US airlines are expecting record breaking travel demand this year for Thanksgiving, with multiple executives across many airline companies gearing up to prepare for the influx in travel.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
If lawmakers don’t pass a federal budget or stopgap measure within the week, a government shutdown will take effect on October 1st, which could drastically impact the travel industry throughout the country.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
American Airlines is suing Skiplagged, a travel company, claiming that they’re deceiving customers with a “bait and switch” tactic on ticket pricing.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
Thousands of flights were delayed or canceled in the wake of severe storms that pummeled the East Coast over the weekend. According to FlightAware, more than 330 flights were canceled, and another 1,400 were delayed as of Tuesday morning.
The figures reflect the ongoing travel disruptions caused by turbulent weather in the Eastern U.S. Midday on Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tweeted that they were working to avoid delays and cancellations.
“The FAA is re-routing aircraft around the storms heading to the East Coast as much as possible. Soon we will likely have to pause departures in and out of East Coast airports, including NYC, Philly, DC, Charlotte and Atlanta. Monitor http://fly.faa.gov. #FAAWeatherSad”
By the end of the day Monday, however, 8,200 flights were delayed, and 1,600 were canceled. On Tuesday, Delta Air Lines had to cancel 100 flights, consisting of around 3% of its total schedule, and another 226 were delayed. There were 20 flight cancellations and 22 flight delays at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Atlanta, Newark Liberty, and Boston Logan are a few of the other major airports experiencing a moderate number of cancellations and delays.
The recent storms left nearly 400,000 homes and businesses without power in large regions along the East Coast. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail also led to the deaths of two people, damaged structures and homes, and left dozens of drivers stranded for hours.
People were trapped in their cars for up to five and a half hours in Westminster, Maryland. State police reported that severe weather on Monday caused power lines to fall onto vehicles. Crews worked for hours to de-energize the power lines so drivers could leave the scene.
On his way home from work, Jeffrey Campbell told CNN he was trapped for hours when a utility pole collapsed in front of his vehicle onto other cars, leaving exposed live wires on the ground on either side of his truck. A wire knocked his exterior mirror off the side of his car. “It’s just poles coming down one after the other,” Campbell said.
Authorities shared that no injuries were reported, but 33 adults and 14 children had to be rescued.
Tom Tomovich, a resident of Hockessin, DE, told 6ABC-TV that the storms ripped the roof of his house off.
“We saw the clouds coming and could hear a rumbling in the distance. We went into the house, and we were on the first floor, and before we could blink an eye, the winds just came right through the back of our house.”
The size of hailstones from Monday night’s storms in Caroline County, VA, came close to breaking state records. One hailstone, measured at around 4.75 inches, is the third largest ever found in Virginia. The last time hail this size hit the state was in the 1960s.
The initial storms affecting Philadelphia to Atlanta on Monday have since calmed. However, in the Southeast and New England, millions of people may face severe weather on Tuesday.
In a Facebook live briefing, National Weather Service meteorologist Christ Strong said, “This does look to be one of the most impactful severe weather events across the mid-Atlantic that we have had in some time.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 220,000 homes and businesses still do not have power in five states, with around 125,000 customers residing in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
The US Travel Association is predicting that summer 2023 will be a massive travel season, with demands as strong as they were pre-pandemic.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
Despite rising airfares due to inflation, many Americans are taking to the skies to spend the holidays with loved ones and celebrate the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. The number of travelers in just the few days leading up to this Thanksgiving has surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
A Florida air passenger attempted to smuggle a gun onto a flight using a raw chicken on Monday. Transportation Security Administration officers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport caught the firearm at one of its checkpoints, wrapped in thin paper packaging inside a Kikiri Quirch brand baking hen.
The passenger had stashed the chicken in his carry-on and was headed to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, according to Sari Koshetz, a TSA spokesperson for the Gulf region.
The official TSA Instagram account shared a post on Monday containing a photo of the raw chicken being examined inside the security area alongside the gun. It was captioned, “There’s a personal fowl here…”
“The plot chickens as we barrel our way closer to Thanksgiving. For us, it’s a time to be thankful that our officers are always working around the cluck to keep you safe. Take for instance this ‘hen you believe it?’ find at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. We hate to beak it to you here, but stuffing a firearm in your holiday bird for travel is just a baste of time. This idea wasn’t even half-baked; it was raw, greasy, and obviously unsupervised. The only roast happening here is this poor packing choice! Feather you like it or not, there are rules for traveling with guns and ammunition. So, don’t wing it; roost over the proper packaging info through the link in our bio.”
Passengers are permitted to transport fresh meat and seafood in their carry-ons if they follow special instructions provided by the TSA. People who want to travel with guns and ammunition must pack the firearms unloaded in locked, hard-shell containers within their checked bags. They must also declare the items at the airport ticket counter.
“The container must completely secure the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can be easily opened are not permitted. Be aware that the container the firearm was in when purchased may not adequately secure the firearm when it is transported in checked baggage.”
A criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is ongoing. Nestor Iglesias, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations, told CNN he could not provide additional details since the incident is a “criminal case which has been accepted for prosecution.”
This is not the first time a passenger has attempted to conceal prohibited items using unconventional methods. According to CBS News, a “meth burrito” was confiscated in Houston last year.
In 2022, passengers cumulatively brought more than 700 guns to TSA checkpoints at Florida state airports, a higher number of guns than in any previous year. Twelve airports set records, according to a TSA news release.
“The largest number of guns TSA officers have had to intercept were: 129 guns at Orlando International Airport (MCO), 120 guns at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), 102 guns at Tampa International (TPA), 83 guns at Miami International (MIA), 58 guns at Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), 37 guns at Southwest Florida International (RSW), 28 at Palm Beach International (PBI), and 24 at Pensacola International (PNS).”
Koshetz said that “every passenger bears the responsibility of knowing exactly where their gun is before entering the security checkpoint” since “an accidental discharge could result in tragedy.”
“Don’t let bringing a gun to a federal checkpoint be the reason you cannot answer ‘no’ to the question often asked on job applications: have you ever been arrested? As we enter the busiest holiday travel period, remember if you are going to travel with your gun, it must be in your checked bag, but be sure you know what the gun laws are on each side of your trip or you may be heading to jail instead of to your family gathering. Guns may not be legal to transport even in checked baggage in some jurisdictions.”
Koshetz told USA Today that it was unclear whether the passenger’s gun was loaded. Passengers who violate TSA rules could face civil penalties of up to $13,910, even if they are not arrested by law enforcement.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
According to a study from The Vacationer, American travelers find fellow passengers who kick the seats in front of them or display drunken or disruptive behavior as the most annoying.
The Airplane Etiquette Violations Survey polled 1,098 Americans over the age of 18 and asked them to choose which common behaviors by co-passengers they found most irritating. The survey takers could choose as many or as few options as they wanted.
Seat kickers and drunken, unruly passengers were at the top of the list, with 59.11% of respondents checking them off.
“The 59.11% of American adults that selected each represent more than 152 million people according to the recent census. So, the next time you fly, you may want to reconsider your foot placement inflight and how many alcoholic drinks you consume.”
Passengers who smell too bad from bad hygiene or too good from strong perfume or cologne came in second, with 48% of respondents disliking these co-passengers.
Passengers who do not pay attention to their children’s behavior earned the third spot at 46.81% of respondents choosing it.
Some of the other top 10 offenders were passengers who eat food with pungent smells (39.8%), passengers who hog the armrest (39.07%), passengers who recline their seats all the way (38.25%), passengers who talk too much (29.87%), passengers who board or deplane out of turn (29.6%), and passengers who have their headphones turned up too loud (28.96%).
Some other annoyances that did not make the top 10 list included passengers who take off their shoes, passengers who flirt with other travelers and flight attendants, passengers who use overhead space meant for other rows, and passengers who practice excessive PDA.
Passengers who requested too much from flight attendants were at the bottom of the list, cited by only 13.02% of respondents.
According to Federal Aviation Administration data, there were 5,981 reports of unruly passengers in 2021, making it the worst year on record. Nearly 4,290 of those cases were mask related.
In a statement issued last November, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland directed U.S. attorneys to “prioritize prosecution of federal crimes occurring on commercial aircraft that endanger the safety of passengers, flight crews and flight attendants.”
“Passengers who assault, intimidate or threaten violence against flight crews and flight attendants do more than harm those employees; they prevent the performance of critical duties that help ensure safe air travel. Similarly, when passengers commit violent acts against other passengers in the close confines of a commercial aircraft, the conduct endangers everyone aboard.”
Several bizarre headlines have sprung out of these altercations. In an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., earlier this year, a man attempted to open the plane door after an argument with a flight attendant. The flight attendant managed to subdue the man, hitting him in the head with a coffee pot.
In the survey, some people checked off none of the options. The Vacationer found that 11.57% of respondents had no issues with any behaviors.
“Nearly 12% of American adults said that none of these 16 onboard flight behaviors annoyed them. The 11.57% that said this represents nearly 30 million people. Nearly 30 million people say they are not annoyed by sitting next to disruptive drunks, having their seat kicked or someone smelling. In addition, they have no problem with inattentive parents, loud music, talkative people, and more. These people must be saints, and we need to cherish their patience. They put the 88.43% of the rest of us who get annoyed to shame.”
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, put pressure on major airlines to improve their customer service policies when passengers face flight disruptions.
In a letter to the CEOs of major airlines, Buttigieg requested they provide meals if there is a flight delay for more than three hours and hotel accommodations for overnight cancellations within the airline’s control.
“When passengers do experience cancellations and delays, they deserve clear and transparent information on the services that your airline will provide, to address the expenses and inconveniences resulting from these disruptions.”
The Department of Transportation also revealed an online dashboard last week which gives passengers information on which airlines provide accommodations in case of a cancellation or delay. Buttigieg notified airline executives that the department would unveil the dashboard by Sept. 2.
DOT officials claim that leading airlines made significant policy changes within two weeks of unveiling the dashboard. According to Buttigieg, the dashboard acts as a “tool for transparency” and is not intended to shame the airlines.
If airlines fail to keep their obligations, passengers may file a complaint.
The airlines currently listed on the dashboard include Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United.
If a cancellation or delay were to occur, the dashboard checks if the airline will rebook the passenger on its airline or another airline at no cost. It also checks if the airline will provide meals or meal vouchers if flights are delayed three or more hours and pay for overnight hotel accommodations. It even lists if the airline will cover transportation from and to the hotel.
Data from the Department of Transportation shows that in the first six months of 2022, roughly 24% of domestic flights were delayed, while 3.2% were canceled. Since the start of June, more than 45,000 flights have been canceled.
The statistics became so dire that the attorneys general of 40 states banded together to write a letter to congress about the aviation industry’s inability to live up to its responsibilities to customers.
“The mistreatment of airline consumers is a bipartisan issue—one that requires immediate action from federal lawmakers. Flying is essential to millions of Americans as they go about their personal and professional lives and is critical to our local, state and national economies. Customers booking airline tickets should enjoy a reasonable expectation of being treated fairly, respectfully, and consistently under the law throughout all interactions during their experience with the airline industry.”
The upcoming holiday season will strain the current system further. Due to staff shortages, airlines have been reducing their scheduled number of flights. For their July schedules, 11 major U.S. airlines trimmed their schedules by 19,000 flights.
Buttigieg said that the department would fine airlines if they do not fulfill the obligations they claimed on the dashboard. However, it would be one small part of “a bigger framework.”
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
US borders are currently closed to travelers from the European Union (EU) and the UK, and have been that way for over 500 days now. While there hasn’t been a formal announcement as to when these borders will reopen, airlines are beginning to push back the scheduled restart of their London-New York flights.
Initially flights were set to resume between the two major cities in September, but now airlines are waiting until November. New outlets in Ireland seemed to allude that the US would be lifting its travel ban in time for Labor Day weekend, however, no official announcements have been made to confirm those reports.
The EU is currently discussing whether or not they will reopen their borders to US citizens while the Department of Homeland Security announced that it will be keeping land borders between Mexico and Canada closed until at least September 21st.
Land border restrictions don’t apply to cross-border trade, US citizens.lawful permanent residents, or individuals traveling for school or medical reasons. Travel into Canada is also now allowed for US citizens who are fully vaccinated.
Jeff Zients is the White House Covid-19 coordinator who recently held a press briefing regarding the reopening of international borders and US travel in general.
“The interagency working groups are currently developing a policy process, and we will be ready when it is the right time to consider reopening travel. And that’ll be guided, as always, by science and public health.”
Travel correspondent Simon Calder claims that “in the past 48 hours I have asked a number of travel industry chief executives about when the current presidential proclamation banning arrivals from the U.K. might be lifted. Their answers and predictions range from ‘September’ to ‘no idea’.”
“The main problem now appears to be two-fold: inertia (once draconian rules are imposed, they can be slow to remove), combined with an unwillingness in Washington DC to complicate the difficult domestic situation at a time when the Delta variant is running wild across America, especially in the key tourism state of Florida.”
Henry Smith, chairman of the all-party Future of Aviation group told the press that “the figures are going in the wrong direction for the U.S. and I don’t really see any appetite in the U.S. to open up sooner rather than later. It is slightly different for the U.S. because they have such a big domestic market, which means international travel makes up a smaller proportion of the industry’s revenues.”
The US currently allows entry to any US citizen and their dependents as well as anyone who has spent 14 days in a country not listed on the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s prohibited list.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.