Southwest Airlines ends cabin service early
Starting on Dec. 4, flight attendants will begin preparing cabins for landing at an altitude of 18,000 feet (5,486 meters) instead of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters), a company spokesman told The Associated Press. The company said the change in procedures was intended to "reduce the risk of injuries to crew and passengers due to turbulence during flight". Although turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, Injuries have piled up over the years. More than one-third of all U.S. aviation accidents from 2009 to 2018 were turbulence-related, most of which resulted in one or more serious injuries but no damage to the aircraft. National Transportation Safety Board Report. In May this year, a 73-year-old man Death on Singapore Airlines flight when the plane encountered severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, turbulence on a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Miami in July 2021 caused a flight attendant to "hit the back galley floor hard" and be diagnosed with a "compression vertebral fracture." More…
Global air ticket prices will rise in 2025
American Express GBT's Air Monitor 2025 expects price increases to slow but also foresees challenges for travel buyers as airlines advance smart revenue management and dynamic pricing. Global air ticket price growth is expected to stabilize in 2025 Air Monitor 2025 from American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT)is a leading travel, expense, and meetings and events software and services company. While fares will increase year-on-year on most routes, the increases are expected to be modest (with large regional differences), continuing a trend that began in 2024. Developed by Amex GBT Consulting, Air Monitor is a comprehensive annual forecast of global airfares, industry trends and recommendations to help businesses optimize their aviation plans in a rapidly changing aviation environment. This year's edition outlines factors affecting prices, including continued growth in global air capacity and the return of leisure travel to more traditional seasonal patterns. Gerardo Tejado, senior vice president of professional services at Amex GBT, said in a media statement:…
Spirit Airlines declares bankruptcy
discount carrier spirit airlines Files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after failed merger attempt Frontier Airlines. The company announced on November 18 that it would seek debt restructuring under U.S. bankruptcy law but intended to continue operating flight operations. A few days ago, Spirit reported that its most recent operating margin fell by about 12% "due to lower total operating revenue and higher total operating expenses." Higher fares for budget travelers Spirit said in an open letter to shareholders that filing for bankruptcy would "set the company up for success." "We expect to complete this process by the first quarter of 2025 and be in a better position to provide the best value in the air," the letter said. "Other airlines currently operating successfully have adopted similar processes." "The most important thing is that you can continue to book and fly now and in the future," the statement stressed. CEO and founder Jesse Neugarten said bankruptcy "could spell trouble for budget-conscious…
American Airlines’ new system can catch up on early boarding
Passengers trying to board American Airlines Those who fly before their group is called may quickly be loudly rejected at the gate and kicked back to their group. American Airlines The company is reportedly testing a new system that will sound an audible alert when passengers try to board out of sequence. When the alarm sounds, gate agents will be instructed to return passengers to their group. "The new technology is designed to ensure customers easily enjoy the benefits of priority boarding and help improve the boarding experience by providing our teams with clearer visibility of boarding progress," a statement from the airline said. Most airlines have a problem with so-called "boarding lice," where some people ignore calls from boarding groups and just try to board as quickly as possible. Most gate agents either don't notice or don't confront the sneaky behavior. But that may be changing. The system is currently under testing Albuquerque International Airport In New Mexico, Tucson…
U.S. Transportation Department imposes landmark $50 million fine on American Airlines
Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a $50 million fine against American Airlines for multiple and serious violations of laws protecting aviation passengers with disabilities between 2019 and 2023. A U.S. Department of Transportation investigation into American Airlines found instances of unsafe physical assistance that sometimes resulted in injuries and degrading treatment for wheelchair users, as well as repeated failures to provide timely wheelchair assistance. American also mishandled thousands of wheelchairs, damaging them or delaying their return, leaving passengers without the equipment they needed to move. “The era of tolerating airlines’ poor treatment of passengers with disabilities is over,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a media announcement. “With this penalty, we are establishing a new law for airlines that violate the civil rights of passengers with disabilities.” "By setting a level of penalties that exceeds airline operating costs, we aim to change the way the industry behaves and prevent this type of abuse from happening in…
Smart Travel: New Alaska Airlines Awards Coming Soon, New
Listen to audio As the New Year approaches, are you considering your rewards program options? Alaska Airlines’ new deal may maximize your benefits. Thinking about finally traveling to Japan? A new tourism campaign is working overtime to catch your eye. We're here to fill you in on all of that, plus acquisitions that could spark the travel industry, the latest updates from the World Travel Awards global competition, and how Jamaica is celebrating new improvements to the visitor travel experience. Alaska Airlines to add status milestones, benefits to loyalty program in 2025 Starting next year, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members will receive new benefits including bonus miles, free meals, free Wi-Fi, lounge access, enhanced mileage program status on a single trip, exclusive events and transition to elite status Option Qualification Miles (EQM). Miles accumulated are calculated based on distance flown rather than purchase amount. The current membership levels are: Entry-level elite status: 20,000 EQM MVP Gold: 40,000 EQM MVP Gold…
United Airlines to add 8 new destinations in summer 2025
United Airlines announced the largest international expansion in its history, offering services to eight new cities. Started with May 2025United Airlines will introduce five new nonstop flights from its hub airports Newark/New York Heading to Nuuk, Greenland; Palermo, Italy; Bilbao, Spain; Madeira, Portugal and Faro, Portugal. The airline has also added 3 new direct routes: washington d.c./Dulles Airport, including its first flight Dakar, Senegal Year-round operations and new seasonal direct flights Nice, France and Venice, Italy. United's 2025 summer transatlantic schedule will be the largest in its history, with more than 760 flights per week. In addition to new flights, customers will have more time to explore Venice, Italy; Athens, Greece;and Barcelona, Spain Next summer’s start date will be earlier. The airline will also increase the number of weekly direct flights between Newark/New York and Palma de Mallorca, SpainNewark/New York-Dubrovnik, Croatiaand Newark/New York–Athens, Greece. United is also adding new nonstop flights from the following cities Tokyo–Narita Heading to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia…
Ongoing hotel, Boeing strikes: What planners need to do
Listen to audio there is always somethingas Gilda Radner often complained when she played Roseanne Roseannadanna on "Saturday Night Live." Meeting a professional can create empathy. In recent weeks, the "something" has been strikes by workers in hotels and airplanes, two industries that rely heavily on successful events. briefing Thousands more hotel workers across the United States went on strike this week as talks between the United Here union and major hotel companies over pandemic cuts and pay increases remain deadlocked. As many as 40,000 hotel workers could go on strike by the end of the year, affecting as many as 22 North American cities. About 33,000 Boeing mechanics went on strike in mid-September after the company's initial proposal was firmly rejected by union members. The strike halted production of Boeing's best-selling 737 Max near Seattle, as well as 777 jetliners and a freighter. Hotel Strike: What to Know The latest strikers, including waiters, waiters, housekeepers and cooks, walked off…
Silk Road West Airlines was designated as
Silk Way West Airlines, the leading cargo airline in the Caspian and Central Asian region, has been named Global Air Cargo Partner of the COP29 Summit, which will be held in Baku in November 2024. The partnership is in line with the airline’s commitment to sustainable development and underscores Azerbaijan’s declaration of 2024 as the Year of Solidarity for a Green World. See also: Silk Way West Airlines and China’s Henan Airlines Group form strategic air cargo partnership Through this partnership, Silk Way West Airlines will facilitate the efficient transportation of materials needed for the climate conference. This move not only demonstrates the airline's operational capabilities, but also highlights its alignment with global environmental goals. This move is part of Silk Way West Airlines' broader strategy to support green logistics and reduce the environmental impact of air cargo. Zaur Akhundov, President of Silk Way Group, stressed the importance of this partnership, saying: “We are proud to contribute to COP29 and…
Smart travel: Four major U.S. airlines surveyed
Listen to Audio Welcome to Travel Smart, our weekly column where we'll share the latest tips and tricks to keep you up to date on the can't-miss news in travel. Today, we’re diving into the U.S. Department of Transportation’s new survey of the country’s top airlines, an exciting partnership between Marriott and Sotheby’s, the rise of multigenerational family travel, and more. U.S. Department of Transportation investigates award practices of four major U.S. airlines, seeks to protect consumer airline awards Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation launched an investigation into the incentive programs of the four largest U.S. airlines - American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent letters to the four airlines, asking them to provide detailed records and reports on their incentive programs, practices and policies. The investigation will focus on the impact of reward devaluation, hidden or dynamic pricing, additional fees, and reduced competition and choice on consumers. "Many Americans view…
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