Tagged: airline

Did You Know This Airline Shows You Ahead of Time if You'll Be Seated Near an Infant?

In keeping with the mysterious cycle by which old news stories resurface on social media, an airline feature introduced a while back has gained some renewed interest online…

"The TSA’s New $45 Fee to Fly Without ID is Illegal," Says Regulatory Expert

On Sunday, February 1, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began charging travelers without REAL ID $45 to fly.This may come as a surprise, but no U.S. law requires you to…

The 10 Best (and Cheapest) Airfare Search Sites for 2026

It’s been a decade since Frommer’s started pitting the biggest airfare search engines, aggregators, and booking engines against one another. In 10 years, the only constants have been…

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…

Here's Each Airline's Rebooking Policy for Flights Canceled by FAA Reductions

The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that in response to the government's failure to reopen, it will cull the flight schedule in the United States by about 10% starting…

Before You Fly During the U.S. Shutdown, Check These Websites

The U.S. federal shutdown has lasted more than a month. Workers in the Transportation Security Administration and in the air traffic control system have not been paid, and their…

Holiday Airfares are Significantly Lower this Year. Just How Low?

While it might be too late, at this stage, to find an affordable Labubu to put under the tree, at least holiday airfares have softened. According to the folks at Dollar Flight Club,…

Can You Opt Out of a Face Scan for International Flight Departures in the U.S.?

This month, a facial recognition system at U.S. airports completed its pilot stage and moved to official implementation. As of September 26, there are 57 major American airports where…

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…

Flights from $29: Frontier Airlines Goes for Spirit's Jugular by Adding 20 New Routes

At U.S. airports, there's blood in the (TSA-approved 3.4 ounces of) water. Two weeks ago, no-frills Spirit Airlines announced in a financial report that, given the terrible state of…

Delta and United Get Sued for Selling Windowless 'Window Seats'

U.S. airlines have turned seat assignments into a profit center. It didn't used to be this way, but that's where we are now. We pay for what we used to get for free.Passengers…

Spirit Airlines Warns Passengers That It May Soon Go Kaput

The message from Spirit Airlines, delivered this week in an official financial filing, couldn't be more stark."Management has concluded there is substantial doubt as to the Company’s…

Frontier Airlines Sells You Passenger Rights That Europeans Get for Free

On Wednesday, no-frills carrier Frontier Airlines unveiled its latest optional fee, dubbed Disruption Assistance for Any Reason. If customers buy the add-on at the time of ticketing,…

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…

Your Personal Airline Data Is Secretly Being Sold to U.S. Homeland Security

Perhaps it surprises nobody that in this age of meaningless digital privacy protections, the U.S. government has been secretly buying up data about airline passengers.But that's what…

U.S. Airlines Caught Charging Solo Passengers More

There are lots of ways that the travel industry punishes you for traveling solo, including higher cruise fares and higher group tour prices. But those upcharges are usually based on…

Standing Airline Seats Are Reportedly Coming in 2026. That News Doesn't Sit Well

When you have covered travel news for 25 years, as I have, you notice that certain stories flare up with the regularity of heartburn. Such it is with standing airline seats, a sizzling…

Delta Air Lines Will End Basic Economy and Revise Fare Categories

Delta Air Lines is tired of using the word economy. The airline industry simply can't seem to settle on the name for its most common airfare seat class. Just like most carriers ditched…

What Each of Southwest Airlines' New Fare Classes Buys You

Southwest Airlines has been going through some things—operational meltdowns, backtracking on customer perks, scorching mockery on Saturday Night Live—but it wants you to believe…

Delta Tells Passengers to Arrive Earlier if They Have Bags

If you're flying Delta Air Lines in the domestic United States, make sure you bring a watch and a diversion. You'll now have to get to the airport even earlier to obtain the full…

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…

Save Money on Checked Luggage! The Best Carry-On Bags That Fit Under an Airline Seat

When airlines began charging to check bags, they also ushered in the era of "gate lice." That's modern slang for people who jockey for early boarding to their flights in order to score…

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…

The Big Lie of Aviation DEI

One day after Donald Trump's second inauguration, the White House issued an executive order entitled "Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation" that rescinds all Diversity, Equity, and…

Do You Have to Pay the UK's New ETA if You're Changing Planes? The Rules Just Changed

Let's not dwell too long on what a convoluted mess the rollout of the United Kingdom's new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has been. It's enough to note that nothing seems to go…