer line you’ll have to deal with at the airport. And if you do find yourself needing to contact customer service, check to see if your airline offers a text message option via their mobile app. Many do, and it can be much more convenient, and less stressful, than sitting on hold.”

With holiday shipping deadlines tightening by the day, United Airlines has decided it could take a little stress off the shoulders of gift-givers by offering a gift that doesn't need expedited shipping – one-way fares starting at $49. The airline is also giving its rewards members a good deal by offering awards trips starting at 4,900 miles.

However, there are two “buts” that consumers need to pay attention to, and they’re big ones. First, travelers need to understand that these fares “start at” $49 and don’t account for taxes and fees. Secondly, the window on this deal closes at midnight on December 14. 

United’s hubs – Newark, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Denver, Washington D.C., and San Francisco – get the bulk of the best prices, but even small markets like Lincoln, Nebraska, and Huntsville, Alabama, have hard-to-beat fares. 

Flights starting at $49

When ConsumerAffairs jumped into United’s reservation system for this deal, here’s what we found for flights using January 12, 2022, as the day of departure.

For $49 each way: routes include Cincinnati to Washington D.C. and Nashville to Chicago.

For $69 one way: routes include Boise to Los Angeles and Atlanta to Houston.

If you’re willing to pay more but still get a good deal: United has $139 one-way fares from places like Ft. Myers to San Francisco and Washington D.C. to Phoenix.

Can travelers expect more deals to come soon?

It’s too early to know if these kinds of deals will continue to be offered, but others may follow suit now that United has thrown down the $49 gauntlet. 

“When it comes to domestic and short-haul international routes, we're living in a ridiculously competitive fare environment, which can only be good news for travelers,” Willis Orlando at Scott’s Cheap Flights told ConsumerAffairs. “What's even better is that we can expect to see other full-service airlines respond to these cut-rate fares with bargain fares of their own.”

Orlando cited a recent example from Alaska Airlines, which offered flights to Hawaii from certain West Coast cities for $123 roundtrip. That prompted American, Delta, and Hawaiian Airlines to react with deals of their own to Hawaii. The bottom line is this: If you’re looking for a good deal on airfare, watch airline sites like a hawk and be prepared to move quickly. 

“We'd expect to see much of the same with these highly in-demand domestic routes this week,” Orlando said. “So if you're a Delta or American loyalist, standby, your deal is probably on the way within days if not hours.”

Airlines around the world are finally getting to enjoy life in the air again. With international flight restrictions eased and vaccinated passengers feeling good about their health safety, it’s all systems go for the holidays and 2022. 

While airlines have handed out great fares as a lure to get consumers back in the air after 20 months of pandemic fits and starts, will they jack up the prices again? The easy answer is yes. Most experts agree that prices will go up because of demand, but demand alone isn’t what’s pushing the price of a ticket up. 

For one thing, the rising cost of jet fuel is another factor. Right before the COVID-19 pandemic started to kick in, U.S. jet fuel prices were at $1.52 per gallon. As of Monday, jet fuel is selling at $2.27 per gallon, the highest it’s been since 2014.

Airlines are also feverishly trying to hire all the employees they can to effectively staff flights. United is hiring 25,000 people, and understaffing issues have caused both American Airlines and Southwest Airlines to suffer disruptions and cancellations.

Consumer shares a cautionary tale

The employment situation at airlines has also made life difficult for travelers who need to make a change to their trip. You only have to look as far as ConsumerAffairs reviews to find a good cautionary tale. 

In a recent review of American Airlines, Kevin of Sykesville, Md., said he booked a flight for Feb. 2022 a couple of months ago that had changed when he checked in on it recently. 

“To my horror they changed the home airport from Baltimore to Philadelphia and from Saturday to Friday. They also changed the return flight from Mazatlán to BWI to Phoenix to BWI. I guess they expect me to drive 20 hours to get to the Phoenix airport. No messages or emails were ever sent from the airlines to notify me of this ridiculous change. I even double checked my SPAM folder,” Kevin said.

Kevin thought the easiest way to fix the issue was to go on American’s website and change his flight. He described how frustrating it was to try to talk to someone at the company.

“Nope, I can't change my flight online and have to call. I call and they give me the standard ‘Wait times are longer than usual’. Again, no big deal. However, then a message comes on telling me my wait time will be NO LESS than 4 hours,” he said.

“They tell me live Chat is available on the mobile app so I download that. I get on a chat and have been disconnected 3x forcing me to repeat the same info. I currently have been on chats for more than 90 min and they just told me no flights are available and to call reservations. I see cheaper and shorter flight times available by American as I am chatting, but I don’t want to double book and not get refunded. I don't know if it is just me, but this whole thing is out of control.” 

Kevin’s story illustrates just how important it is for consumers to stay on top of their flight details. As always, you can read more reviews about airlines on ConsumerAffairs to help you make the best travel decisions.

The board of American Airlines’ pilots union, the Allied Pilots Association (APA), has collectively rejected a proposal from the airline that included pay incentives for pilots if they worked peak-period days around the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s holidays. 

The proposal that American offered was 50% additional pay for any flying done on peak period days and for work performed by Check Airmen (CKA), which are aircraft pilots who perform an oversight, safety, and qualification role for commercial pilots undergoing evaluation. Premium flights and CKA overtime days would be paid at 100% overtime pay. 

The union said it considered all aspects of the proposed deal, but it wound up voting 20-0 to reject it. 

“While understanding that its rejection creates a disparity among our fellow work groups that have accepted management’s proffered incentives, the Board concluded that the need to achieve meaningful permanent improvements in a new collective bargaining agreement must remain APA’s focus,” the union said in a statement.

Navigating contract negotiations

The incentive offer comes at a time when many airlines are scrambling to keep up with staffing issues amid a renewed demand in travel brought about by the U.S. lifting international travel restrictions. 

But, for American, it also comes at a time when the airline and its union are in the middle of contract negotiations. The APA says airline management has been dragging its feet for months on proposals it made regarding quality-of-life concerns and sustainable solutions to improve operational integrity.

American disagrees. Despite the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights at the beginning of November and a grievance filed by flight attendants over accommodations between flights, the company thinks it deserves some recognition for its offer. Officials say it would have tripled the pay for flight attendants who fly trips over the holidays and provided $1,000 holiday attendance bonuses to ramp workers and mechanics. 

“We are, of course, disappointed, especially since we have holiday pay programs in place for all other frontline groups at the company,” said Kimball Stone and Chip Long, American’s senior vice presidents of flight operations.

“But we will continue to look for opportunities to work with APA to support you during the holidays, as well as explore our options to maximize availability of existing premiums” under the collective bargaining agreement. The pilots’ contract still allows for the company to assign 150% pay to certain trips when staffing is tight.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has decided that it’s had enough of unruly passengers on airlines. The agency has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to step in and handle 37 of the most serious unruly passenger cases it has had to deal with in recent months. The action is part of a new information-sharing protocol that the two agencies will use to review and prosecute incidents more quickly.

Even though the FAA saw a reduction in the number of instances after it launched its Zero Tolerance campaign and fined hundreds of passengers for acting up on flights, it still feels even a single incident is one too many. 

In addition to getting the FBI involved, the agency said it no longer will address unruly passenger cases with warnings or counseling. Instead, it will turn up the heat by “pursuing legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members.” 

“Let this serve both as a warning and a deterrent: If you disrupt a flight, you risk not just fines from the FAA but federal criminal prosecution as well,” FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said Thursday in a news release.

Adding even more muscle

The FAA is also adding some extra muscle in the way of fines to try to curb bad behavior. In the past, the agency fined unruly passengers up to $25,000 per incident. Going forward, those fines are now set at up to $37,000 for each violation.

Flight attendants -- who have had to deal with the brunt of unruly passenger disruptions -- are also asking for more help. AFA-CWA International, a flight attendants association, has been trying to persuade airlines, airports, and federal authorities to go as far as creating and sharing a list of violators and denying those travelers permission to fly via any airline.

“The vitriol, verbal and physical abuse from a small group of passengers - yet at a steady rate - is unacceptable and puts everyone onboard at risk. This is not a new normal we are willing to accept. The federal government, airlines and airports must redouble efforts to hold every disruptive passenger accountable,” the association said in a Facebook post.

To try to regain its footing coming out of the pandemic, United Airlines is dropping three small U.S. cities from its flight schedule and pulling back on service to another.

Over the weekend, the airline filed plans to pull out of Pierre, S.D., Watertown, S.D., and Twin Falls, Idaho, over the next two months. According to a report by ThePointsGuy, Pierre’s service will cease on Jan. 3, 2022. Flights in and out of Twin Falls will end on Nov. 30, 2021, and service to Watertown will stop on Jan. 3, 2022.

United will also end service to Joplin, Mo., out of Houston, Texas, later this month, but there will continue to be flights into Joplin from other markets, mostly Chicago. SkyWest told ThePointsGuy that demand patterns were the reason for the cut.

Flights to small markets continue to shift

The two airports in South Dakota qualify as Essential Air Service (EAS) markets, meaning that the federal government provides subsidies to a chosen airline to guarantee service to these cities. By opting out of service to those cities, United may be leaving a pile of cash on the table. 

ThePointsGuy reported that a total of $7 million had been awarded to Skywest Airlines, United’s service partner on those routes. However, that contract expired in April 2021, and United continued those routes without government funding. 

When the Department of Transportation solicited proposals from carriers interested in providing service to these markets, United decided not to submit one. However, Colorado-based Denver Air Connection stepped in and won the contract, albeit at $2 million less than United was getting.

Pulling out of more cities and eliminating certain flight options in the heart of the U.S. may ultimately impact United’s standing with consumers. Frederick of Watkinsville, Ga., recently told ConsumerAffairs that the carrier canceled his flight and wasn’t able to provide other options. 

“United cancelled a leg of our return trip, stranding us in the middle of the country. They offered no alternative flights, even from three other major airports in the region. We incurred significant out-of-pocket expenses to return home on time,” they wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review.

Tens of thousands of travelers hoping to get somewhere on American Airlines over the weekend went nowhere fast. The airline canceled 1,730 flights from Friday through Sunday -- 22.9% of its scheduled take-offs -- according to FlightAware.

"To make sure we are taking care of our customers and providing scheduling certainty for our crews, we have adjusted our operation for the last few days this month by proactively canceling some flights," David Seymour, the airline's chief operating officer, said in a memo to employees.

Last month, Southwest Airlines also suffered a spate of cancellations and actually eclipsed American Airlines’ total cancellations for October. It was a problem that a Southwest pilots union put on the shoulders of airline officials for choosing “profits over people.”

Help is on the way -- or is it?

American says travelers shouldn’t give up on the airline. According to Seymour, 1,800 flight attendants are expected to return from pandemic time-off starting Monday Another 600 new hires are planned by the end of the year in hopes of closing all the workforce gaps in time for the holidays.

However, those 1,800 returns aren’t a guarantee, and American still has to make up the deficit of workers created when it temporarily furloughed more than 10,000 workers after funding and ticket sales dried up during the pandemic. While the airline reversed the furlough, thousands of employees decided to take the cash incentives and voluntarily quit their jobs instead. 

The pilots union at American warned that it could also face a different staffing shortage if it implements a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. However, in trying to find a win-win, the union has suggested that both the airline and government officials consider an alternative means of complying with the White House’s mandate, including regular testing or proof of natural immunity.

American isn’t alone in this quandary. United Airlines pilots are threatening to stay at home if they’re forced to fly with unvaccinated coworkers. Six United employees who applied for a medical or religious exemption to the airline’s vaccine mandate are doing their best to haul the airline into court where a judge can decide whether or not the company has the right to place them on leave for refusing to be vaccinated.

Now that the U.S. has finalized plans to accept vaccinated international travelers into the country, airlines are girding themselves for what Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian called an “onslaught of travel all at once.” 

The airlines don’t have much time to prepare either. The new mandate goes into effect on Monday, Nov. 8. 

There are several layers to what airlines will now be counted on to process. The updated to-do list calls for carriers to not only make sure a person has proof of vaccination, but they also have to: 

• Match names and dates of birth to confirm the passenger is the same person reflected on the proof of vaccination

• Determine that the record was issued by an official source in the country where the vaccine was given

• Confirm where the passenger got their vaccinations, which ones they received, etc.

How big is the surge?

The return to travel is already starting to develop. According to data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), inbound U.S. travel is close to completely rebounding from pre-pandemic levels. On Monday, nearly 2 million people passed through security checkpoints operated at U.S. airports. That’s more than double the number of travelers from a year ago, and it’s nearly 300,000 less than the same period in 2019.

Hopper -- a company that uses ​​predictive analytics to offer consumers an advantage in finding affordable flights -- said searches for all inbound international U.S. flights have spiked by 32% since the White House’s announcement. That’s a 21% increase above the weekly average. 

The real eye-opening statistic in Hopper’s analysis is the number of round-trip flights being searched for from Europe to the U.S. The company says those searches have gone up by 133% since the announcement, marking a 70% increase over the weekly average. It’s the biggest increase Hopper says it’s seen on this particular segment this year. 

Things could be a little sloppy at first

Speaking at the Future of Travel Mobility conference, Bastain warned that processing all those additional travelers will be “a bit sloppy at first. There will be lines, unfortunately,” he said.

Bastian should know. Delta’s largest hub is Atlanta Hartsfield, which also happens to be the busiest airport in the world. He believes airlines will likely lean on technology in order to keep up with the new demand. In Delta’s situation, he said the company has developed an app to help travelers navigate the new list of rules.

Boeing’s headaches are moving from its 737 jets to its Dreamliner 787 model. The aviation manufacturer admitted on Thursday that some titanium components designed for the 787 were improperly manufactured over the past three years. 

“While our investigation is ongoing, we have determined that this does not present an immediate safety of flight concern for the active in-service fleet,” the company said. Nonetheless, it has notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) just to make sure everything is on the up and up.

Those titanium parts were manufactured for Boeing by a third-party supplier -- Italy-based Leonardo SpA. That company, in turn, purchased the items from Brindisi-based Manufacturing Processes Specification (MPS). In a statement, Leonardo says MPS was a qualified Boeing supplier -- one it’s no longer working with. 

The components in question include fittings designed to secure the floor beam in one section of the fuselage, as well as fittings, spacers, brackets, and clips in other areas of the plane.

Finding the aircraft with suspect components

Boeing said any undelivered planes will be modified to specifications, and any 787 that’s currently in service will go through a review process with Boeing first. After that, the aircraft will have to receive the all-clear from the FAA.

The company is working to determine how many planes contain the defective part, but that could take some time because there are an estimated 864 Dreamliners currently in service. Most of those are flown by All Nippon Airways (74) and United Airlines (60). Other carriers that have the planes in their fleets include Japan Airlines (47), American Airlines (45), Etihad Airways (39), Hainan Airlines (38), Air Canada (37), Qatar Airways (37), British Airways (32), and Air India (27).

Boeing says it’s got its act together now

The last few years have been anything but good for Boeing. Not only did it suffer credibility issues over widespread problems with its 737 Max planes, but the 787 has had its own share of issues. 

In 2019, it was rated as one of the safest aircraft in the sky, only to have whistleblowers question its safety months later. In 2020, Boeing announced that three separate flaws found on its 787 Dreamliner aircraft may require further inspections to check for safety.

In Boeing’s mind, that was then and this is now. The company claims it has its act back on the right path. “When issues are raised, that is an indication that these efforts are working,” the company said.

There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for Southwest Airlines’ (SWA) cancellation woes. The domino effect that began over the weekend, then spilled over into Monday, is continuing on Tuesday. 

According to FlightAware, Southwest canceled 435 flights on Monday -- 12% of its total scheduled departures -- and delayed 1,524 of its arrivals, a 42% hit. For Tuesday, the numbers look a little better, with 89 cancellations and 242 delays as of late morning. For the year, Southwest’s total cancellations total 2,022 (7.6%) and its delayed arrivals come to 7,084 (28.9%).

What destinations are impacted?

Travelers with flights starting out West look to be impacted the most, with 90 Southwest flights from California to Colorado canceled from late Monday through Tuesday.

Using FlightAware data, ConsumerAffairs counted 25 Southwest cancellations out of Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas since Monday evening. Others include 12 cancellations at Bob Hope Airport (BUR) in Burbank; 11 at Denver International (DEN); 10 at Chicago Midway (MDW); 9 from Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX); 7 from Baltimore-Washington (BWI), San Jose (SJC), Sacramento (SMF), San Diego (SAN), and Oakland (OAK); 6 from Love Field (DAL) in Dallas; and 5 from Los Angeles International (LAX).

Pilots union says Southwest’s operation is “brittle”

When this news first broke, Southwest tried to place some of the blame on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and air traffic issues. The FAA countered by saying there had been no air traffic-related cancellations since Friday. The agency also noted that if any airlines were experiencing delays, it was due to aircraft and crews being out of place.

The Southwest pilots union (SWAPA) is ramping up the blame game even further, calling Southwest’s troubles “another operational meltdown.” 

“There are false claims of job actions by Southwest Pilots currently gaining traction on social media and making their way into mainstream news. I can say with certainty that there are no work slowdowns or sickouts either related to the recent mandatory vaccine mandate or otherwise,” union leadership wrote.

Furthermore, SWAPA called Southwest out for claiming that the immediate causes of the airline’s meltdown were staffing at Jacksonville Center and weather in the southeast U.S. The organization said the weather and staffing issues in Jacksonville were true to some extent, but it asked why these problems were nothing more than a “minor temporary event” for other airlines but devastating to Southwest.

“[It’s] because our operation has become brittle and subject to massive failures under the slightest pressure,” the union said, answering its own question. “Our operation and our frontline employees have endured continuous and unending disruptions since the first time our airline made headlines in early June due to widespread IT failures. Our Pilots are tired and frustrated because our operation is running on empty due to a lack of support from the Company.”

“SWAPA has grave concerns about the direction Southwest Airlines has taken in putting profits ahead of people. Enough is enough.”

Southwest Airlines canceled or delayed close to 2,000 flights over the weekend and is beginning the week with close to 10% of its flights canceled as of late Monday morning. When everything was added up, FoxNews reported that Southwest had canceled 808 flights and had 1,187 flights delayed on Saturday, then another 1,018 flights canceled and 597 flights delayed on Sunday.

The airline put the onus for the cancellations on three things: bad weather, air traffic control problems, and staffing issues. Southwest pointed the finger at the pandemic for the snowballing issues, telling CNN that getting operations back to normal was "more difficult and prolonged" because of schedule and staffing reductions made during the COVID-19 upheaval.

"We've continued diligent work throughout the weekend to reset our operation with a focus on getting aircraft and crews repositioned to take care of our customers," the airline said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) countered Southwest on the air traffic issue. The agency told CNN that there have been no air traffic-related cancellations since Friday, and it said if any airlines are experiencing delays, it’s due to aircraft and crews being out of place.

"Flight delays and cancellations occurred for a few hours Friday afternoon due to widespread severe weather, military training and limited staffing in one area of the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center," the FAA said.

Were other airlines impacted in the same way?

By all accounts, Southwest may be the only airline that’s enduring a large volume of flight delays and cancellations. According to CNN and FlightAware, other airlines experienced far fewer issues. On Sunday, American Airlines and Southwest’s low-budget competitor Spirit canceled only 2% of their flights.

However, staffing issues aren't just a Southwest issue. Other airlines have felt the pinch, and that likely has raised the frustration levels of travelers. One industry analyst warns travelers that hiring is a problematic task for airlines, especially given the layoffs and revenue hits the industry took during the pandemic.

“The shortage in labor across the industry could place travel providers at risk of not being able to bring back capacity fast enough to meet demand, which could lead to a loss in revenue,” Jason Guggenheim, Boston Consulting Group’s global head of travel, told Skift. Guggenheim was then asked why airlines can’t fix this labor supply-and-demand disconnect by simply offering higher wages? He said it’s not that simple.

“Travel companies are and will pay more to bring back the right amount of labor, but demand is still volatile and so ensuring they bring back labor thoughtfully is critical for their cost structure and ability to generate positive margins and cash flows,” Guggenheim said. “Almost every travel company has a weaker balance sheet now relative to pre-pandemic, placing a greater emphasis on producing positive cash flow and slowly reducing the burden of a weakened balance sheet.”

In the push-come-to-shove over vaccination mandates, United Airlines did what it said it would do. On Tuesday, it laid its unvaccinated workers off.

All told, 600 employees were affected -- about 1% of United’s workforce. The other 99% provided proof of vaccination prior to a Monday deadline. The airline is offering the non-compliant workers one last chance to comply with the mandate or face full termination. A separate 3% of the company’s 67,000 employees sought a medical or religious exemption.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision but keeping our team safe has always been our first priority,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart wrote in a memo to employees on Tuesday. “Our rationale for requiring the vaccine for all United’s U.S.-based employees was simple — to keep our people safe — and the truth is this: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated, and vaccine requirements work.”

The company said the mandate has created a spike in job applications from people who supposedly are vaccinated and want to work in an environment with like-minded people.

Will the other airlines join United?

So far, United is the only major U.S. airline to go as far as firing employees who refuse to abide by a vaccine requirement. Others appear to be taking a softer stance. American and Southwest are simply encouraging employees to get their shot, and Delta Air Lines laid down a levy of $200 for every month its unvaccinated employees didn’t meet the requirement. Southwest is also offering an enticement of two days' pay to workers who show proof of being fully vaccinated by Nov. 15.

As of late last week, the Washington Post reported that vaccination mandates with some other domestic airlines looked like this:

Alaska Airlines: The latest report says 75% of Alaska’s employees are vaccinated. Unvaccinated workers are not eligible for any special coronavirus-related pay if they become exposed or if an infection prevents them from reporting to work. Those people will also have to take part in a vaccine education program. 

Frontier Airlines: Frontier employees have until Oct. 1 to get vaccinated. If they don’t, they’ll be required to show proof of a negative test.

Hawaiian Airlines: The airline’s U.S.-based employees have until Nov. 1 to show proof of vaccination. Those who got the green light for a medical or religious exemption will be required to have regular tests.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has handed down a record-breaking fine to United Airlines for repeatedly violating the tarmac delay rule. The airline is being forced to pay $1.9 million for its transgressions and has been given a stern warning not to cross the line again.

It appears the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) has had its eye on United for a while. Regulators found that 20 of the company’s domestic flights and five of its international flights in recent years remained on the tarmac for a lengthy period of time without providing passengers an opportunity to deplane. 

What consumers should know about the tarmac rule

There are all sorts of things that can keep an airplane stuck on the tarmac and delay take-off -- weather, traffic, mechanical issues, security threats, and delays in getting crew members aboard being the usual culprits. If you ever get stuck in a tarmac delay, you have rights as a consumer. Here are some basics you should know:

How long can an airline keep passengers on a departing flight before it is required to start moving the airplane to a location where passengers can safely get off? “For flights departing from a U.S. airport, airlines with more than 30 passenger seats are required to begin to move the airplane to a location where passengers can safely get off before 3 hours for domestic flights and 4 hours for international flights,” is the DOT rule. However, one ConsumerAffairs reviewer intimated that the three-hour rule might be longer than it sensibly should be. 

“89 degrees in the plane and we have been sitting here for 2 hours and another 30 mins or more possibly. What makes it tough is that it is 89 degrees in the plane, lots of kids that are getting dehydrated and so am I. Water or anything is not forthcoming. What a service!,” E of Merritt Island, Florida, said in their review of United.

How long can an airline keep passengers on an arriving flight without providing an opportunity to get off of the airplane? “For flights landing at U.S. airports, airlines are required to provide passengers with an opportunity to safely get off of the airplane before 3 hours for domestic flights and 4 hours for international flights,” the DOT states.

However, there are exceptions to these requirements. The #1 exception to the time limit is for safety, security, or air traffic control-related reasons. The DOT says passengers should not exit the airplane unless the airline says that they can do so safely.

If you get off, there’s no requirement that forces the airline to let you back on. The sticky wicket in the DOT rule is that if an airline says you can get off the airplane during a tarmac delay and you choose to get off, the airline is not required to let you back on the airplane.

Food and water are required. The tarmac delay rule also requires airlines to provide "adequate food and water, ensure that lavatories are working and, if necessary, provide medical attention to passengers during long tarmac delays.”

An arrangement between American Airlines and JetBlue has raised the ire of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Together with Attorneys General in six states and the District of Columbia, a lawsuit was filed on Tuesday to block an unprecedented series of agreements for the creation of the “Northeast Alliance.” In that partnership proposal, the two airlines would consolidate their operations in Boston and New York City. 

As you can imagine, that’s a pretty healthy combination. However, the DOJ felt not only would eliminate healthy competition in those cities, but will also harm travelers across the U.S. by greatly diminishing JetBlue’s incentive to compete with American in other markets , “further consolidating an already highly concentrated industry.”

“Millions of consumers across America rely on air travel every day for work, to visit family, or to take vacations. Fair competition is essential to ensuring they can fly affordably and safely,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.

“In an industry where just four airlines control more than 80% of domestic air travel, American Airlines’ ‘alliance’ with JetBlue is, in fact, an unprecedented maneuver to further consolidate the industry. It would result in higher fares, fewer choices, and lower quality service if allowed to continue. The complaint filed today demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring economic opportunity and fairness by protecting consumers and competition.”

Good thing or bad thing for the traveler?

When the alliance was originally announced, both JetBlue and American were excited about the possibilities. From its podium, American said the partnership gave the air traveler a larger schedule of flights, frequent flyer cooperation, and a “seamless” travel experience.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) seemed favorable, too, and the partnership was actually approved by the Transportation Department just weeks before the Trump administration left office.

“Could American build up operations in Boston and New York without JetBlue’s help, leading to more competition? Sure, in theory, but you really think American’s management was going to be able to execute well on that? Like, have they been following the airline for the past decade?,” postured OneMileAtATime’s Ben Schlappig.

“I think a vast majority of frequent flyers would agree that reciprocal mileage earning and redemption opportunities, as well as reciprocal elite perks, benefit consumers,” Schlappig said, laying out consumer-facing pluses like giving American a better chance at competing in the New York area and working together on scheduling to make their networks more complementary.

“If you ask me, these kinds of partnerships are the sweet spots, compared to a merger — consumers get upside, but you still have a distinct competitor in the market,” he said.

Air travel, severely restrained during the early months of the pandemic, resumed over the spring and summer as more people received COVID-19 vaccinations. But acute labor shortages throughout airport facilities have made air travel more challenging.

The latest J.D. Power North American Airport Customer Satisfaction Survey found travelers’ complaints are on the rise. In nearly every case, consumers cite the lack of employees at gift shops, restaurants, and rental car counters in the airports.

Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power, says customer satisfaction with airports was very high in the midst of the pandemic. Most airports were far from crowded, and traveling seemed easier.

“Ultimately, the data conveys changing expectations among travelers,” Taylor said. “Early in the pandemic, passengers were satisfied with any shop or restaurant being open, but they now expect full service at the airport.”

Labor shortages appear to be the main driver of decreased satisfaction. An analysis of ConsumerAffairs reviews of rental car agencies at airports showed a common theme — the agencies were often shorthanded.

Long waits at the rental car counter

Mary, of Mishawaka, Indiana, encountered just such a situation when she reserved a car at Thrifty Car Rental at Boston’s Logan Airport earlier this month.

“When I arrived to pick up the car, the line was very long which was no problem because it is at a busy airport,” Mary wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review. “However, after waiting in line for more than 30 minutes, I finally was checked in and received the paperwork to go and get the car. “When I arrived at the garage to pick up the car, the line was out the door but there was no one there working.”

Many consumers reviewing other car rental agencies at other U.S. airports cite a similar experience. The J.D. Power survey found airport businesses, such as food, beverage, and retail services, are the keys to a good airport experience, just as much as a good airline experience.

In the latest survey,  Miami International and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International scored highest in the factor for food, beverage, and retail in their respective segments. 

The survey noted the labor shortage throughout North America has resulted in several airport dining and retail locations closing, a situation that J.D. Power says has disproportionally affected medium-sized airports.

What started out as a bad Friday for United Airlines has started to turn for the better. After a systems outage brought the airline to a nationwide ground stop in both the U.S. and Canada, its fleet is back up in the friendly skies, according to reports from various media sources and the Federal Aviation Administration’s website.

In addition to flights being halted, there were reports that United’s app and website also were crippled, preventing travelers from checking in or boarding flights.

Just before 8 a.m. EDT on Friday, United issued a statement saying that it had “experienced technical system issues” and that all systems were back to normal.

“We are aware of the issue and are working to resolve it as quickly as possible,” the company wrote on Twitter, addressing consumer complaints. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

Travel frustrations continue

The end of the summer travel season hasn't reduced the frustrations of travel. American Airlines wrestled with a fuel shortage, and Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Alaska Airlines all suffered technical glitches that caused thousands of flight delays and cancellations. There's the laundry list of incidents about unruly behavior, too.

All of these stress points have put both travelers and airlines in a cautious dance trying to keep things under control. One ConsumerAffairs reviewer recently wrote that the great customer service she used to get from Southwest has declined a bit.

"I used to LOVE Southwest Airlines above all other companies. From the first moments I walked into the baggage line to the plane ride. It was top notch customer service. I even use their credit card. Last year I started noticing a decline in their kindness, but I chalked it up to Covid,” wrote Danielle of Virginia.

“It’s been hard year on us all," she continued. "The last straw was a couple weeks ago (my third trip on Southwest this summer). I had come into the check in baggage line in Reagan DC airport. I checked my bag in at the Kiosk and promptly got in line to give to the lady at desk. There was two lines to choose from, neither was marked clearly so I assumed (as others did) it didn’t matter which one we got into.”

That’s where things went south for Danielle. After more than an hour waiting in line, she said she started feeling anxious that she was going to miss her plane. Apparently, she wasn’t the only person dealing with customer service anxiety.

“There was a lady two people in front of me was being yelled at by TWO Southwest employees because she had used the kiosk and the line she stood in was for full service only," she wrote. "They made her go to other side and re get in line that was wrapped around three times. The Southwest man was non sympathetic to her pleas and the-other coworker was saying hateful remarks behind him. This lady left crying and I’m sure missed her flight. I now just realized and in a panic cause I self checked my bags at kiosk too and was so scared to face the attendant. I walk up to her and she nastily says, 'I really wish YOU people would wait to be called.' And then realized I had tagged my bag. She glared at me and says, 'Did you not just see what happened to the other lady?' And she continued to berate me and be very insulting while taking my bags. ... All she had to do was take my damn bag. She let me go through. But I was almost in tears.”

Danielle said that the flight was OK and that once she was aboard the flight, she had no complaints. Still, everything leading up to that may have hurt her love for Southwest. 

“I am completely disappointed, and hurt by this airline," she wrote. "Plane tickets aren’t cheap, it’s stressful to travel anyways, and to be treated like dog poop from the company you used to love sooo much. Is just too much. I am about to throw in my credit card and towel into this airline and find another.”

While most of the flying world has been focused on mask mandates, poor passenger behaviors, and where we can and can’t fly, tensions have been rising among airline workers. It's gotten so tense that American Airlines pilots are setting up picket lines at AA hubs over crew fatigue brought on by the airline’s alleged overscheduling and inability to secure hotel rooms during layovers.

The Allied Pilots Association feels like its members have no other choice. The union hopes to get company management to come to their senses about pushing crew members to their limits in order to bolster revenue and keep up with increased travel demand during the summer.

“Our airline needs scheduling practices that support the safety margin, respect pilots’ and passengers’ needs, and de-risk American Airlines to protect and improve revenue,” the union said in a note to its membership. 

ConsumerAffairs contacted both the pilots association and the airline but had not received any comment by press time.

The union’s accusations come at an interesting time. It (as well as the flight attendant’s union) is currently in the middle of contract negotiations with American Airlines to try to cut a better deal for 15,000 workers.

American says it appreciates its pilots

American's senior leadership wasted little time responding to the situation. Chip Long, American's Vice President of Flight, sent a note to all the company's pilots on Friday to say that the company appreciates everything its workers have endured to help keep planes in the air and passengers in seats. 

“As the summer travel season comes to a close and we head into Labor Day weekend, I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for the professionalism and commitment to our airline you’ve shown this summer as we experienced the largest operational ramp-up in our company’s history so quickly. We’re glad our customers are returning, and because of each of you, we were ready to take them where they needed and wanted to go,” Long wrote.

“We had a challenging stretch in June due to weather, vendor staffing and temporary pilot training challenges that may have touched you or your schedule. Even though we immediately took aggressive action to minimize the disruption for our customers and our team, it was your leadership that allowed us to quickly get back on track. Since then, our pilot training and staffing  has been fortified.”

Long went on to remind the pilots that American has employed more active pilots this summer than in years past and that cancellations due to pilot availability were down 30%. 

“We’ve taken steps to ensure we can support the operation and get our customers where they want to go, when they want to go. At the same time, we continue to make important progress internally, managing and adapting in a way that provides tangible improvements for each of you. Yes, we still have work to do, but know that we’re committed to following through on every initiative and opportunity to support you in a meaningful way,” Long said.

Southwest pilots say they’re under the same pressure

American Airline's pilots aren't the only ones who may soon be protesting working conditions. The 9,000 members of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) are poised to do the same due to similar grievances. According to a report by CNBC, the union is considering picketing at U.S. airports during the end-of-year holidays. 

Southwest was sued by SWAPA last week over charges of violating federal labor laws. The airline was accused of modifying working conditions, company rules, and pay rates when the airline’s bottom line was threatened by the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.

How serious is Delta Air Lines about its employees being vaccinated? Very serious. 

Effective November 1, any Delta employee who has health insurance through the company but hasn’t gotten their COVID-19 vaccination shot is subject to a $200 monthly surcharge. In addition, unvaccinated employees will be required to take a COVID-19 test every week starting September 12.

United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines say they will also mandate vaccines for their employees.

Delta CEO says costs are too high

In describing his reasons for the mandate, all Delta CEO Ed Bastian had to do was point to the numbers. 

“The average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost Delta $50,000 per person. This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company. In recent weeks since the rise of the B.1.617.2 variant [aka the Delta strain], all Delta employees who have been hospitalized with COVID were not fully vaccinated.”

Now that the Pfizer vaccine has been fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bastian essentially said that excuse is no longer valid. “We can be confident that the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective, and has undergone the same rigorous review for other approved medications to treat cancer and heart disease, as well as other vaccines,” he said.

“Protecting yourself, your colleagues, your loved ones and your community is fundamental to the shared values that have driven our success for nearly a century. Vaccinations are the safest, most effective, and most powerful tool we have to achieve our goals, live up to our values and move forward,” Bastian concluded.

Investing in health and safety 

Delta was among the first to invest heavily in onboard health safety. Dating back to February 2020, the airline deployed “fogging” in its aircraft with an EPA-registered disinfectant. It also consulted with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to ensure that it met or exceeded those agencies’ precautions related to the coronavirus.

Its proactive efforts have paid off, at least with some of its customers. Ronnie of Louisville, Ky., heaped praise upon the company in their ConsumerAffairs review.

“Flight was awesome. All personnel are top notch. Flight was smooth. Flight was on time. All Covid-19 keep me safe. Plane was very clean and could tell it had been sanitized. Even rest room was cleaned after each use. Thanks for a pleasant experience,” they wrote.

The latest case of an overheated cell phone aboard a jetliner could have ended badly, but timing helped prevent tragedy. The device only began overheating and spewing sparks once an Alaska Airlines flight from New Orleans to Seattle had landed.

A spokesperson for Alaska Airlines told reporters that a cell phone belonging to a passenger aboard flight 751 started to overheat and give off sparks just as the plane landed at Sea-Tac Airport. The flight crew placed the burning device in a specially designed battery containment bag to prevent it from causing a fire.

However, the cabin was reportedly filled with smoke, causing the crew to order an evacuation. Aircraft doors were opened, and slides were extended down to the runway. Passengers were then directed to slide out of the aircraft.

The evacuation was not without incident. The airport reported on social media that two people were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The other 127 passengers and six crew members were transported to the terminal.

Lithium-ion battery dangers

The incident underscores the potential danger of electronic devices that are powered by lithium-ion batteries aboard commercial aircraft. Had the incident occurred 20 minutes earlier while the plane was in the air, the results could have been different.

As far back as 2005, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was cautioning consumers about the hazards that could be created by their cell phone batteries. The agency explained that the lithium batteries used to power cell phones pack a lot of power into a small space.

These batteries are more sensitive to physical stress than alkaline batteries found in toys and flashlights, and they need to be treated with more care. Because of several close calls aboard aircraft over the years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has enacted rules covering the shipment of these batteries and devices that are powered by them.

“Damaged or recalled batteries and battery-powered devices, which are likely to create sparks or generate a dangerous evolution of heat, must not be carried aboard an aircraft (e.g. carry-on or checked baggage) unless the damaged or recalled battery has been removed or otherwise made safe,” the agency said on its website.

FAA gives safety tips

Devices containing lithium metal batteries or lithium-ion batteries, including but not limited to smartphones, tablets, cameras, and laptops, should be kept in carry-on baggage, the FAA says. If these devices are packed in checked baggage, they should be turned completely off, protected from accidental activation, and packed so they are protected from damage.

These events are more common than you might think. The FAA has reported at least 18 such incidents, before this latest one, so far in 2021.

The Federal Aviation Administration's latest tally of fines for unruly air passengers has eclipsed the $1 million dollar mark. On Thursday, the agency announced that it levied another $531,545 against 34 passengers for allegedly acting up on a flight.

Since the beginning of the year, the FAA has had close to 4,000 reports of unruly passenger behavior -- including nearly 3,000 reports filed regarding passengers refusing to comply with the federal facemask mandate.

How bad is this?

The FAA is about at its wit’s end on this matter. It’s called on airports to help address the situation -- especially with alcohol to-go -- and gone on a full-frontal public relations campaign to ask travelers to cool their jets.

Still, passengers continue to push the agency’s button, possibly because they know that the FAA has no criminal prosecutorial authority. Many times when an airline asks local law enforcement for its help, officers will meet the airline at the gate, but the offending passengers are often released without legal consequence. 

Seemingly undaunted, the FAA does have the power to fine unruly passengers and it’s being relentless in that department. 

Case in point: a new fine of $45,000 against a passenger on a jetBlue Airways flight from New York, N.Y. to Orlando, Fla. for allegedly throwing objects, including his carry-on luggage, at other passengers; refusing to stay seated; lying on the floor in the aisle, refusing to get up, and then of all things, grabbing a flight attendant by the ankles and putting his head up her skirt. The passenger was placed in flexi-cuffs and the flight made an emergency landing in Richmond, Va.

Rowdy passengers apparently love jetBlue

JetBlue seems to be a magnet for rowdy fliers. Out of the new fines assessed by the FAA, seven happened on a jetBlue flight.

In another jetBlue incident that resulted in a fine this week, $42,000 in damages was imposed against a passenger on a jetBlue Airways flight from Queens, N.Y. to San Francisco, Calif. Their offense? Allegedly interfering with crewmembers after failing to comply with the facemask mandate; making non-consensual physical contact with another passenger; throwing a playing card at a passenger and threatening him with physical harm; making stabbing gestures towards certain passengers; and snorting what appeared to be cocaine from a plastic bag, which the cabin crew confiscated. 

The passenger’s agitation was so egregious that the crew equipped themselves with ice mallets to ensure the safety of the flight if his behavior worsened. The flight diverted to Minneapolis, Minn., where law enforcement removed the passenger from the aircraft. 

If you’re flying anywhere in the Economy class on American Airlines anytime soon and think you’d like to have a cocktail, better think again. The airline has decided to suspend all alcohol sales in Economy through January 2022. 

American’s original ban was set to end in September. The only other U.S. airline banning alcoholic beverages is Southwest Airlines. 

The airline’s ban is of its own choosing, but with the continued onslaught of penalties against airline passengers for alleged unruly behavior -- many involving alcoholic beverages -- American is taking no chances.

"We are doing all we can to help create a safe environment for our crew and customers onboard our aircraft," Stacey Frantz, American's senior manager of flight service policies and procedures, said in announcing the continued suspension of alcohol sales.

The FAA is calling on airports to help end alcohol to-go sales

Frantz told USA Today that the airline is "gaining ground'' in its push to get the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to cease alcohol to-go sales at airports it flies in and out of, including its hubs in Dallas and Charlotte.

While the FAA has yet to mandate an across-the-board ban on alcohol sales, the alcohol to-go situation is a huge concern for the agency. Earlier in August, the FAA sent a letter to airports requesting they work to prevent passengers from bringing “to-go” cups of alcohol aboard the aircraft.

Even though FAA regulations specifically prohibit the consumption of alcohol aboard an aircraft that is not served by the airline, we have received reports that some airport concessionaires have offered alcohol ‘to go,’ and passengers believe they can carry that alcohol onto their flights or they become inebriated during the boarding process,” read the letter. 

“Airports can help bring awareness to this prohibition on passengers carrying open alcohol onboard their flights through signage, public service announcements, and concessionaire education," the letter said.

Southwest Airlines says the COVID-19 Delta variant is hurting its business. In a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the airline said customers have been booking fewer flights so far in August and are steadily canceling flights they've already booked. 

The end result is that Southwest expects its operating revenue estimates for August to be 15% to 20% below what they were in August 2019 and 3% to 4% less than it forecasted only three weeks ago.

Southwest isn’t holding out much hope that the downturn will reverse course anytime soon. Based on the assumption that COVID-19 cases will remain elevated in the near term, the company predicts that its operating revenue will be down 15% to 25% in September from the same period in 2019. The company said there was one bright spot in September -- Labor Day travel -- but officials said that prediction was based on bookings and cancellations “thus far.”

Is air travel headed backward?

Airlines are hoping they won’t have to go through the same financial straits that they experienced over the last year of the pandemic. When restrictions started loosening up in May and June, the pent-up demand from travelers gave airlines hope that they were headed for clear skies again. 

But the arrival of the Delta variant changed things quickly. Just weeks ago in July, Southwest said things looked great for the remainder of 2021 based on the volume of trips people were booking, prompting president Tom Nealon to say "we have not seen any impact from the Delta variant."

Southwest isn’t the only airline to feel the pinch of the Delta variant. The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) latest checkpoint travel numbers for August 10 were back to where they were two months ago, a state that’s 30% below the volume processed in August 2019.

The great vaccination mandate debate took a new turn on Wednesday. While some companies are requiring their workforce to be vaccinated against COVID-19, three of the largest U.S. airlines have decided to go the opposite route. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines will no longer make workers get vaccinated. 

This marks the first time that American and Southwest have issued a vaccination direction, but it’s a complete about-face for Delta. Earlier this year, it said all new employees would be required to demonstrate proof of vaccination. 

The country’s fourth-largest airline -- United -- took the opposite stance earlier this week when it mandated that all employees have to be vaccinated.

“Strongly encourage” is the new line airlines are toeing

As reported by CNN, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said in a company memo that he would “continue to strongly encourage” employees to get vaccinated but that the company would not make it a requirement.

“Obviously, I am very concerned about the latest Delta variant, and the effect on the health and Safety of our Employees and our operation, but nothing has changed,” Kelly wrote.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian also told Fox 5’s “Good Day New York” that he was no longer considering mandating vaccinations for the airline’s employees, figuring that “close” may be good enough. 

“We’re almost 75 percent vaccinated already,” he commented, “and if you think about that, you have probably some portion -- maybe call it five to 10 percent of our employee base -- that’s gonna have some medical or religious reason why they’re not getting vaccinated, you’re really down to a relatively modest number, maybe 10 to 20 percent of the unvaccinated, that you can drive with a mandate.”

“We’re going to continue to encourage it,” Bastian added. “I think there’s some additional steps, measures we can take to get the vaccine rates even higher, but what we’re seeing is every day, those numbers continue to grow. I’m really proud of our team.”

Over at American, CEO Doug Parker gave the New York Times’ “Sway” podcast his reasons for why he was avoiding vaccination mandates.

“We certainly encourage it everywhere we can, encourage it for our customers and our employees, but we’re not putting mandates in place,” Parker told the Times’ Kara Swisher.

Following the lead of United’s vaccination incentive to employees earlier this year, Parker added that American is offering incentives for unvaccinated employees to get inoculated, including an extra day of vacation next year for those who do so by the first of September. 

Travelers in the “new normal” are starting to show favoritism toward short-term vacation rentals -- and for good reason. Some vacationers are still wary about being around a hotel lobby full of people and not knowing who’s been vaccinated and who hasn’t.

Unfortunately, some vacation rental owners have shown a lack of mutual respect for the cautious traveler -- like the tale of an Airbnb host who refused to honor a pandemic-mandated lockdown. 

One of the chief complaints is about exorbitant fees, such as the charges that some hotels are trying to get away with. When one Airbnb host posted a $114 cleaning fee, a Twitterstorm erupted to the tune of 210,000 likes and nearly 24,000 retweets. Unfortunately, it’s the sort of problem that the company is continuing to struggle with.

Complaints about guests, hosts, and Airbnb run rampant

The biggest issue with how Airbnb works may be that the company has to trust its hosts to conduct themselves in a professional manner -- one that doesn’t stain the company’s image and makes the customer feel good about their purchase. However, the company admits that completely vetting hosts is a nearly impossible task.

To be fair, horror stories about guests, hosts, and Airbnb itself have all made their way out into the ether. One ConsumerAffairs reviewer recently found themselves in the middle of crossfire issues that included all three.

“I had a conflict with a host. The guy was big and aggressive. I reported him. The host retaliated against my complaint by posting inflammatory lies about my stay. VERY INFLAMMATORY,” wrote Janice of Galveston TX recently.

Janice thought she had a right to file a complaint with Airbnb, but she said the company refused to take her claims seriously. 

“Although I had videotaped evidence that directly refuted the hosts' claims, Airbnb refused to delete the post [despite the fact that] Airbnb has an explicit policy that forbids dishonest claims or bullying posts and states they will be deleted. That was my 4th and last use of their platform. Thank God for American capitalism and competition. Hello Vrbo!”

Airbnb fees can be confusing

To help Airbnb customers gain a better understanding of how the company’s fees shake out, ConsumerAffairs contacted two Airbnb pros. Thibault Masson, founder of the vacation rental industry news site Rental Scale-Up, says figuring out all the fees that a consumer may need to pay can be confusing. 

“They are called fees, but they do not go into the same pockets,” Masson said. “Maybe the platform could do a better job educating travelers about what each fee is about. It also means that consumers should spend some time learning about this.”

For instance, most Airbnb users may have to pay a “service fee” that's taken by Airbnb, a “cleaning fee” that's taken by the host, and a “tax fee”  that's taken by the host per local requirements.

Masson explained that Airbnb takes an average 14.2% guest fee on the total amount of a stay, but consumers need to understand that the company takes a larger service fee depending on how large the rental property is and how long the guest is staying there.

“As people are trading up and using Airbnb to book large houses or for longer stays, the service fee proportionality goes up. It would be the same on Expedia when booking hotels, by the way,” he said.

Regarding cleaning fees, the same applies -- the larger the space, the larger the fee. Because of the pandemic, cleaning fees have grown due to updated cleanliness standards.

More factors go into fees than you might think

Kate Shaw, the co-founder of Retreat and an Airbnb “Superhost” -- a program that celebrates and rewards top-rated and experienced hosts -- gave ConsumerAffairs some insight on some of the other factors that go into calculating fees. She said when the guest community pushes back on fees, they often do it without considering the iceberg that lies underneath. 

“The amount of effort that goes into a guests’ stay is far more than just leaving a key under a mat. ... On the hosts' side, there are government permits and taxes to be paid. There are countless hours of maintenance crews, housekeeping hours, etc that make a home seem effortlessly accommodating. The fees that are charged and clearly outlined by Airbnb go towards a multitude of areas, all of which come together seamlessly in order to help guests have wonderful experiences.”

Shaw points out that most companies mark up their cost of goods by 30%-50%, sometimes more. “If you go out to eat, buy clothing, or get a coffee, the company you are purchasing from has marked what it costs them to purchase the raw goods by at least this percentage,” she said. 

Shaw says Airbnb marks up its product by 20% to guests and 3% to hosts, which she considers “reasonable.” Still, she thinks Airbnb could certainly improve the negative perception of fees. 

“While Airbnb can clearly lay out where fees are going, guests must do their part in order to understand the necessity of these fees,” she said.

Airbnb makes course corrections

After suffering through a flood of consumer complaints, a $1.2 billion loss, a rash of scammers brought on by the pandemic, and a legal settlement over fees, Airbnb recently began a mission to correct things -- hopefully once and for all.

For starters, the company has gone public with how hosts set their prices and cleaning fees, how other fees work, and who is charging the fee (Airbnb or the host). But, more importantly, the company is conducting a comprehensive review of its fees “with the objective of making pricing even more transparent and easy for Hosts and guests to navigate.” The company said the team in charge of this process aims to have the review and recommendations in place by December 15.

If that plan comes to fruition, it might be the game-changer that the company’s users have been clamoring for. Masson told ConsumerAffairs that Airbnb has already eliminated the commission that it takes from guests on every booking in a lot of countries outside of the U.S. 

“No magic bullet here,” Masson said. “In these other countries, the burden of fees has shifted entirely to hosts: They pay a 15% host fee, and guests pay 0%. This is actually what you see on Expedia when booking a hotel. Just as Expedia had to drop its guest fee for hotels years ago, Airbnb could be forced to do the same. Consumers hate additional fees. Hosts may pay more, but they can raise their prices too, as there is no more guest fee on top of their rates.”

Spirit Airlines is experiencing a major meltdown, with the carrier canceling flights right and left and leaving travelers stranded. Unfortunately, the airline’s CEO says it’s likely to continue for now.

The budget airline’s misery started in late July when bad weather forced it to cancel flights. The next domino that fell was a shortage of pilots and flight attendants who had “timed out,” forcing the airline to cancel more flights because it had limited personnel in reserve to fill the gaps. 

That’s when things started spinning out of control. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Spirit canceled at least 60% of its flights, followed by another 56% on Thursday. Trying to offer a plausible reason why, Spirit CEO Ted Christie said the uprooted flight crews were strewn across the U.S., and it simply took extra time to play catch-up and get personnel and airplanes back into position. 

Christie said the airline also experienced some “technology outages” while trying to corral the necessary crews.

Travelers vent their dissatisfaction

Needless to say, Spirit left thousands of passengers in the lurch. One Spirit flier, Santosh of Edinburg, Texas, vented their frustration in a ConsumerAffairs review. 

“Are Spirit Airlines Bankrupt??? It's been cancelling twice on me. And I have to go from Austin to Edinburg. I keep booking rooms and cancelling it in less than 24 hrs. I am fed up. Who is going to compensate my cost? Moreover I need to join my work ASAP. I will never think of going in Spirit. Such a nightmare!!!”

USA TODAY reported that Spirit was sending some passengers $50 vouchers for future flights as a gesture of goodwill, but some considered the $50 a slight given the situation. In response, Christie tried to smooth things over. 

"The intent is to give people something they can use on us in the future,” he said. The executive made it known in an interview with CBS News that the airline was reimbursing passengers for things like food and accommodation.

It ain’t over ‘til it’s over

Anyone booked on a Spirit flight anytime soon could find themselves experiencing more of the same. Christie said cancellations will continue "over the next few days,'' but he said he hopes things will settle down once the weekend is over.

As of midday Friday, FlightAware reported that Spirit had canceled 260 flights -- 34% of its planned take-offs. Another 53 departures (making up 6% of its total flights) have been delayed.

Anyone who has plans to fly Spirit over the next week should be aware that the U.S. Department of Transportation has policies in place that may allow customers to receive refunds to cover certain costs. Those policies are available here.

United Airlines has become the first major airline to require all of its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. All 67,000 of the company’s employees have until October 25 to get vaccinated or they’ll risk being fired. 

In a Friday memo to employees, United CEO Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart said the decision is rooted in United’s priority of keeping everyone safe. 

“We know some of you will disagree with this decision to require the vaccine for all United employees,” the executives wrote. “But, we have no greater responsibility to you and your colleagues than to ensure your safety when you’re at work, and the facts are crystal clear: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated.”

Mandating employee vaccination

By October 25, employees must upload proof that they received the recommended doses of any of the three vaccines that have received emergency-use approval from the FDA. Alternatively, employees have five weeks to get inoculated after the FDA grants full approval to any one vaccine -- “whichever comes first.” Full approval of the Pfizer vaccine is expected by early next month.

Exceptions will be made for those with medical or religious reasons, United said. Employees who are already vaccinated and can upload an image of their vaccination card before September 20 will be eligible for "an additional day of pay," Kirby and Hart said. 

Earlier this week, Tyson Foods mandated COVID-19 vaccines for its employees. The company said half of its workers are already vaccinated, but the other half will have until October 1 to get fully vaccinated. Tyson also said it would make exceptions for employees with certain health conditions or religious reasons. 

United’s decision to mandate vaccines is likely to have a ripple effect in the airline industry. Other airlines have offered incentives like extra pay or time off for vaccinations, but they haven’t required vaccinations. However, Delta Air Lines began requiring new employees to show proof of vaccination in May. United announced the same requirement the following month. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has called on U.S. airports to take action to combat the rise in unruly passengers that has taken place this year. Regulators want airport police to arrest more people who are unruly or violent on flights and for airport bars and restaurants to stop selling alcoholic beverages to go. 

"While the FAA has levied civil fines against unruly passengers, it has no authority to prosecute criminal cases," FAA Administrator Steve Dickson wrote to airport officials around the U.S. in a letter released Thursday. 

Dickson added that passengers who exhibit unruly behavior on planes are often met by law enforcement officers at airport gates upon landing, but these passengers are often released without legal consequence. 

"When this occurs, we miss a key opportunity to hold unruly passengers accountable for their unacceptable and dangerous behavior," he said.

Alcohol a factor in many incidents

Since the start of the year, the FAA has received 3,715 reports of unruly passengers. The agency said it’s concerned by the fact that flight attendants have reported being harassed, threatened, and even physically attacked.

The FAA said more than 2,700 of the 3,715 reports of unruly passengers it has received since January have involved passengers who refuse to wear a mask. Alcohol use has also been cited in a number of incidents. 

The agency said its investigations have determined that “alcohol often contributes to ... unsafe behavior.” Dickson said airport bars are contributing to the problem by allowing passengers to take alcoholic beverages to go.

"Even though FAA regulations specifically prohibit the consumption of alcohol aboard an aircraft that is not served by the airline, we have received reports that some airport concessionaires have offered alcohol ‘to go,’” Dickson wrote. "And passengers believe they can carry that alcohol onto their flights or they become inebriated."

The FAA is calling on airports to help put an end to that behavior by making public-service announcements about the rules.

"Airports can help bring awareness to this prohibition on passengers carrying open alcohol onboard their flights through signage, public service announcements, and concessionaire education," Dickson said.

The FAA noted that it still has a zero-tolerance policy for in-flight disruptions, which could lead to fines as high as $52,500 and up to 20 years in prison.

United Airlines has become the first U.S. airline to offer economy passengers the option to pre-order snacks and beverages. The move comes tailor-made for health-conscious travelers by giving them one more contactless interaction. It also adds another peg for United to build on as it focuses on transforming the customer experience.

Travelers can use United’s website or its app to pre-order their food and drink choices up to five days before departure. For now, the pre-order option is available on select flights departing from Chicago to Orange County, Calif., Sacramento, Calif., and San Diego. It will grow to cover any flight over 1,500 miles by early fall 2021. 

"Our new pre-order option reflects the customer experience transformation taking place at United – customers in our economy cabins will have an easy, convenient way to choose their snack or drink, and our flight attendants can move through the cabin faster, delivering more personalized service," said Toby Enqvist, chief customer officer for United. 

"This new feature also builds on our existing contactless payment technology, which has enabled us to safely resume our inflight food and beverage program on select flights."

How it works

The process, as United explains it, is very straightforward. Five days before taking off, passengers will receive an email notifying them that they’re able to pre-order. App users will also see the option in the Reservation Details section of the United app.

United says there’s a slight difference between people flying economy and those flying at an upgraded level. Economy fliers only have access to snacks, while those in premium seats will be able to make meal choices. 

Food options are starting to return

As airlines returned to full loads, drink and food options were somewhat limited. United evidently feels that it has a good plan and is moving forward with a list of expanded options.

The airline has added several wine and beer options to its lineup for economy fliers, including White Claw seltzers and Breckenridge Brewery IPAs. On the food side of the menu, there’s now a new tapas snack box with high-protein options and a “Recline” snack box that has movie theater-themed treats.

For those in the premium section, the enhanced meal service now includes a choice of entrees like an egg scramble with plant-based chorizo and a grilled chicken breast with orzo and lemon basil pesto.

The food and experience on United flights have earned the company some positive reviews from ConsumerAffairs users. Joel from Manassas gave the carrier five stars in his recent review.

"It has been a while since I have flown, but then to the best of my memory the seats were adequately comfortable and the meals were good. Also the landing and takeoff was smooth," he said.

A labor union has filed a grievance against American Airlines, saying flight attendants and pilots aren’t getting to “safe and comfortable” hotels during their layovers due to inadequate arrangements on the part of the carrier. 

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), a labor union representing 40,000 American Airlines pilots and flight attendants, said hotel booking and transportation delays have caused some crew members to miss out on sleep. 

“We have Flight Attendants sleeping in airports and outside of baggage claim due to the company not providing hotel accommodations in a timely manner,” APFA National President Julie Hedrick said in a statement. “Crew rest is being impacted, and clean, comfortable, and quiet rooms are not being provided for required rest.”

APFA says flight attendants are encountering transportation issues that prevent them from getting to designated crew hotels. In some cases, flight attendants have allegedly had to get an Uber to a layover hotel only to find that there weren’t enough rooms available or that conditions were “unsuitable.” 

The issue of crew and pilots sleeping in the airport and outside of baggage claim has now reached “unprecedented, unacceptable levels,” the union claims.

American responds 

Under its contract with flight attendants, American Airlines is required to ensure that crew is put up in safe hotels with minimum standards, such as no rooms on the ground floor and no adjoining rooms. The airline said in a statement that it’s investigating the matter. 

“Taking care of our crewmembers while they’re away from home is a priority for American,” the company said.

APFA is asking the airline to grant additional unspecified relief to flight attendants that have been affected by the issue. 

Travelers also cite hotel problems

American Airlines pilots and crew members aren’t the only ones who are having trouble getting hotel accommodations. Several ConsumerAffairs reviewers have also reported difficulties when it came to staying at hotels after a flight cancellation or alteration. James from Norwood, Mass., said he had to foot the bill for travel and lodging accommodations after his flight was canceled.

“I feel that American who wouldn’t even refund the canceled flight should pay for the rental car and hotel,” he said in his review.

Misty from Calera, Ala., faced a similar situation after supposedly being stuck in the airport for over 14 hours after the cancellation of her connecting flight. 

“They shut down the line at 2am & they were very ugly about it saying that the workers had to go home because they had been there since the morning. Well, we were paying customers who had been there for 14 hours with no kind of answers. We weren't offered a hotel because they were full. We were offered nothing by American including answers,” she said.

Reports of delays of jet fuel supplies at some small and midsize airports, a shortage of trucks and truck drivers, and a skyrocketing travel demand are forcing American Airlines to ask its pilots to conserve where they reasonably and safely can. On Monday, the company said to stretch out its available fuel supply, it might have to add in some quick stopovers. 

The airline said flight disruptions stemming from the fuel supply issue have been “minimal” so far and that zero flights have been canceled.

“American Airlines station jet fuel delivery delays initially affected mostly western U.S. cities, but are now being reported at American stations across the country. Delivery delays are expected to continue through mid-August,” John Dudley, managing director of flight operations, told pilots in a memo reviewed by CNBC.

A prime example of the impact can be seen in Bozeman, Montana, a location where a record number of travelers are flying for some vacation time. Earlier this month, the city’s Yellowstone International Airport experienced fuel delivery delays for nearly 12 hours that, in turn, caused a fifth of the airport's daily flights to be disrupted. 

Safety won’t be impacted

To mitigate the problem where it can, some American flights will carry additional fuel into the airports impacted by fuel shortages. Dudley said pilots have also been asked to use fuel-saving procedures like taxiing with a single engine.

To most, procedures like that might raise an eyebrow, but the airlines say there are no unsafe corners being cut and that passenger safety is still in check. 

“We want to make sure the safety margin is protected and we also want to make sure we aren’t leaving passengers behind,” said Dennis Tajer, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, the collective bargaining agent for the 15,000 professional pilots who fly for American Airlines.

American said it’s not alone

A Delta Air Lines spokesman confirmed to CNBC that it has also seen some fuel delay issues at smaller airports in the U.S. West -- specifically Reno, Nevada -- but that the situation hasn’t impacted flights to the point of operational issues. 

Southwest Airlines said it hadn’t experienced any issues to date, but the company told a CBS TV affiliate in Dallas that it has added more fuel on some planes to limit the amount needed at airports with shortages.

“We have been and continue to be in communication with federal authorities and pipeline operators to address this jet fuel capacity issue,” said Airlines for America, which represents most large U.S. carriers.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has sent a letter to vacation rental companies like Airbnb and Vrbo to urge them to require owners to disable residential elevators or provide inspection certifications showing that there are no dangerous gaps. 

The CPSC’s letter follows the death of a 7-year-old boy at a beach rental home in North Carolina. The boy died after getting stuck between a moving elevator’s inner accordion door and its outer door. 

The agency said residential elevators "can pose a deadly but unforeseen hazard to children” and that fixes should be put in place right away to address the risks.

"Children, some as young as two and as old as 12, have been crushed to death in this gap, suffering multiple skull fractures, fractured vertebrae and traumatic asphyxia,” Robert Adler, acting chairman of the agency, said in the letter. “Other children have suffered horrific and lifelong injuries."

Fixing the problem

The letter said vacation rental companies are “in the unique position to have direct contact information for both owners and renters of vacation homes.”

The CPSC said the hazardous gaps between an at-home elevator's inner and outer doors can easily be made safer by placing space guards on the exterior doors. Alternatively, electronic monitoring devices could be used to deactivate elevators when a child is detected in the gap.

"These fixes are relatively inexpensive and can save lives," the letter said.

In the meantime, the CPSC said vacation rental platforms should immediately notify rentals about this potential hazard and ask hosts to lock outer access doors or disable elevators altogether. In the future, the agency said the companies should also require elevator inspections at any listed properties.

“By working together, we can stop these agonizing deaths and prevent further harm to children and families,” Adler said in the letter. 

Vrbo issues response

Airbnb and TripAdvisor said they were reviewing the letter from the CPSC, and Vrbo said it plans to follow through with at least some of the recommendations. 

"We will share important elevator safety information with property owners who have residential elevators," Vrbo told ABC News in a statement. "This will include a recommendation to disable elevators until they can be properly inspected and common safety issues addressed. Vrbo has also posted elevator safety information to our Trust & Safety page, accessible by all guests. Our terms require property owners to abide by all safety-related laws and to keep equipment safe and in working order with regular maintenance."

ConsumerAffairs readers have shared mixed experiences with vacation rentals from companies like Airbnb and Vrbo. Hosts and travelers have praised the platforms for being easy to navigate, but some reviewers have said they experienced unsafe safety conditions upon arrival. 

Abbigail of Ferndale, Michigan claimed that a vacation rental she found through Airbnb was “unsafe and difficult to access which was not accurately described by the rental property.” Samantha of Fort Lauderdale, Florida said her resort room got broken into, landing her in the hospital. 

The bottom line? Consumers should make sure they do their homework on any rental property to make sure it's safe to stay in.

Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have another Boeing 737 issue to deal with. On Friday, the agency ordered urgent inspections of thousands of Boeing planes due to concerns with cabin altitude switches, the mechanism that keeps the cabins adequately pressurized during a flight. 

When Boeing took a look at the issue in 2020, it came to the conclusion that it didn’t pose a crucial safety risk. But when the same failure showed up again, both Boeing and the FAA reversed their stance -- and for good reason. If those switches fail or malfunction, it could potentially lead to immobilizing everyone aboard -- passengers, flight crew, and pilots. 

Altogether, 11,817 of Boeing’s 737 jets could be impacted --  2,502 airplanes registered in the U.S. and another 9,315 overseas. Even though the FAA has no legal authority on aircraft that don’t fly in or out of the U.S., a report from Bloomberg News suggests that it’s likely the order will also be rubber-stamped by foreign aviation agencies. 

According to a separate report from Reuters, the FAA is requiring that the switches be tested within 2,000 flight hours from the time the last test was administered, before airplanes have flown 2,000 hours, or within 90 days of the order’s effective date.

“Safety is our highest priority”

While the switch issue is yet another problem for Boeing to deal with, at least travelers who fly on American, United, and Southwest -- the U.S. airlines that use 737s -- can feel that their safety is not at stake.

“Safety is our highest priority and we fully support the FAA’s direction, which makes mandatory the inspection interval that we issued to the fleet in June,” Boeing said in a statement.

One other tidbit that might give fliers some comfort -- these switches are not the same ones cited in the Ethiopian and Lion Air 737 Max crashes. Those were stabilizer trim switches, according to a Boeing report when those incidents occurred.

Cases of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 are on the rise nationwide, but Delta Air Lines says travelers don't appear to be taking that news to heart when it comes to planning trips.

The airline says bookings on its flights haven’t suffered as a result, with CEO Ed Bastian noting that customers are still booking flights at the same pace.  

“We haven’t seen any impact at all from the variant,” Bastian said Wednesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” citing bookings 60 to 90 days in advance. “As the news of the variant’s spreading, we haven’t seen any slowdown at all. We’re learning to live with this.”

Delta reported its second-quarter results on Wednesday, and the company’s quarterly revenue exceeded analyst expectations. Other airlines have also said they have bounced back from the depths of the pandemic, at least when it comes to leisure travel bookings. Business travel is recovering at a slower pace, but Bastian said domestic leisure travel is at “if not beyond” pre-pandemic levels. 

The CEO noted that 72% of Delta’s employees are fully vaccinated and that a “vast majority” of customers surveyed said they have been vaccinated. 

---

Editor's note: The story has been slightly modified to better delineate that the rise in Delta variant cases has not affected consumers' decisions to travel. Parallels between the name of the COVID-19 variant and the airline mentioned in the story are coincidental. 

Sensing that a travel boom will likely continue into 2022, United Airlines is adding nearly 150 flights to warm-weather cities to its schedule for the upcoming winter season.

The airline is adding flight service to American destinations in California, Arizona, Georgia, Florida, and Nevada, as well as warmer sites in Mexico and beaches dotting the Caribbean. All told, United will offer 137 more flights than it did before the pandemic in 2019 starting this November through next March.

In its announcement, United said it’s prepared for the return of air travel for more than a year and says that it’s back to full speed. The airline seems confident that things will continue in its favor. Just last month, the company ordered 270 new planes and rolled out plans to hire 25,000 workers.

"Celebrating the holidays with family and loved ones in 2020 was a challenge, and we know our customers are already eager to plan winter vacations and gatherings in person this year to make up for time that they lost," said Ankit Gupta, vice president of network planning at United. "As pandemic restrictions ease, people are becoming more confident in planning travel further in advance, so we want to make sure to offer our customers as much choice as possible."

The warm weather add-ons

Out of the 150 additional flights that United will add come November, the highlighted routes include: 

• Up to 25 additional daily flights from New York/Newark to cities including Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, and Savannah;

• Up to 14 additional daily flights from Denver to cities including Charleston, Ft. Lauderdale, and Savannah;

• Up to 12 additional daily flights from Chicago to cities including Key West, Las Vegas, and San Diego;

• Up to 11 additional daily flights from Washington D.C. to cities including Charleston, New Orleans, and Phoenix;

• Up to seven additional daily flights from Houston to Florida including Miami, Orlando, and Palm Beach;

• Up to four additional daily flights from Los Angeles to Orlando, Tampa, and Ft. Myers;

• Up to four additional daily flights from Cleveland to Orlando, Tampa, and Ft. Myers; and

• Up to three additional daily flights from San Francisco to Orlando and Ft. Myers.

In addition, United is launching 12 new routes from Denver, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. to destinations like Belize City, Belize; Cozumel, Mexico; Liberia, Costa Rica; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Going in September vs. going in February

When ConsumerAffairs ran a quick check on Google Flights to sample United fares on two of its routes, we found that flying from New York City to Ft. Myers, Florida, or Chicago to Las Vegas in September versus February offered a slightly better fare ($50-$75). 

But anxious travelers should remember three tips when booking flights: 1) fares change frequently; 2) they change as the flights start to fill up with travelers; and, 3) buying the cheapest fare often means travelers won’t get the same service. This might mean having to pay baggage fees or not being able to select your seat.

Travelers should also keep in mind that the airline industry is still operating differently than it was before the pandemic. There are changes to in-flight services, an ongoing requirement to mask-up, and a firmer, no-nonsense approach to traveler behavior.

United Airlines went on a buying spree on Monday, one that’s expected to lead to 25,000 new hires over the next five years.

"United Next" is what the airline has dubbed its gambit. The plan calls for the addition of 270 Boeing and Airbus Aircraft to its fleet. The purchase agreement is the largest in company history and represents the biggest commitment by a single carrier over the last 10 years.

The company is also retrofitting all of its current “mainline” aircraft to cater to a new customer experience and a new signature interior. By 2026, United passengers will find a dramatic increase in the number of premium seats -- an average of 53 per plane -- larger overhead bins, seatback entertainment in every single seat, and what United says will be the industry's fastest available WiFi.

"Our United Next vision will revolutionize the experience of flying United as we accelerate our business to meet a resurgence in air travel. By adding and upgrading this many aircraft so quickly with our new signature interiors, we'll combine friendly, helpful service with the best experience in the sky, all across our premier global network,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. 

“At the same time, this move underscores the critical role United plays in fueling the broader U.S. economy – we expect the addition of these new aircraft will have a significant economic impact on the communities we serve in terms of job creation, traveler spending and commerce."

Hiring boom on the horizon

What a difference a year makes. This time last year, United was in the middle of furloughing thousands of workers and cutting deals with pilots -- two of the various labor moves it would find itself making before 2020 ended. The company said its aggressive move will require around 25,000 more workers. 

Based on a study from the Federal Aviation Administration, United expects to create more than $30 billion in traveler spending and add an estimated $50 billion to U.S. coffers by 2026.

United added that by replacing its older and smaller mainline jets, it will also upgrade the fleet’s overall fuel efficiency by 11% and lower carbon emissions by between 17-20%.

This time a year ago, I was planning to enjoy one of my best friend’s weddings before driving from Los Angeles to Utah to go canyon tripping. But no -- an unexpected little virus shut my wanderlust down. No wedding, no canyon, no driving to see the grandkids, no return trip to Mexico City to show my girlfriend what I discovered only the year before. Nothing. 

Binge-watching and carry-out have their limits, and after the COVID-19 pandemic cooped me up for 477 days straight, my cabin fever had reached an unbearable limit. I had my vaccinations, I was starting to feel comfortable in public, and I was feeling more secure after seeing many of my fellow Americans mask up and socially distance.

Then came May – Mental Health Month – and I decided that I should throw myself a “Take That, COVID!” party, cash in a bunch of airline miles, and hit the road again.

Coming out of the pandemic and being able to travel again was a big deal for me. I had four trips planned for 2020, and all of them were wiped out. But being fully vaccinated and confident that most of the world’s citizens were on the same page about being cautious and respectful, I decided to put together a personal COVID-19 revenge tour.

Of all the places I’ve been in the U.S., one patch of land I’d never set foot on was northern California. I’d been to San Francisco many times and Napa once, but seeing the redwoods and Yosemite was a particular attraction that I wanted to check off my bucket list.

For the throng of wanderlusters who are anxious to get out and go somewhere -- anywhere -- I thought it might be helpful to share my experiences. Going to attractions, sporting events, flying, car rentals, hotel reservations, the whole shooting match.

Let’s start with...

Getting a flight

Booking the trip online was super simple. Making changes wasn’t. For some unknown reason, I wasn’t able to modify a portion of my trip online and had to contact Delta directly. The airline’s preference was for me to do it on my phone or tablet and use their artificial intelligence (AI) platform to guide me through the changes via text. 

I’m sure I wasn’t the only person making changes, and the airline’s systems had to be overloaded. But going the AI direction wasn’t as effective as the airline might have liked it to be. So, my next bet was calling directly. However, the hold time was so long -- I think I stopped counting at four hours -- that I finally gave up, went to bed, and woke up early to try it again.

As they say, the early bird gets the worm, and calling before the rest of the traveling world woke up the next morning got me to someone quickly. From there, a live person made the flight changes a snap. Situation solved.

Coach, first, cash, or miles?

There are lots of good airfare deals to be had, and there are lots of destinations anxious for fresh faces. As for me, I opted for a gift from-me-to-me for making it through the pandemic and indulged myself by cashing in enough Delta Air Lines frequent flyer miles to fly first class. 

Doing that would pretty much deplete my account, but I figured it would be worth it. I’d save several hundred dollars, and going first class might be a well-earned treat -- at least it was pre-pandemic when I cashed in a bunch of United miles to fly first class to Mexico City.

At the airport and onboard

Getting through the airport took a tad longer because there are a few added hoops to jump through -- proof of vaccination and extra precautions in security check, for example -- but Delta’s phone app was flawless and check-in and boarding were both a breeze. I wasn’t alone in wanting to go somewhere either. The flights I found myself on were close to capacity.

Onboard, I was impressed with Delta’s buttoned-up approach. The representatives and flight crew were patient, thorough, health-conscious, and firm. Masks on, no nonsense.

No disrespect meant, but past that, cashing in 96,000 miles to fly first class proved a disheartening return on investment. Yes, the seats were larger and the legroom more spacious, but I thought there would at least be something special about sitting up front. Many of the typical amenities that I expected from flying in first class just weren’t there. No hot towels, no welcome glass of champagne, no pre-take-off snack, none of the typical polish and style.

The meal was another buzzkill. I was given a choice of two snack boxes which, by all standards, were plentiful and tasty. But at the end of the day, they were still snack boxes.

Afterward, I asked Delta’s media relations department if typical first class amenities would be returning, and there’s good news for travelers in the near future. Delta said they are bringing back onboard services in a “measured way to ensure the safety and wellbeing of [its] passengers.” As far as hot food options go, the airline said customers can expect them on “select domestic coast-to-coast flights.” Fliers in first class on other key U.S. routes should expect fresh boxed meals beginning in early July. 

The leave behind

If you plan on flying somewhere, I have a few suggestions based on my experience:

Be considerate. Airlines have been in a pickle for nearly a year and a half thanks to the pandemic, and they’ve been forced to take on devastating losses. Because of that, they’re taking calculated, judicious steps to make sure every precaution is taken and every passenger is kept healthy and safe.

No mask, no fly. Despite differing mask protocols at stores or in public, wearing a mask on any form of public transportation is still a federal requirement. The airlines are enforcing it and expecting every passenger to show mutual respect for their fellow travelers.

Be flexible on dates. Airfares are based on inventory, and there are lots of people besides yourself who want to take a break from the pandemic. Giving your calendar some wiggle room could save you hundreds of dollars.

Cheapest is not always best. One thing I’ve learned over time is that the cheapest fares are painfully restrictive. Not only do you have to pay extra for baggage and aren’t allowed to make a seat selection in advance (which could force families to be split up), but you’ll be looking at hefty fees if you need to change your ticket. 

Basic economy fares are final, meaning changes and refunds are out of the question. My advice is to pay a little extra for regular coach. For as little as $30, it’s worth the cost of avoiding hassles and getting some flexibility.

Get to the airport early. Flights are running full, and with extra precautions being taken going through security, every extra minute can make a difference.

Think about getting a new credit card tied to an airline or perks. There are plenty of great credit card deals coming down the pike right now. Finding one that can offer bonus miles or access to amenities like airport lounges, free checked bags, and early boarding could be worth it if you’re looking to really get back to traveling.

Prepare for minimal food service. If you think you’ll be hungry, save yourself the price of onboard snacks. TSA allows passengers to bring on almost every kind of food they can think of -- sandwiches, fruits, veggies, even a thermos of coffee.

“Beyond in-flight meals, it's tough to get food at all in some airports, too,” Daniel Burnham, Scott’s Cheap Flights Senior Member Operations Specialist, reminded me in an email. “Many restaurants and shops in airport terminals are still closed or operating limited hours, and for business class passengers, many flagship lounges in the United States have yet to reopen.”

Ask questions. While my sole experience was on Delta, other airlines have different levels of service depending on routes, length of the flight, and whether a flight is considered “select.” For fliers hoping to pamper themselves, it would be smart to ask in advance what special perks are included so you know exactly what your expectations should be.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says airline passengers are still acting up and that it will be levying more fines for bad behavior. The agency is proposing $124,500 in civil penalties against eight unruly airline passengers, ranging from $9,000 to $22,000 in fines for each person. The incidents allegedly included interfering with flight attendants, assaulting flight crew, drinking alcohol brought aboard planes, and refusing to wear face masks.

The new enforcement actions are part of the FAA’s zero-tolerance policy that targets disruptive and dangerous behavior by passengers. Since the first of the year, troublemaking fliers have chalked up more than 3,000 violations and $563,800 in proposed fines.

Things have gotten so bad that Airlines for America, an industry trade organization, has asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to step in so that cases involving unruly passengers can be prosecuted more quickly.

Masks are still required

The FAA’s announcement comes less than a month after a flurry of incidents cost a Southwest Airlines flight attendant two front teeth. While there were no dental emergencies this time, there were punches thrown by a Southwest Airlines passenger. The passenger wound up being forcibly removed from the plane and charged with assault by Dallas police, and their stunt earned them a $21,000 fine. 

Six of the eight instances -- including the aforementioned -- involved face coverings: ignoring instructions to wear a face mask, refusing to put one on, throwing a mask at an airline representative, etc. 

These situations might be linked to mixed messages regarding face masks that people are getting from retail stores, restaurants, and state/local governments. However, the bottom line remains that anyone traveling on public transportation is required to wear a mask. 

The requirements for masking up may be amended at some point, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are shoulder-to-shoulder in enforcing the mandate for now. 

DOT officials say anyone who is planning to use public transportation and has a question about face masks should save themselves some time, trouble, and a potentially hefty fine by asking about current mask mandates via email. The address to submit questions is TransitMaskUp@dot.gov.

American Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights over the weekend as stormy weather battered parts of the South. The carrier also disclosed plans to trim its flight schedule by 1% through the middle of next month.

The cuts come amid a surge in travel bookings and that, apparently, is part of the issue. American is concerned its current schedule, beefed up in early spring as the economy began to reopen, will strain operations.

Not only does the airline have to make sure it has enough flight crew members to operate each flight, it also depends on mechanics, baggage handlers, and third-party service providers like caterers. With the current labor shortage, many of these jobs are unfilled.

Airline executives said the weekend’s bad weather underscored the difficulty of summertime operations, when planes are full but the weather is uncertain.

“The bad weather, combined with the labor shortages some of our vendors are contending with and the incredibly quick ramp-up of customer demand, has led us to build in additional resilience and certainty to our operation by adjusting a fraction of our scheduled flying through mid-July,” the airline told CNBC. “We made targeted changes with the goal of impacting the fewest number of customers by adjusting flights in markets where we have multiple options for re-accommodation.”

Cancellations began on Friday

Gary Leff, who writes “The View From the Wing” blog, said American began cancelling flights on Friday, with the number steadily rising through the weekend.

“Today is worse than yesterday with 176 cancels already,” Leff posted on Sunday. That’s nearly 50% more than Saturday. And there are already about 100 cancels on the books for Monday.”

For American and other airlines that may take a similar course of action, it’s a financial setback. After a year in which passenger traffic plunged, consumers are only now beginning to spend money on travel. 

For consumers, fewer flights mean more sold-out planes and more difficulty in getting to a destination. Fares may also rise.

Consumers should remember that when a flight on which they are booked is cancelled the airline is required to offer a refund. This became an issue early in the pandemic when airlines cancelled thousands of flights and encouraged passengers to accept a voucher for a future flight.

Travelers booked on Southwest Airlines flights were confronted with thousands of cancellations and delays this week thanks to technical issues that impacted the airline’s systems. 

The issues revolved around problems with feeds from a third-party weather data provider on Monday. That was followed by a network connectivity issue on Tuesday afternoon that affected its reservation system. Southwest doesn’t believe the two issues were connected, but it's still investigating that possibility.

With its hands full, Southwest asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its help on Tuesday. The agency tweeted that it issued a temporary nationwide grounding at the airline's request. By late afternoon on Tuesday, the FAA stated that Southwest was "in the process of resuming normal operations." 

When all was said and done, 500 Southwest flights were estimated to be canceled, and somewhere between 900 and 1,300 flights were delayed.

Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines also affected

According to a variety of media reports, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines also suffered technical issues that impacted their booking apps and sites. Delta sent ABC News a statement on the issue on Monday night. 

"Delta teams are working to quickly address a technical issue that is making it difficult for customers to purchase flights on delta.com, the Fly Delta app, and through our Reservations Call Center. The ability to check in for flights is not affected. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this is causing," the airline said.

Vertical Aerospace, a U.K.-based air taxi startup, said Thursday that it has secured investments from American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Microsoft. The company is aiming to make zero-emissions on-demand travel in flying taxis a reality. 

Vertical Aerospace said it has pre-orders for up to 1,000 of its VA-X4 vertical takeoff aircraft and plans to go public via a deal with Broadstone Acquisition Corp. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2021.

"This is the most exciting time in aviation for almost a century," Vertical Aerospace CEO and co-founder Stephen Fitzpatrick said in a statement. "Electrification will transform flying in the 21st century in the same way the jet engine did 70 years ago.” 

Zero emissions flying taxis

The firm’s aircraft will travel at speeds of over 200 miles per hour and be “near silent” when in flight. Its first test flight is slated to take place later this year. American Airlines has agreed to order at least 250 aircraft.

"Emerging technologies are critical in the race to reduce carbon emissions and we are excited to partner with Vertical to develop the next generation of electric aircraft," said Derek Kerr, chief financial officer of American Airlines.

Although there’s a great deal of hype surrounding flying taxis, analysts say it could take several years for electric aircraft to be certified by aviation authorities. Last month, Europe’s top regulator said the region could see the first flying taxis in use as early as 2024. 

“Today’s announcement brings together some of the largest and most respected technology and aeronautical businesses in the world and together we can achieve our aim of making the VA-X4 the first zero carbon aircraft that most people will fly on,” Fitzpatrick said. “The United Kingdom is already a global leader in aerospace innovation and we believe Vertical Aerospace will be the British engineering champion to drive the aviation industry forward.”

To make sure it’s got every angle of health safety covered, United Airlines is adding a bonus to the paychecks of pilots and flight attendants who have received their COVID-19 vaccination.

United is the first major U.S. carrier to offer such an incentive, but Delta recently made it a requirement for all new employees to prove they’ve been vaccinated.

Under the agreement the union and airline came to in a special meeting on Wednesday, United flight attendants who have received their vaccine by June 9 will get up to three additional days (a total of nine hours and forty-five minutes) off in their upcoming 2022 vacation day bank. 

Getting vaccinated is purely voluntary, but both the Association of Flight Attendants union (AFA) and the airline say they have a shared priority in getting as many flight attendants vaccinated as quickly as possible for a number of reasons. 

“First and foremost, the vaccine provides an additional layer of protection in addition to mask compliance and cleaning process initiatives,” AFA said in a blog post.

Some countries may require vaccination

The AFA left in a “what if” scenario in the agreement -- one aimed to address a situation in which a country might require flight attendants to be vaccinated.

“It is anticipated, without advance notice, some countries may begin to require flight crews to be vaccinated. In the event a vaccination requirement was to come about, any Flight Attendant not vaccinated and/or who has not provided documentation to substantiate the vaccination to United would be ineligible to work any flight to a destination in a country where a vaccination requirement exists,” the union said.

United pilots will receive something similar to flight attendants. Those who show proof of vaccination before June 10 will get 12 hours of pay and 11 hours of pay after that through June 30, when the incentive ends.

Roughly 80% of United’s estimated 12,500 pilots have been vaccinated, according to a company spokeswoman.

United Airlines has announced that passengers who upload their vaccination record to its app or website will be entered to win a year of free flights. The “Your Shot to Fly” sweepstakes will run from May 24 through June 22. 

During the month of June, United plans to give away 30 pairs of tickets. Then, on July 1, the airline will randomly select five MileagePlus members who have entered the contest as the winners of its grand prize of free flights for a full year. 

Winners will get to fly with one other person, be seated on any class of service, and travel to any location across the globe. The grand prize is limited to a total of 26 round-trip flights taken during the year.

“We’re proud to do our part to incentivize people to get their shot," United CEO Scott Kirby said in a press release. "Thanks to the vaccine, more and more destinations are opening up for travel and we know our customers are eager to fly. We’re excited to give people one more reason to get vaccinated so they can reunite with friends and family or take that long-awaited vacation which all could be just one shot away.”

United joins other companies offering incentives for customers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Krispy Kreme is giving free doughnuts to vaccinated customers, Budweiser is running a free beer giveaway, and Shake Shack announced Friday that it plans to expand its vaccination promotion of free fries nationwide. 

Uber and Lyft have also joined the effort to encourage people to get vaccinated. Last week, the ride-sharing giants announced a new partnership with the White House through which they will offer free rides to anyone going to a vaccination site to get their COVID-19 shot. 

U.S. airlines may begin weighing passengers as a way to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules. A report from ViewFromTheWing says that as Americans have gained weight, the FAA never adjusted its weight and balance calculations for aircraft, especially smaller planes.

While “Can you step on the scale, please?” isn’t likely to become a standard procedure at the airport, travelers will likely encounter it at some point in their flying life. The FAA says the weigh-ins should be done at airports that represent a minimum of 15% of an airline’s daily departures, and it should be done once every three years so that officials have a better chance of calculating weight assumptions.

The agency suggests that the screenings be done randomly and take place outside of the regular TSA screening place and in a secure area of the airport where travelers catching a connecting flight can be included. To avoid embarrassment, the agency will make sure that the readout of a person’s weight will remain hidden from public view.

Potential problems

To avoid any potential problems, the FAA is making the procedure completely voluntary. That means travelers who don’t want to step on a scale don’t need to. However, airlines have the option of weighing everyone or asking a passenger how much they weigh. 

Of course, asking someone their weight doesn’t always produce an accurate answer. For situations like that, the FAA advises airlines to add 10 pounds to account for clothing -- especially in winter. If the person doing the screening thinks the passenger understated their weight, the screen “should make a reasonable estimate of the passenger’s actual weight and add 10 pounds.”

Another issue that might come out of this is that airlines might have to remove some seats in order to meet government weight rules if the average passenger weight goes up significantly. That might make it harder for consumers to get a seat on a flight, and it would cut into airlines’ revenue stream.

Already happening in other countries

Airlines in other parts of the world already have weight checks in place. In Samoa, where a study showed that 22% of Soman women were overweight and 58% were obese, Somoa Airlines tried its hand at fares based on weight. 

Similar to what the FAA is proposing, New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority recently mandated that airlines conduct weight surveys at least once every five years.

Consumers have lots of options when it comes to travel lodging. In addition to the multitude of hotels and motels, short-term apartment and house rentals are growing in popularity, boosted lately by a desire to travel after facing restrictions linked to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

What both Vrbo and Airbnb offer travelers are additional space and more privacy than a typical hotel. In some cases, a traveler may pay the same or less for an entire house or apartment than they would for a nice hotel room.

The business models of the two companies are similar. Neither owns the properties they book. Instead, they act as the agents for property owners offering their homes for short-term rental. They collect “transaction” or “service” fees and provide a platform that consumers can use to select and book properties. While Airbnb properties may include a portion of a private home or apartment, Vrbo says it limits its offerings to entire houses.

Customers posting reviews at ConsumerAffairs found a lot to complain about with both companies. But a reading of the reviews posted so far in 2021 suggests that many of the complaints have more to do with the individual property owners than either company.

However, Vrbo gets a 1.1-star rating based on 344 reviews and ratings, while Airbnb scores 3.6 stars based on 1,527 reviews and ratings. Does one company perform better than the other? According to our reviewers, Airbnb has an edge.

Customer service

What appears to be the biggest knock on Vrbo is the company’s customer service; the issue was mentioned often. The platform, which is owned by Expedia Group, says customer service has always been a point of emphasis but concedes that it has faced recent challenges in that area.

“In the past year, customer service volume has been unusually high due to the pandemic and an influx of requests and questions related to cancellations and refunds,” the company said in an email to ConsumerAffairs. “We continue to ramp up the phone lines and field requests as quickly as possible. We’ve also enhanced our self-service tools significantly over the past year and encourage customers to use the Virtual Agent chat feature on our site to manage their bookings.”

We reached out to Airbnb for input to this article but had not heard back by the time of publication.

We searched for reviewers who had used both services and found Iyonna of Newark, New Jersey. She told us there wasn’t much difference between Vrbo’s and Airbnb’s properties. However, she gave the edge to Airbnb’s customer service department.

But Matilda, of Houston, had a bone to pick with Airbnb’s customer service. She told us she was unable to get into her rented home and couldn’t contact the host. She said she contacted Airbnb’s customer service.

“They aren't able to contact the host and let me know they will reimburse me,” she wrote in her post. “It's 8 pm on a Saturday and my family has nowhere to stay. I'm sent a link from customer service to find another host that can accommodate me, no one can.”

Consistency could be an issue

David Fiorenza is an associate professor of Practice at Villanova University who developed and teaches a course called Economics of Tourism. He says most travelers are not only price-conscious but also fickle.

“Most consumers like consistency and at the least want the new experience to be equal to the last experience, if not a better experience,” he told ConsumerAffairs. “Older travelers may not have a comfort level with Airbnb or Vrbo if their experiences in the past have been with a travel agency or group travel.”

Marla -- a reader from Mount Hermon, California, who had generally nice things to say about Airbnb -- agrees. She suggests that some of the people complaining about bad experiences might have unrealistic expectations about what Airbnb and Vrbo offer.

“It is not like the hotel circuits, and the hosts are not wealthy business moguls (as a rule),” she wrote in a ConsumerAffairs post. “This is more like a hostel situation since 9.5 times out of 10 you will be sharing a bathroom with several other rooms but you'll sometimes also have things like a full kitchen, food that the host brought or someone else left, and free washer/dryers.”

Fiorenza’s advice to travelers is to think about their budget and desired experience before they book. He says Airbnb is good for those on a budget, since you may be booking a spare room. Vrbo, he says, is better if you are looking for a private vacation home.

About our reviews

ConsumerAffairs verifies all reviews before they are published, and we require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real. We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews, and our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.

To demonstrate how serious it’s taking the opportunity to be flying again, Delta Air Lines will require all new employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The airline’s move makes it one of the few major corporations to mandate that hiring requirement.

“Any person joining Delta in the future, a future employee, we’re going to mandate they be vaccinated before they can sign up with the company,” Ed Bastian, the airline’s chief executive, said in a CNN interview on Thursday evening.

Bastian said Delta’s current staff is exempt, but he said 75-80% of employees have already been vaccinated and that he would “strongly encourage” the others to step up as well. 

Now that Delta has made the first move, it’s possible that other airlines may follow suit. But, for the time being, Delta is flying solo in this effort. United’s president Scott Kirby floated the idea to employees back in January, but he said the carrier could not “realistically be the only company” to do so. 

Vaccination requirements for employees are starting to grow

Should — or much less, can — companies require employees to be vaccinated to get or keep a job? “For large corporations, such decisions are thorny,” postured the New York Times’ Niraj Chokshi. “On one hand, requiring vaccinations for all employees would lower the anxiety of workers returning to the office and help the country reach herd immunity, which would support the economic rebound. On the other, it raises privacy concerns and could risk a backlash or even litigation.”

Nonetheless, companies are starting to lean toward a pro-vaccination requirement. A new survey, conducted by Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, found that nearly 70% of U.S. and U.K. employers currently perform COVID-19 testing for their employees, and 90% intend to motivate or require vaccination. 

Those in favor of the requirement say they’ve seen one impressive payoff — that productivity and morale are up. A majority of employers said their employees’ engagement and productivity have gone up since the pandemic, and 44% report that employee morale has gone up. That’s compared to 26% indicating that morale went down since the pandemic began. 

Mental health and employee burnout had a devastating impact during the pandemic. Close to 80% of employers said the mental health of their workers has become a top priority since the pandemic started. Half the employers said they’re stepping up and making available company resources related to mental health.

The never-ending saga of Boeing’s 737 MAX has a new chapter. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the aircraft manufacturer approval for an electrical fix and notified Southwest Airlines, American, United, and more than a dozen small international airlines that they can return more than 60 MAX jets to service.

Boeing alerted the FAA in early April that it was recommending that operators of certain Boeing 737 MAX airplanes temporarily ground the planes to address a manufacturing issue that could impact a backup power control unit. 

“After gaining final approvals from the FAA, we have issued service bulletins for the affected fleet,” Boeing told Reuters. “We are also completing the work as we prepare to resume deliveries.”

The news couldn’t come at a better time. With airlines trying to serve the pent-up demand of vaccinated wanderlusters and a beckoning summer travel season, they could use all the available planes they can get.

A pretty straightforward fix

Unlike Boeing’s past problems with the MAX, this one was pretty easy. In discussions with lawmakers, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said that the electrical issue called for a “pretty straightforward fix.”

Dickson also gave Boeing — and the flying public — a shot of confidence by saying that he was convinced that the MAX models are safe, despite the aircraft’s past mechanical issues and fatal crashes.

Boeing hopes its MAX problems are finally behind it. The financial impact of the 737 MAX’s grounding created at least $18 billion in losses.

Now that COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted and airlines are filling up flights again, carriers are also bringing back fees as a way to generate revenue. Travelers who are anxious to jump on a flight and celebrate their escape from cabin fever should double-check terms and conditions before clicking the buy button. 

In fact, major domestic airlines have already reimplemented fare restrictions, particularly with basic economy fares. If you’re concerned that the pandemic may reignite, you’d be smart to book a flight at a higher fee level just for the sake of sanity and flexibility.  

Fee waiver updates

If you’re a bargain shopper and want to book a flight now, here are the fee changes you should look for:

American Airlines: The first to flip the switch on waivers was American. The company reverted back to making basic economy fares non-changeable and non-refundable for tickets bought on or after April 1, 2021. However, the airline is leaving the change fee waiver in place for all domestic, short-haul international, and select long-haul international flying on Premium Cabin, Premium Economy, and Main Cabin fares.

Delta Air Lines: For travelers who purchased a Basic Economy ticket under Delta’s COVID-19 travel waivers on or before April 30, 2021, you can still make changes or cancel your ticket and receive an eCredit (not a full cash refund). All Basic Economy fares purchased after April 30, 2021, are final, meaning these tickets are not changeable or refundable and you will not receive an eCredit upon cancellation. Delta did include one caveat about Basic Economy tickets originating from Europe, Africa, and other international markets. Those “may be changeable for a fee.”

United Airlines: Basic Economy fee waivers have also been scrapped by United, but other fare levels are still waiver-worthy. “We’re permanently getting rid of change fees for most Economy and premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S. This includes Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” the company stated. “There also won't be change fees for other international travel originating in the U.S.”

However, the carrier did leave the door on Basic Economy fee waivers slightly ajar. It stated that “most Basic Economy tickets are excluded” and that travelers “may be able to request a refund online or by contacting us if your flight has been affected by a significant schedule change or if your flight was canceled without another option.”

Believe it or not, a great number of people are still acting up onboard airplanes. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it has received close to 1,300 reports of unruly passengers since February. That figure represents an all-time high for unruly behavior -- an interesting twist given the fact that fewer people are traveling because of the pandemic.

In a normal, non-pandemic year, the FAA usually gets somewhere between 100 and 150 reports of poor passenger behavior. 

What does bad behavior look like?

Of the 1,300 reports, the FAA identified 260 potential violations and initiated approximately 20 enforcement cases to put those passengers on notice. Among those 20 cases, the FAA shared details of three passengers that it plans to fine for allegedly interfering with or assaulting flight attendants who instructed them to obey cabin crew instruction and various federal regulations.

On a JetBlue flight from Haiti to Boston, Massachusetts, the FAA alleges that a passenger drank alcohol that they brought onboard -- a definite no-no. When the passenger started yelling and waving his hands, other passengers complained and flight attendants stepped in. That’s where things got bad. The passenger allegedly grabbed the arms of two flight attendants during the flight, and the cabin crew needed to reseat surrounding passengers. The flight crew asked law enforcement to meet the aircraft at the arrival gate, and police escorted the passenger off the plane; they're being fined $31,750. 

Interestingly enough, there was another passenger on the same flight who did pretty much the same thing -- drinking personal alcohol and becoming unruly. The only thing that kept that traveler from being fined at the same level as the first passenger is that they “made motions” to strike a flight attendant but didn’t physically touch them. Their fine? $16,750.

Another incident the FAA shared involves a passenger -- and, again, their own liquor -- on a Jan. 14, 2021, SkyWest Airlines flight from Yuma, Arizona, to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. The FAA claims the passenger drank multiple 50 ml bottles of their own alcohol during the flight. After the passenger repeatedly turned around and tried to touch another person behind them, flight attendants moved the intoxicated traveler to another seat. However, the passenger continued to bother other nearby flyers after being moved. 

At one point, two off-duty law enforcement officers had to physically wrestle the passenger back into their seat, but they got up again and started to walk to the front of the aircraft. A flight attendant yelled at the passenger to sit back down, and the law enforcement officers sat behind them. As a result of the passenger’s behavior, the captain requested priority handling from air traffic control and asked that law enforcement meet the aircraft at the arrival gate. The fine for this person? $14,500.

Forewarned is forearmed

The FAA wants travelers to know that when it comes to behavior, it’s not putting up with any nonsense. In fact, the FAA’s unruly-passenger zero-tolerance policy has been extended until further notice.

“The policy directs our safety inspectors and attorneys to take strong enforcement action against any passenger who disrupts or threatens the safety of a flight, with penalties ranging from fines to jail time. The number of cases we’re seeing is still far too high, and it tells us urgent action continues to be required,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement.

At the same time, the Transportation and Safety Authority (TSA) extended its mask mandate and said it will act accordingly against those who violate it. The existing civil penalty fine structure starts at $250 and rises to $1,500 for repeat offenders who violate the rule.

As a way of saying thanks to essential healthcare workers who have given their all during the pandemic, United Airlines is giving away millions of miles. The promotion -- tied to the airline’s 40th anniversary of its MileagePlus program -- will award four lucky members of the medical community with a million miles each to go wherever they want and enjoy a well-earned vacation.

"Throughout the past forty years, MileagePlus has evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of our members as well as reward their loyalty," said Luc Bondar, vice president of marketing & loyalty and president of MileagePlus at United. 

"That's why we celebrate this major milestone by offering our members generous promotions throughout May. We're also taking this occasion to launch the contest to show appreciation for the healthcare workers who stepped up to protect our communities during the pandemic."

How to enter

This is not a simple sign-up online type of contest; it requires a bit of championing for a healthcare worker who went the extra mile during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are certain things that United’s panel of judges -- all members of the medical community -- will be looking for when it comes to nominations. Specifically, the person submitting the nomination needs to prove that the nominee went above and beyond to make a difference for their community and embody some of United's core values including:

• Safe: They make the world a safer place for everyone around them.

• Caring: The nominee shows appreciation for all members of their community by being welcoming, kind, and compassionate.

• Dependable: They're the person you can rely on for anything, be it big or small.

• Determined and Efficient: They keep things moving forward even when the going gets tough.

The deadline to enter the contest is May 17, 2021, so time is of the essence. To nominate an essential healthcare worker and for the full contest terms, consumers can visit united.com/essentialthanks and write a short explanation about why this person deserves recognition. 

Deals for non-healthcare workers

Healthcare workers might be getting the big prize in United’s anniversary promotion, but the airline has something for non-healthcare workers too.  

MileagePlus members can get everything from double miles on eGift cards to a 40% bonus when members buy miles. Complete details on the dates and procedures of the promotion are available here. 

Buy Now, Pay Later -- one of the darlings of the personal credit world -- got a boost on Wednesday when Uplift announced a new deal with Southwest Airlines to offer travelers an added financing option at checkout. 

Starting immediately, customers can book a flight on Southwest to more than 100 domestic and international destinations and take advantage of the new flexible payment options. Travelers will be able to see them for purchases as low as $100.

Both parties cited an example where a $300 flight could be spread over 11 months at $29 a month with $0 down, which would make the total cost of the flight $319. Mind you, that’s only an example. The actual terms are based on the customer's credit score and other factors. The companies also noted that not everyone is eligible, and some states are not served, including Iowa and West Virginia.

"Southwest Airlines is one of America's most beloved airlines, with a strong brand reputation based on a spirit of freedom and empowering customers with affordable travel," said Brian Barth, CEO of Uplift. "For travelers who already appreciate the low fares and world-renowned hospitality that Southwest is known for, the payment flexibility of Uplift's Buy Now, Pay Later solutions will be another addition to Southwest's customer-friendly offerings."

Driven by pent-up demand

With COVID-19 restrictions starting to ease in the U.S. and vaccinations continuing to rise, there is a pent-up demand for finally being able to jump on an airplane and go somewhere after more than a year of laying low. 

That’s not only good for airlines but for finance companies like Uplift that can make an escape more affordable. Business is good for Uplift. It’s signed partnership deals with several domestic airlines, including Alaska Airlines, United, Allegiant, Spirit, and Frontier.

“Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services like Uplift are definitely having a moment,” travel expert Sara Rathner told ConsumerAffairs. “Yes, any time you take on debt, it’s a bit scary, and depending on the payment service and options you can choose from, you may be subject to fees or interest on your purchases. However, there’s transparency. You know exactly how much a purchase will cost you before you agree to the payment plan.”

Rathner said the sweet spot for consumers is unexpected, last-minute travel where fares are higher. She said that services like Uplift make those situations a little less troublesome and a little more affordable.

“Of course, take care to avoid getting in over your head. Keep your other monthly obligations in mind when you add on paying over time for a purchase. If you already struggle to afford your bills, it may not be the right time to add more to your plate unless you’re experiencing an emergency,” Rathner stated.

Beware of overusing BNPL

While higher conversion rates and an improved customer experience are good for retailers who offer BNPL, consumers should be cautious about using that option to satisfy their whims. 

“While they are marketed as consumer-friendly finance products, [one] drawback of BNPL is that it often encourages customers to purchase more products than they can afford,” said Martha Pearson, a Content Marketing Manager at Finturf. “This can put consumers in a difficult financial situation, and even hurt their credit scores if they are unable to pay on time.” 

With the economy beginning to reopen and COVID-19 vaccinations continuing to trend upward, cabin fever is giving way to wanderlust, and people are starting to make travel plans. As a result, airlines are reaping the rewards, with over 80% of consumers saying they plan to travel this year.

But which airline is going to give travelers the best experience when they return to the air? While you can take the carriers’ word for it, why not check in with actual consumers to see what they have to say on the matter?

To find out which airlines are producing the best travel experiences, ConsumerAffairs turned to our own review-driven data. After all, if someone really likes -- or hates -- a product or service, they’re more likely to tell their story.

Southwest comes out on top

According to consumers posting reviews at ConsumerAffairs, Southwest Airlines came out as the clear winner in the first quarter of 2021. The budget airline cautiously added more flights, deployed more aircraft, and brought back furloughed staff. Those efforts have paid off handsomely in the review department.

Southwest earned five-star reviews 72.9% of the time during the first three months of the year. On the other end of the ratings measuring stick, it only received one-star reviews 8.3% of the time, the same percentage as its three-star reviews. 

One of the consumers giving Southwest a five-star review was Jennifer, from Rockford, Illinois.

“I hadn’t flown in years, so I was a little anxious, and on top of coronavirus, we had to sit accordingly, and I have extra weight on me so it was hard to sit in a seat with minimal legroom for 2 hours!” she wrote in her ConsumerAffairs post. “But the airline attendees were fantastic, they just went on doing everything normally and catering to all of our needs. I felt very relaxed with them showing us they were in charge and assured of our flight! And the trip home was even better!”

All told, based on 1,685 ratings submitted in the last year on ConsumerAffairs, Southwest earns just shy of an overall four-star rating.

The runners-up

Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines were neck and neck for the second spot in our reviewers’ overall opinion. Delta’s five-star reviews made up 52.2% of its total, with Alaska Airlines just a hair shy of that at 52.1%. 

But when four-star reviews are added to the mix, Delta takes off and leaves all other airlines in the dust. Delta’s four-star reviews made up 20.4% of its total reviews, while Alaska Airlines’ four-star reviews accounted for 17.3% of its total.

Taking into account the 1,764 ratings consumers submitted to ConsumerAffairs about Delta in the last year, it earns an overall four-star rating. While the total number of ratings submitted for Alaska Airlines is considerably smaller (474), the love that reviewers gave them was just as strong as Delta’s customers, earning Alaska a four-star rating as well.

Kind of good, but kind of bad too

While it appears that Southwest, Delta, and Alaska got most of ConsumerAffairs reviewers’ love, it doesn’t mean that others were besieged by bad reviews. In fact, a couple of airlines got great reviews, but they were also beset with some reviews that dragged down their overall scores. 

Take JetBlue, for example. It received a five-star review 45.8% of the time. However, it also received a one-star review 33.3% of the time. It’s not alone when it comes to that disparity. Allegiant Airlines was deemed worthy of five-star reviews 41.8% of the time but was besieged by one-star reviews 35.7% of the time.

Budget carriers such as Allegiant Airlines are dependent on fees to keep them in the green, and asking for as much as $80 for seat selection, $5 to print out a boarding pass, and $14.99 to purchase a ticket on a phone rather than online can get old. Just ask Michelle of Summerville, South Carolina.

“It was my first and LAST flight with them,” Anderson wrote. “They cost me additional fees in parking and my rental car and had the nerve to charge me a double fee for an extra bag bc I had already checked in on the app and it wouldn’t let me add a bag. The kind woman at check in waived the $50 exorbitant fee and the aid at the gate stopped me and took my bag and made me pay it at boarding.”

There are people who fly budget airlines, know exactly what they’re getting, and are happy to live without the frills as long as they get a good deal -- people like Joy from Pittsburgh, who appears to have flown Allegiant several times and still gives it a five-star review.

“Great airline with great prices. I have never had to wait for a flight and we have always been on time or sometimes early. The flight crews have always [been] very friendly and helpful. I would recommend this airline to my friends,” Joy wrote.

Two major airlines fall short

To our surprise, there are two large and successful airlines that have some work to do in the ratings department: American and United.

United Airlines’ one-star reviews were higher than its three-, four-, and five-star ratings combined. One-star reviews made up 47% of United’s totals, while its three levels of favorable reviews only added up to 45.1% of the total.

One of United’s three-star reviews came from Bill of Germantown, Maryland. “It always seems as if I'm playing air travel roulette when I fly United - will the airplane depart on time to make connections or not. The last time I flew I had to run from one concourse to another in DIA (Washington Dulles). Not fun,” he wrote.

As for American, ConsumerAffairs readers gave the Dallas-based carrier a one-star rating 43.1% of the time. That compares to 29.4% for five-star reviews and 18.8% for four-star reviews.

While Spirit Airlines doesn’t have the history that United and American do, its pre-pandemic passenger load of more than 34 million passengers a year was impressive enough to rank seventh out of all U.S. airlines in that metric. Its “Less Money, More Go” tagline might be putting people in seats, but ConsumerAffairs reviews show that not everyone is happy with the company’s business model.

Not only did Spirit amass the lowest percentage of five-star ratings -- 5.5% -- but it also racked up the highest number of one-star ratings at 69.4%. If the airline is looking for a reason, it doesn't need to look any further than the one-star review Haley from Young America, Minnesota, gave the carrier.

“Booked a round trip flight in which Spirit would be our airline back home. I heard nothing from this airline apart from junk mail promoting deals,” Haley wrote. “When I went to check into our flight 24 hours before our departure, I found out that our flight no longer existed and they had moved our nonstop flight to a two stop flight that would take 9 additional hours with a 7 hour layover.”

Despite the poor first-quarter showing, Spirit Airlines earned just under a four-star rating from ConsumerAffairs readers based on 1,461 ratings submitted in the last year.

ConsumerAffairs verifies all reviews before they are published, and we require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real. We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews, and our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.

Mark Huffman contributed to this article.

Boeing has found its way back into the news cycle. Only a few months after the Federal Aviation Administration gave the company permission to restart production of its 737 MAX aircraft and allowed airlines to use them, hopes for a successful return have been dashed again.

The company recommended grounding a specific group of 737 MAX planes because of an electrical issue. Officials said they asked 16 airlines to verify “that a sufficient ground path exists for a component of the electrical power system” on certain MAX planes. 

Boeing said it has also made the FAA aware of this “production issue” and that it will provide “appropriate corrective actions” to the airlines that own the planes it’s identified as possibly having the electrical issue.

However, this is not the only issue relating to the 737 MAX that has recently come to light. Just last week, the FAA proposed an airworthiness directive concerning reported failures of the automatic shutoff system during refueling. 

Airlines make shifts to accommodate schedules

The largest domestic carriers that own MAX models -- American, United, and Southwest -- have removed more than 60 of the planes from service. Southwest confirmed that 30 of its 58 MAX jets were affected by Boeing’s notification. However, the carrier noted that 15 or fewer MAX jets are scheduled to fly each day. 

“Southwest anticipates minimal disruption to our operation, and we appreciate the understanding of our customers and employees as safety is always our uncompromising priority,” it said in a statement.

ConsumerAffairs asked Boeing if there was a way for travelers to make sure that the plane they’re scheduled on is not one of the ones identified as having potential issues. The company has not yet given a response.

Earlier this month, United Airlines announced plans to hire hundreds of pilots to handle an expected increase in domestic travel. Now, the carrier says it will open up an entire flight school with the aim of training and hiring thousands of pilots by 2030.

In a press release, the company said it also has a diversity goal tied to the flight school: It wants half of all students to be women or “people of color.” It will also be providing financing options to students who may have difficulty paying for enrollment in the school. 

"Over the next decade, United will train 5,000 pilots who will be guaranteed a job with United, after they complete the requirements of the Aviate program – and our plan is for half of them to be women and people of color," said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. "We're excited that JPMorgan Chase has agreed to support our work to diversify our pilot ranks and create new opportunities for thousands of women and people of color who want to pursue a career in aviation."

United to bring back more flights next month

United became the first airline to own and operate its own flight school back in February 2020, but plans for the United Aviate Academy were put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But with air traffic increasing in recent weeks, company officials say they want to open up travel options and begin the long trek back to “normal.” 

“Internationally, in May United will fly more than 100% of its pre-pandemic schedule to Latin America compared to what it operated in 2019, including more flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America,” the company stated. “The airline also plans to resume flights between Chicago and Tokyo Haneda, resume passenger flights between New York/Newark and Milan and Rome, and restart service between Chicago and Amsterdam.

“In total, United plans to operate 52% of its overall schedule compared to May 2019, whereas in May 2020 United operated 14% of its overall schedule compared to May 2019.”

Earlier this year, a United Airlines executive stated that the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was even worse than the worst estimates anyone at the company thought possible. But it seems like those dark and troubled times may be coming to an end soon. 

Late last week, company officials reportedly told employees in a memo that the carrier would be hiring hundreds of pilots to keep up with demand for domestic air travel. The message was a sharp turnaround from last year when the company told tens of thousands of employees that furloughs would be likely in 2021.

“I’m excited to share that United will resume the pilot hiring process that was halted last year. We’ll restart with approximately 300 pilots who either had a new hire class date that was canceled or who had a 2020 conditional job offer,” said Bryan Quigley, United’s Senior Vice President of Flight Operations, in the memo.

Travelers are already returning to the air

There have already been signs that the airline industry is starting to return to “normal” after over a year in the pandemic doldrums. Last month, several airlines announced they were bringing back in-flight food and beverage services for select flights and customers.

If the recent holiday weekend is any indication, more passengers could soon be taking to the air to enjoy these amenities. The Transportation Security Administration reports that over 1.5 million travelers went through security checkpoints on Thursday and Friday leading into Easter weekend, and there were similar numbers reported for Sunday. For each of these days in 2020, when the pandemic first began, checkpoint visits were below 130,000 per day. 

Airlines continue to cautiously get back to something resembling “normal.” Last week, several carriers announced they were bringing back in-flight services like beverages and snacks. Delta Air Lines also feels good enough about the safety measures that it added during the pandemic and the continued climb in vaccinations, so it’s returning middle seats to the sales queue effective May 1. 

The airline introduced the middle seat block in April 2020 and was the only airline to keep the change in place for a full year. CEO Ed Bastian said passengers have adapted well. 

“While Delta’s decision to block middle seats has given many customers a reason to choose Delta over the past year, the signature hospitality of our employees and the experiences they deliver to customers every day have also deepened their trust in our airline,” he said. 

“The relationships we’ve built, together with the knowledge that nearly 65 percent of those who flew Delta in 2019 anticipate having at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1, are what’s giving us the assurance to offer customers the ability to choose any seat on our aircraft, while also introducing new services, products and rewards to support the journey. We take great pride in the trust we’ve built with customers by listening and delivering on what they said was most important, and that is the approach you can continue to expect.” 

Masks aren’t going away

Although middle seats are returning, Delta is not letting its guard down completely. Face coverings and masks are still required, and the company isn’t letting up on its cleaning procedures. 

The company’s relationship with experts at the Mayo Clinic and Emory will remain unchanged, as will its partnership with Lysol-maker Reckitt. Internally, Delta will also continue to lean on the expertise of Dr. Henry Ting, who the company hired as its first Chief Health Officer. 

To prove how important health safety is to the airline, Delta is also installing onboard hand sanitizer stations and antimicrobial lavatory lighting. It’s also introducing contactless payment technology onboard to minimize touchpoints during the payment process, giving all customer-facing employees Lysol Disinfecting Wipes to clean areas at airports and on aircraft, and working with the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) to make sure checkpoint cleanliness is up to par.

Restrictions are starting to be eased as the number of COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. continues to rise. One example of that can be seen in the return of certain services aboard aircraft. 

Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines have announced that they’re all bringing back some form of in-flight food and beverage service. Below you can find what those three major carriers now have to offer.

Southwest options

For Southwest travelers, it’s only water and soft drinks for the time being. Passengers on flights of 250 miles or longer can choose from Coke, Diet Coke, 7Up, or bottled water.

However, passengers flying Southwest should bone up on their non-verbal skills before taking off. Instead of the flight attendant asking for the passenger’s preference, the airline wants travelers to place their order using their phone.

Southwest told ConsumerAffairs that passengers can choose their drink by zooming in on a graphic of their choice on their phone while accessing the carrier’s online portal. An attendant will then verify the choice and bring the beverage. But what if a traveler doesn’t have a phone? No problem -- flight attendants will hold up a menu with numbered options and travelers can respond by holding up the number of fingers reflecting their choice.

Southwest is going the point-to-your-choice route because it wants to steer clear of any trouble. For now, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) still requires passengers to wear a mask while onboard an airplane.

Delta Air Lines’s updated food and beverage service

Starting April 14 on domestic flights, Delta will offer a revamped snack and beverage service that includes coffee, water, tea, soft drinks (in new 7.5 ounce cans, no less), and ready-to-drink old fashioned cocktails and margaritas. Travelers will need to pay a dollar more than before for these alcoholic drinks, though.

For snacks, Delta’s new selection has its traditional Biscoff cookies, plus Goldfish, almonds, and Clif Bars. Customers can have one sweet and one savory snack. 

Taking a hands-off approach like Southwest, Delta flight attendants will use the company’s new contactless payment technology for onboard purchases of food, beverages, and earbuds. The new system also allows for emailed receipts. 

United’s in-flight changes

United’s dining menu has also been retooled. Effective April 1 on select routes, the airline will offer fliers their choice of snack boxes, a la carte snacks, and a variety of alcoholic beverages.

Just about everyone on a United flight will have to pay for their food and drink. The exception is the “premium-cabin” passenger, who can enjoy alcoholic beverages for free. Among those options is White Claw, a new addition to United’s offerings. 

Everything will be exclusively contactless when United debuts its new food and beverage line-up, which means customers seated in Coach class will have to use the United app. 

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was feeling a lot of love thanks to its guidance that gave vaccinated people the all-clear to visit each other indoors without a mask. Tuesday, however, is a different story. 

The CDC woke up to some pushback from the airline industry, which thinks the agency’s guidelines that fully vaccinated people should continue to avoid travel is unreasonable. A lobbying ground for the airline industry -- Airlines For America -- thinks that being onboard an airplane actually poses a low risk of being infected by the coronavirus due to mask mandates, intensive cleaning protocols, and the heavily filtered air that major airlines are employing. 

"We remain confident that this layered approach significantly reduces risk," the group said.

The CDC says it has its reasons

When CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky was asked what the agency’s scientific justification was for not changing the travel guidance so that folks who are fully vaccinated could travel, Walensky presented a strength in numbers viewpoint.

“In terms of travel, here’s what we know: Every time that there’s a surge in travel, we have a surge in cases in this country. We know that many of our variants have emerged from international places, and we know that the travel corridor is a place where people are mixing a lot,” Walensky said.

“We are really trying to restrain travel at this current period of time, and we’re hopeful that our next set of guidance will have more science around what vaccinated people can do, perhaps travel being among them.”

Walensky feels that this all-for-one, one-for-all approach is an important step in resuming a normal everyday life. 

“We remain in the midst of a serious pandemic and still over 90 percent of our population is not fully vaccinated, though we are working hard to get there. Therefore, everyone, whether vaccinated or not, should continue to avoid medium- and large-sized gatherings, as well as nonessential travel, and, when in public spaces, should continue to wear a well-fitted mask, physically distance, and follow other public health measures to protect themselves and others,” she said.

Follow guidance if you have to fly

The CDC fully understands that there are times that people have to fly somewhere. The agency just asks that travelers take a guarded approach. To help travelers make wise decisions, the CDC has put together a travel planner that gives feedback on health requirements and warnings for any destination. That planner is available here.

The U.S. State Department also produces an online planner for international travelers so that those planning overseas visits know what the health situation is for their destination. That travel planner is available here.

The case for giving the U.S. airline industry another serious shot in the arm was made on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. In testimony made to lawmakers, Nicholas E. Calio, President and CEO of Airlines for America (A4A), minced no words in asking for a third round of government assistance. 

“We are still struggling and in dire straits,” he told the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s aviation subcommittee. “We were hoping it would be better by now.”

The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that the U.S. House of Representatives approved last week includes a new infusion of $14 billion for passenger airlines to keep workers on payrolls for an additional six months. Calio says that $14 billion will help, but he warned the committee that tens of thousands of aviation workers will “lose their jobs — or experience reductions to wages and benefits — effective April 1” if a new round of assistance isn’t approved. 

Congress steps up for a third time, but will it again?

If the Senate rubber-stamps passage of the supplemental aid, it will be the third time Congress has come to the aid of airlines, airports, and aviation contractors. To date, Congress has made nearly $90 billion in assistance and loans available, including two previous rounds of payroll assistance amounting to $40 billion.

Joining Calio was Joseph DePete, president of the Air Line Pilots Association. He echoed Calio’s sentiment, telling committee members that “dismal long-term booking commitments and the near absence of business travel demand is leaving some carriers with too little certainty to reactivate and retrain furloughed or otherwise inactive pilots.”

According to testimony seen by Reuters, Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR), chair of the Transportation committee, said he is “hoping by September 30 we are not going to need another extension” of airline payroll assistance.

From bad to worse

Adding to Calio’s and DePete’s warnings, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger traffic fell in January 2021, not only compared to pre-pandemic levels (January 2019) but also compared to the immediate month prior (December 2020).

Domestic travel took quite a punch, dropping by 47.4 percent year-over-year. However, the impact was really felt on the international level, where passenger demand in January was 85.6 percent below January 2019.

“2021 is starting off worse than 2020 ended and that is saying a lot. Even as vaccination programs gather pace, new COVID variants are leading governments to increase travel restrictions. The uncertainty around how long these restrictions will last also has an impact on future travel. Forward bookings in February this year for the Northern Hemisphere summer travel season were 78 percent below levels in February 2019,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

De Juniac parroted the need for government financial support, but he said the real keys for governments to unlock economic activity -- including travel -- are increased testing capability and vaccine distribution. 

“It is critical that governments build and share their restart plans along with the benchmarks that will guide them. This will enable the industry to be prepared to energize the recovery without any unnecessary delay,” the executive said.

A preliminary investigation into the recent engine failure of a Boeing 777 has indicated that the damage was “consistent with metal fatigue.” 

In a statement, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said an initial examination of the Pratt & Whitney engine that failed just a few minutes into a United Airlines flight revealed: 

• The inlet and cowling separated from the engine;

• Two fan blades were fractured;

• One fan blade was fractured near the root;

• An adjacent fan blade was fractured about mid-span;

• A portion of one blade was imbedded in the containment ring; and

• The remainder of the fan blades showed damage to the tips and leading edges.

The PW4000 engine has 22 blades. Investigators said one of those blades was found lodged inside the plane’s containment ring, another landed in a soccer field in Colorado, and another broke free and hit another blade. 

What happened

On Saturday, a United Airlines flight heading from Colorado to Hawaii was forced to make an emergency landing after the engine failed. 

"The plane started shaking violently, and we lost altitude and we started going down," passenger David Delucia said, adding that he and his wife put their wallets in their pockets "in case we did go down, we could be ID'd".

In the wake of the incident, Boeing has recommended suspending the use of Boeing 777s powered by the Pratt & Whitney 4000 engine until the FAA establishes an inspection protocol. The FAA said Sunday that it would begin vigilantly investigating Boeing 777s with the engines in question. 

"We reviewed all available safety data following [Saturday's] incident," said FAA administrator Steve Dickson in a statement. "Based on the initial information, we concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes."

Pratt & Whitney said it’s “actively coordinating with operators and regulators to support the revised inspection interval” of the engines under investigation. "Any further investigative updates regarding this event will be at the discretion of the NTSB. Pratt & Whitney will continue to work to ensure the safe operation of the fleet."

After a United Airlines-flown Boeing 777 failed and rained debris over Denver on Saturday, Boeing has recommended the grounding of all 69 in-service and 59 in-storage 777s powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines until the FAA establishes an appropriate inspection protocol. 

United Flight 328, with 231 passengers aboard, was forced to make an emergency landing at Denver airport. No one was reported injured either on the plane or on the ground.

"The plane started shaking violently, and we lost altitude and we started going down," David Delucia said, adding that he and his wife put their wallets in their pockets "in case we did go down, we could be ID'd".

United suffered a near-identical engine failure on one of its 777s in 2018 on a flight from San Francisco to Honolulu.

Planes grounded and investigations started

If bad things come in threes, then Boeing has to hope that 2021 will be the last of its three-year-long sidelining. It spent 2019 and 2020 trying to recover from the issues and crashes revolving around its 737 MAX aircraft before finally resuming production of the model in Spring, 2020.

In the wake of Saturday’s incident, United immediately halted operations of 24 of its 777 aircraft. Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau also grounded planes with the Pratt & Whitney engine on Monday, and Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines idled theirs without a government mandate.

Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau has seen this situation before. The ministry reported that a Japan Air Lines (JAL) flight was forced to return to Naha Airport due to an engine malfunction In December 2020. Interestingly enough, the JAL plane was the same age -- 26-years-old -- as the United Airlines plane in Saturday's incident.

Addressing the situation, Boeing said it is “actively monitoring” the event that occurred in Denver. Pratt & Whitney said it had “dispatched a team to work with investigators.” On the U.S. government side, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it has ordered “extra” inspections of Boeing 777 jets fitted with the Pratt & Whitney 4000. 

"We reviewed all available safety data following [Saturday's] incident," said FAA administrator Steve Dickson in a statement. "Based on the initial information, we concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes."

The good and bad news about engine failure

How bad is losing an engine in an incident like United’s? A modern twin-engine airliner suffering engine failure is designed to fly safely for hours with only one functioning engine. An example is a 2017 Paris to L.A. incident in which the crew took the aircraft to a lower altitude and diverted to Goose Bay, Canada, where it landed safely two hours later. Nonetheless, there are potential problems involved with engine failure. 

“The shrapnel from an uncontained failure, however, can cause serious damage to the rest of the plane, and if it passes through the cabin, it can be lethal. Experts say the failure in the Denver incident appears to have been uncontained, but the damage to the aircraft itself was thankfully minor,” said BBC special correspondent, Theo Leggett.

Leggett said it is also worrisome that the incident appears to be markedly similar to the aforementioned United Airlines 2018 incident.

“If the cause in this case is found to be the same -- and remember, it may not be -- that would raise questions about why the response to that incident from the manufacturer and regulators was unable to prevent a repeat,” Leggett said.

And then there was one. Delta Air Lines is now the only U.S. airline to block middle seats and limit capacity on all flights. On Tuesday, the company announced its intentions to keep things that way through April 30, 2021, in hopes of giving travelers a reason to feel safe as they book their spring travel.

While all airlines are anxious to get back to how they did things in the pre-pandemic world, Delta has taken a gradual approach. Over the past few months, the airline has relaunched things like its beer and wine service for first-class and Comfort+ passengers and reopened its Sky Club airport lounges.

As a bonus surprise to returning travelers, Delta has also been working on improving the flying experience during COVID-19. The airline says one of the new wrinkles passengers will see is more than 300 new in-flight entertainment options and high-speed Wi-Fi.

“We want our customers to have complete confidence when traveling with Delta, and they continue to tell us that more space provides more peace of mind,” said Bill Lentsch, Chief Customer Experience Officer. “We’ll continue to reassess seat blocking in relation to case transmission and vaccination rates, while bringing back products and services in ways that instill trust in the health and safety of everyone on board – that will always be Delta’s priority.” 

Other steps Delta is taking

On top of extending seat blocking commitments, Delta is taking other steps to cheer up customers as they return to travel. These include: 

COVID-19 testing: Delta says that it will be making it easier for passengers to understand testing requirements and get tested prior to travel, whether customers purchase an at-home test or find a nearby location for in-person testing. The company said there’ll be even more options in the coming months. 

The airline has also added new rapid testing centers at its hub airports in Minneapolis and Detroit. It already has testing facilities in place at Atlanta, Boston, New York-JFK, and Seattle. 

Destination requirements and restrictions: No matter where you fly, there are national or local rules in place for incoming travelers -- and they tend to change often. Delta has created an interactive travel map to help customers understand where Delta flies and the latest travel requirements or restrictions at their destination.  

Digital concierge: When ConsumerAffairs traveled to CES 2020, we witnessed Delta’s new concierge system. Even though the airline had no idea that there was a pandemic on the way, the nuance is a nice add-on in a stressful, pandemic-driven world. Via the Delta Air Lines app, the digital concierge anticipates customer needs, offers convenient services like a ride to the airport, and delivers thoughtful notifications to keep customers moving seamlessly on their journey.

An example of how the ride component works can be seen through Delta’s partnership with Lyft. The companies provide customers with multiple touchpoints within the Fly Delta app to give estimated arrival times powered by Lyft. The partnership also gives travelers the option of paying for rides by using miles.

Clean ambassadors: Delta has hired a dedicated team of “clean ambassadors” whose job it is to ensure a consistently safe and sanitized experience at more than 55 airports. 

Delta CareStandard: Tying everything together is Delta’s new CareStandard, which the company claims has more than 100 layers of protection to ensure a safe travel experience. Included in CareStandard is a comprehensive employee testing program, protocols for regularly sanitizing high-touch surfaces, and replacements for onboard industrial-grade HEPA filters twice as often as recommended. 

American Airlines told its employees that when the federal aid it’s been living on expires on March 31, as many as 13,000 workers will likely be furloughed if labor unions are unable to raise more emergency funding from the government.

The $15 billion Payroll Support Program (PSP) package Congress approved for domestic air carriers in late 2020 required airlines to recall all employees they furloughed in the fall and maintain payroll through March 31.

American’s peer United Airlines also sent furlough warnings to 14,000 staff members last week.

Even pilots are affected

The furlough notices covered every aspect of American’s workforce, including 4,245 of its flight attendants, 3,145 fleet service workers, 1,850 pilots, 1,420 maintenance workers, 1,205 in passenger service, 100 dispatchers, and 40 flight crew training and simulator pilot instructors, according to an American Airlines securities filing.

American is the only major U.S. carrier to furlough pilots. Delta, United, and Jetblue previously cut deals with pilot unions that kept the pilots' jobs in place in exchange for reduced flying or pay. Southwest told its pilots that they also run the risk of being furloughed in March or April. 

In its filing, American also announced that it will open a voluntary early-out program (VEOP) and a long-term voluntary leave of absence (VLOA) program for the company’s U.S.-based team members, but not its pilots. The benefits offered through those programs include everything from non-revenue travel privileges and partial pay up to $150,000 in a Retiree Health Reimbursement Arrangement.

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), American Airlines pilots’ union, was thrown off by American’s move to furlough pilots. “Although we recognize (American Airlines) CEO Doug Parker’s efforts when he joined APA on Capitol Hill for PSP, today’s news does come with some head-scratching,” APA brass wrote in response to American’s announcement.

“While perhaps not unexpected due to near-term passenger demand, the announcement seems to contradict recent comments by President Robert Isom, who said during last week’s earnings call that, due to retirements, American would ‘be hiring pilots in the not-too-distant future,’ the organization said.

“We owe you transparency”

With constantly changing guidance and rules for travelers regarding masks, international travel, and COVID-19 tests, the airline industry probably suffers more pandemic-led economic turbulence than any other business sector. 

“The vaccine is not being distributed as quickly as any of us believed, and new restrictions on international travel that require customers to have a negative COVID-19 test have dampened demand,” American’s CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom wrote in a note to staff. “Please know that we will get through this period and to more stable ground — that is certain. And, we will continue to fight in every way possible to get there as soon as we can.”

“Until demand returns and we can provide permanent job stability, we owe you transparency. That is what we can offer today and what we will continue to provide. Thank you for all you continue to do for each other, our customers and our airline,” the officials said.