Fall air travel season shaping up as less crowded than summer, but just as fraught

Sep 5, 2022
Experts expect fewer travelers, fewer flights, high prices and high anxiety.
Higher prices may cool demand for flights this fall.
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People are fed up with summer travel chaos. When will it get better?

Aug 29, 2022
Complaints about airlines have nearly tripled from pre-pandemic levels, with passengers left in limbo by cancellations and delays.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Determined to woo customers, airlines offer more flexibility

Aug 4, 2022
Southwest Airlines says it's getting rid of its one-year expiration date on flight credits. Analysts say more carriers may follow.
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Alaska Airlines, Microsoft and carbon capture firm join forces to develop sustainable fuels

Jul 14, 2022
Sustainable aircraft fuel is tricky — electric batteries and biofuels have big drawbacks. A startup is converting carbon dioxide into jet fuel.
Most existing sustainable fuel options are biofuels, which are made out of animal fat or used cooking oil. Those present their own sustainability challenges.
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Staffing shortages are contributing to a chaotic summer air travel season

Jul 5, 2022
The aviation industry’s troubles come down to three problems, one analyst says: capacity, captains and cancellations.
Delta Air Lines pilots picket at Los Angeles International Airport on June 30. The airline industry has been struggling with staffing shortages as demand soars to near pre-pandemic levels.
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American is ending service at 4 airports as airlines scramble to hire staff

Jun 22, 2022
The carrier is canceling regional routes in Ohio, New York and Iowa. Losing an airline can be tough on a city and its economy.
Early in the pandemic, airlines offered pilots early retirement, "and now they're finding themselves short-staffed," said David Slotnick of The Points Guy website.
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Airlines might be banking on your premium seat upgrade

Jun 7, 2022
Would you pay an additional $60 for extra legroom? Airlines are betting that you just might.
Carriers hope travelers will pay up for a little more comfort.
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For public good, not for profit.

One year after launching, a new airline expands as the industry faces headwinds

Starting any business is a big deal. Starting a business during a pandemic is bold, especially if that business is an airline.
Avelo Airlines takes off with its first flight between Burbank and Santa Rosa at Hollywood Burbank Airport.
Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Avelo Air

Ever wanted to be a flight attendant? Here are the "bizarre requirements" applicants had to meet in the 1960s.

Apr 21, 2022
Nell McShane Wulfhart tells the story of how women organized to fight sexism in the cabin and turn the job into a lifelong career.
A Pan American (Pan Am) air hostess serves champagne in the first class cabin of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet.
Tim Graham/Getty Images

Airline ticket prices are going up — but demand isn't slowing down

Apr 20, 2022
Analysts say people are willing to pay more for long-delayed trips.
Though higher costs for airline tickets are being passed onto customers, there's pent-up consumer demand for travel.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images