Air Travel Updates and Tips

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.”