Help power Marketplace this winter when you support the show today. Donate Now!

Can Southwest regain passengers' trust?

Dec 30, 2022
Leisure travelers may be quick to forgive and forget. Business travelers, not so much.
Southwest Airlines travelers search for their suitcases Wednesday at Denver International Airport. In the past week, the carrier canceled more than 16,000 flights.
Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

Why all the flight cancellations? Airlines are still in recovery mode

Dec 23, 2022
Capacity is down. The weather's not great, either.
Another wave of flight cancellations and delays for the holidays has travelers on edge.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Extending your holiday trip to work remotely has its joys ... and its interrupted Zoom calls

Dec 14, 2022
When visiting family over the holidays, the mix of business, leisure and family time can be tricky.
With family or little ones around, concentrating on work while at your parents' house can be ... easier said than done.
Jaime Reina/AFP via Getty Images

A pilot shortage means higher airfares and service cuts at regional airports

Nov 21, 2022
Sixty U.S. airports have lost more than half of their flights since 2019, and 14 no longer have any commercial service.
When COVID hit and air travel virtually stopped, many airlines encouraged pilots to take buyouts or early retirement. Now airlines are struggling to play catch-up.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Flight attendant union chief on what the pandemic means for the larger labor movement

Flight attendants have become frontline workers themselves, facing many obstacles at the nexus of the pandemic and travel.
"You're not really fully compensated when a flight is diverted, you're taken off your schedule, and you get home 12, 24 hours later." said Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The new holiday tradition: rapid COVID-19 tests?

Dec 17, 2021
Rapid tests could make holiday gatherings safer, but they can be hard to find when demand surges.
Rapid at-home COVID tests can be difficult to find during surges in cases. Above, an environmental protection organization distributes tests in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on Dec. 17.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Higher gas prices are likely here to stay through the holidays

Nov 25, 2021
President Biden has released 50 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves, but oil production hasn't caught up to pre-pandemic levels.
Gas prices are nearly 60% higher than this time last year, according to AAA.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Checking the roads and bridges to grandmother's house

Nov 24, 2021
What will the infrastructure bill do for 60-year-old Putty Hill Avenue Bridge — which supports 17,000 vehicles daily — and similar sites?
Each day, more than 17,000 vehicles use Maryland's 60-year-old Putty Hill Avenue Bridge, which has suffered wear and tear.
Nancy Marshall-Genzer

Planning to travel for the holidays? Prepare for some expensive headaches.

Nov 5, 2021
'Tis the season of high gas prices, long lines at rental car counters, and cancelled flights.
High gas prices are just one of the many issues awaiting holiday travelers this season.
Getty Images

Airlines looking for a lift from holiday travel

Oct 8, 2021
United cites a jump in holiday searches as a reason for optimism. But consumers have been booking flights closer to travel time during the pandemic.
Air travel is expected to approach pre-pandemic levels this holiday season.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images