Articles

William J. McGee

Article / Air Travel

How Private Jets Are Making Flying Costlier and More Delay-Ridden For the Rest of Us

Picture this. You're on a Boeing 737 or an Airbus A321 at New York's LaGuardia Airport at 4 pm on a rainy afternoon. Your flight was scheduled to depart at 2 pm but due to weather,…

Article / News

The Airlines, Unchecked, are Showing Passengers Prices They Can’t Actually Find

It's difficult enough comparison shopping for airfares among online ticket agencies and the carriers' own sites. Airline pricing has gotten more complicated and more confusing…

Article / News

7 Tips for Surviving the FAA Flight Reduction Crisis—Including One You'll Wish You'd Thought Of Yourself

You’ve read the news: The U.S. government shutdown is now the longest in history. TSA agents and air traffic controllers haven’t been paid in over a month, so Transportation Secretary…

Article / Miscellaneous

The Unexpected Travel Effects of the Federal Shutdown

No matter how common they have become, U.S. Government shutdowns can be painful, especially for travelers.Already, the action that began on October 1 is affecting everything from…

Article / Miscellaneous

U.S. Airlines Try to Abandon Passenger Rights and Performance Reports—to Secretly Police Themselves

The nation's largest airlines are quietly asking the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to virtually eradicate every meaningful consumer protection we have. If the big carriers…

Article / Miscellaneous

JetBlue's New Partnership with United, Rubberstamped This Week by the Department of Transportation, Is Bad News for Flyers

The United States' domestic airlines would rather team up than compete against each other. Whether it's called an alliance, a collaboration, a codeshare partnership, or an out-and-out…

Article / Air Travel

Air Passengers Have Fewer Rights in the U.S. Than in These Other Countries

Perhaps the most annoying of all airline fees is the extra charge for a carry-on bag, which several U.S. airlines, including United, can charge. But there's good news from the European…

Article / Air Travel

The Big Three Airlines Are Misleading Travelers So They Can Rig the System

We have two airline industries in America. There are larger carriers, led by the Big Three oligopoly of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. And then we have…

Article / Air Travel

Newark Airport is a Mess. Has it Become Less Safe to Fly in the U.S.?

Even people who live nowhere near New Jersey have been shaken by reports of chronic flight delays and cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) due to ATC. There's…

Article / Air Travel

America's Air Traffic Control Needs Fixing—Here's What to Do (and Not to Do)

About the author: William J. McGee is the Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. An FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he spent seven years in…

Article / Air Travel

U.S. Aviation Safety is Under Fire

About the author: William J. McGee is the Senior Fellow for Aviation & Travel at American Economic Liberties Project. An FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher, he spent seven years in…

Article / Air Travel

The Big Lie of Aviation DEI

The White House claims diversity threatened airline safety. Here’s proof it hasn't.

Article / Air Travel

Will Trump Undo the New DOT Rules Protecting Traveler Rights?

Passenger protections in the United States may seem vulnerable with the change in administrations. But there’s some good news.

Article / Air Travel

Why We Need Travel Advisors Now More Than Ever

The people we used to call travel agents are alive and well. And considering recent changes to the travel industry, they might just save your next trip.

Article / Air Travel

Airline Miles Programs Are Essentially Pyramid Schemes Now

They started out well. But here are 5 key ways airline loyalty points schemes are screwing you now.

Article / Car, Bus, Rail

Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying Rental Car Insurance From Expedia and Others

Getting rental car insurance from a vendor other than your car rental company may complicate claims and present more headaches than it's worth. It’s all in the fine…

Article / Air Travel

How We Helped to End Family Seating Fees, the Worst Airline Junk Fee Ever

For more than ten years, airlines have charged families with young kids to sit together. It’s finally going to stop. Here's how we made change happen.

Article / Air Travel

Airplanes Don’t Like Extreme Heat: Tips for Avoiding Flight Delays in Summer's Hot Weather

Summer flying can be tough. Especially this year. Plane engines simply behave differently in the summer, and smart travelers use that information to avoid delays and cancellations.

Article / Air Travel

Where is Everybody? "Humanless” Customer Service is Dominating Travel. Can We Be Heard as Consumers?

Companies have been eliminating customer assistance and denying consumers help with increasing frequency, and now the problem is nearly ubiquitous. Why isn't this a national…

Article / Air Travel

DOT’s New Airline Refund Rules are a Godsend for Travelers

The Department of Transportation announced meaningful new rules last week. They couldn’t have come soon enough.

Article / Air Travel

How to Fix Boeing, By an Industry Expert

Critics of Boeing blame its troubles on its multi-racial hiring practices. But the real source of its problems affects the safety of every air traveler in the USA.

Article / Air Travel

The U.S. Hasn't Fully Tested Airline Evacuations in Years. Experts are Alarmed.

Even though nearly everything about flying has changed since the rules were set, the FAA has blocked evacuation testing that reflects actual conditions.

Article / Air Travel

How to Get a Refund from or Complain to Any Travel Company: Which Government Agency Oversees What

So you want to go after your travel company for a refund, poor service, or mistreatment? Here are the parts of the government that oversee travel businesses, including car rentals,…

Article / Air Travel

How to Fix the Airlines: A Prescription

After 45 years, airline deregulation has failed. We have some ideas to jump-start a national discussion of what should be next.

Article / Money and Fees

How Consumers Can Game Our Over-Mergered Travel Industry to Their Advantage

Most people don't realize that just handful of companies control most of the travel industry, but there are still ways to hack our merger-addicted travel system in your favor.