Category: air travel

Canada Jetlines, Latest Airline to Enter the Crowded Field, Lands First Flight

The next airline hoping to pose a threat to the country’s Air Canada-WestJet duopoly has landed its inaugural flight. Canada Jetlines’ first flight departed out of Toronto Pearson International Airport Thursday morning and arrived in Calgary International Airport to speeches and a ribbon cutting ceremony. The new startup airline, headquartered in Mississauga, Ont., is offering…


Airline Ticket Prices May Increase, Aviation Executives Warn

Air travelers are facing more expensive airline tickets due to insufficient jet fuel production, which has dramatically raised costs for airline operations. Ticket prices for flights have risen 25 percent this year, the biggest annual jump since 1989. Airlines have not made much of a profit from higher ticket prices, however, due to rising operational…


Airline Chaos Could Persist Until 2024, Despite Efforts to Cure Woes

After a record-breaking summer of angst, aggravation, and anger at America’s airports, little relief may be in sight. The problem came into sharper focus during the past few weeks with airline complaints in May and June soaring 270 percent above pre-pandemic levels. While airlines and federal officials recently announced improved customer service and information-sharing practices…


New Air Passenger Protection Rules Come Into Effect Thursday

New Air Passenger Protection Regulations go into effect today. The update comes as the Canadian Transport Agency tries to close a loophole that left some passengers unable to secure cash refunds after pandemic-related flight cancellations. Starting Thursday, airlines will be required to issue a full refund for cancellations and delays if passengers are not placed…


Transportation Department Proposes Stricter Rules for Airline Refunds Amid Surge of Complaints

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has proposed a new rule aimed at strengthening protection for consumers seeking refunds for airline tickets. For several years, the DOT has asked airlines and ticket agents to refund travelers in case of flight cancellations or significant changes to their flights. But the terms “significant change” and “cancellation” were…


Transportation Department Proposes New Rules for Airline Refunds Amid Surge of Complaints

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has proposed a new rule aimed at strengthening protection for consumers seeking refunds for airline tickets. For several years, the DOT has asked airlines and ticket agents to give refunds to travelers in cases of flight cancellations or significant changes to their flights. But the terms “significant change” and “cancellation”…


Flight Canceled or Delayed? Beware the Gotchas

Unless you live on some remote planet, you know the equation that dominates the current air travel scene: Surging demand plus unprepared industry equals chaos. This year has seen an unparalleled rate of flight cancellations and delays, with no immediate fix on the horizon beyond wholesale pre-emptive cancellations. So if, like me, you’re holding to…


Air Travel Complaints Dip, Still Over 200 Percent Pre-Pandemic Levels

With disruptions marking a rocky return to U.S. domestic air travel in recent months, official figures show that complaints against airline service remain 200 percent above pre-pandemic levels despite a 15 percent monthly decline in May. The Biden administration is keeping a watch on airlines to deter unrealistic flight scheduling and ensure airlines comply with consumer…


American Airlines Pilots to Receive Triple Pay for Working on Routes Affected by July Scheduling Glitch

American Airlines pilots who were affected by a computer glitch that left thousands of flights with understaffed cockpits are set to receive triple pay after the company and its pilots’ union, Allied Pilots Association, reached an agreement on July 6. The agreement came after 12,000 American Airlines flights set for July were briefly allowed to be dropped by pilots…


The Air Travel Mess

Cole Porter, in a different universe, might have written a song, “Another agony, another trip,” with lines something like these: Four weeks and you think it’s a curse; Three weeks and it couldn’t be worse; One week, will it ever be right? And all of a sudden, it’s time for your flight. Those hypothetical other-universe…