Articles

Tagged: airlines

When Is United Airlines Getting Free Wi-Fi?

It's pretty shocking that even though the internet has been an essential part of our lives for nearly 30 years, the number of U.S. airlines that supply free Wi-Fi to all passengers…

Southwest Airlines Opens 2-for-1 Companion Pass Deal to Everyone for a Hot Minute

This'll have to be quick—because Southwest's promotion will be, too.Until Thursday, September 5, Southwest Airlines opening a window to register for its Companion Pass deal, which…

When Delta's Free Wi-Fi Will Be Available on All International Flights

Delta Air Lines has begun rolling out free Wi-Fi on international flights, with most routes to Europe expected to have the service by the end of September, the carrier announced this…

Cheap Flights on National Cheap Flight Day: Airfare’s Money-Saving Season Is Here

You might not have celebrated National Best Friends Day on June 8, National Piña Colada Day on July 10, or National Nude Day on July 14 (do you hate fun?), but there's at least one…

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

About ten years ago, airline greed reached a new low when every carrier in the nation refused to waive seating fees for families with young children to sit together inflight. I was at…

U.S. Forbids Airlines from Charging Families to Sit Together

There's been another big win for consumers at the U.S. airports. On Thursday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that it has proposed a rule that forbids commercial…

DOT Secretary Forcefully Reminds U.S. Airline Passengers of Their New Refund Rights

Some airlines are still struggling to reboot their service in the wake of last weekend's cataclysmic CloudStrike software shutdown. On Monday, Delta Air Lines was still limping its way…

Airlines Are Shrinking Carry-On Sizes, Forcing Travelers to Pay Checked Bag Fees

Your carry-on hand baggage may not be small enough anymore. A new furor is unfolding in the skies as airlines are caught drastically reducing the maximum permitted size of carry-on…

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

Flying in the summer always presents challenges. But flying this summer promises to be particularly challenging. Airlines are already dealing with tremendous stress, including pent-up…

Bags Stolen From Baggage Claim: The Airlines' Big Luggage Security Problem

Many travelers won't know or remember this, but there was a time when airline passengers had to to present a claim check in order to pick up their luggage after flights.Until the early…

JetBlue Basic Economy to Allow Carry-Ons—Which Airlines Still Charge for Overhead Bins?

JetBlue passengers with the airline's cheapest class of tickets, known as Blue Basic fares, will be allowed to bring a carry-on bag onto the plane at no additional charge, the carrier…

American Airlines Raises Bag Fees, Will Ban Some Booking Sites from Points Eligibility

This news post was updated with new information after its original publication.It's almost as if the corporations dominating our lives are determined to make back whatever they missed…

Flying With Wine: Packing and Legal Tips You Need to Know

Plenty of people travel for wine, but, paradoxically, wine isn’t easy to travel with, especially if you’re taking a plane. Before you pick up a bottle or two at the out-of-town winery…

Experts Reveal 11 Common Airfare Booking Mistakes That Prevent You From Finding Cheap Flights

1. Booking too early Most people know that booking a flight at the last minute is a costly way to travel—by then, the cheapest seats are likely to have gone. But booking too early can…

U.S. Airlines with Free Wi-Fi: Sorry, American, but the Grand Total Is Still at 1

U.S. airlines always seem to be in perfect sync when it comes to raising fees, but when a carrier introduces a service passengers might actually like, competitors are awfully slow to…

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

This year of aviation started ominously on January 2 with the fiery runway collision between Japan Airlines Flight 516 and a military aircraft in Tokyo. Five died on the Coast Guard…

Most Reliable Airlines? The U.S. Carriers with Fewest Cancellations and Delays

The 10 largest U.S. airlines canceled just 1.29% of flights last year, according to final figures for 2023 released by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The government notes the…

Now JetBlue Has Hiked Bag Fees, Too—Quietly and by a Lot

Yesterday we told you that American Airlines decided to spring another fee hike for checked baggage on travelers.Well, airlines tend to raise fees in packs. JetBlue has also surprised…

What Happens if Somebody Dies on a Plane During a Flight?

A medical emergency occurs in the skies about once every 600 flights, according to a study that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The most common maladies are fainting,…

How to Fix the Airlines: A Prescription

Here’s a secret that isn’t a secret: The airline industry is broken. We all know it—except for airline executives and their most die-hard supporters. It’s broken, but it’s also a…

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

Last month on Frommer’s, I detailed how the U.S. airline industry has never been more concentrated thanks to mergers and acquisitions, and I expressed hope that the U.S. Department of…

Yes, You Can Survive a Plane Crash: Tips from a Longtime Safety Expert

By now, we’ve all seen coverage of the horrific runway collision at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on January 2. Five crew members on one aircraft were killed, but despite the conflagration…

The Most On-Time Airlines and Airports of 2023

More than 32 million passenger flights were scheduled in 2023, and global carriers managed to stay punctual about 83% of the time, according to a new report from Cirium, an aviation…

The Proposed U.S. Airline Mergers Are Terrible for Americans, And Here's Proof Why

I spent Halloween in federal court in Boston at a trial that pits the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against the merger of JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines. There have been much…

American Airlines Flight Attendants Were Reportedly Reminded to Stop Lessening Your Misery

You know how flying with a commercial airline is terrible? The seats are cramped, the fees are outrageous, and the other passengers are always brawling or screaming about how their…