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seats

Southwest Airlines Ditches Open Seating After 50+ Years, Assigned Seats Coming in January

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Southwest Airlines is turning a major page in its history. Starting January 27, the beloved (or dreaded, depending on who you ask) open-seating policy will be a thing of the past. For the first time, passengers will board with pre-assigned seats, the company confirmed to CNBC. Tickets for the new seating model go on sale July 29.

The change marks the end of a defining feature of Southwest’s brand, one that has set it apart from other U.S. carriers for decades. Since its early days, Southwest has allowed passengers to board in groups and pick any available seat.

That policy, along with its generous perk of two free checked bags, has long been a draw for budget-conscious travelers. Still, both offerings are being reevaluated as the airline strives to remain competitive and boost profitability.

Southwest’s shift is part of a sweeping business overhaul aimed at driving new revenue. In March, the carrier also announced it would begin charging for checked bags for most customers and introduced new fare categories. Premium ticket buyers will be spared from some of the added fees and limitations.

The company insists these changes won’t slow down operations. Stephanie Shafer Modi, Southwest’s managing director of fares and ancillary products, told CNBC that by using live trials and computer simulations, Southwest has tested the efficiency of its new system, focusing on minimizing turnaround time and protecting its reputation for rapid boarding.

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“We wanted to make sure that, as we designed a boarding construct that sort of paired well with assigned seating, that we were optimizing for efficiency, but also the second priority: balancing that with making sure that we’re taking care of our most loyal customers, so tier members, cardholders and customers who buy our most premium products.”

With the rollout, the familiar sights of A-B-C boarding groups, early-bird alarm clocks, and the aisle dash for favorite seats will soon be history. In their place will be a more structured system with eight boarding groups based on fare class, loyalty status, and seat selection.

Groups 1 & 2 will include elite frequent flyers and holders of premium fares. Groups 3 through 8 will be assigned based on ticket class (like “Choice” and “Basic”) and seat location. Members of the Rapid Rewards credit card program will be guaranteed boarding by Group 5 at the latest. Passengers will line up in two queues under the new system.

The airline hasn’t revealed how much it will charge for seat selection, a fee that varies widely on other airlines depending on the flight and demand. Fare class will also determine access to certain seats, with three options: Standard, Preferred, and Extra-Legroom.

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According to Modi, customer feedback made it clear that sitting together is a top priority, especially for families.

“I think that if families want that sense of control, they have the option to pick their seats through our existing products that we’re selling. We will try to do our best to make sure that families are seated together no matter how they buy a ticket.”

To prepare for this shift, Southwest has been busy reworking its fleet. Around 200 of its Boeing aircraft, or roughly a quarter of its total fleet, have already been retrofitted with extra-legroom seating, a spokesperson said. While these upgraded seats aren’t officially on sale yet, the airline has been offering early boarding passes to improve customers’ chances of snagging one.

The airline states that its broader transformation plan is expected to generate an additional $800 million in earnings before interest and taxes this year, increasing to $1.7 billion by 2026. It first teased the end of open seating last year, but didn’t reveal a timeline until now.

With this dramatic shake-up, Southwest is betting that structured seating will generate revenue without compromising speed and that loyal customers will remain with the airline, even as it trades spontaneity for structure.

passengers

New Study Reveals the Most Annoying Passengers on Flights

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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.

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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.”

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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.”

airport

Airlines Commit to Providing Meals and Hotel Rooms After Canceled Flights

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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.

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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.

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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.”

How The Covid-19 Vaccine Will Impact Future Travel Plans

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With the Biden Administration officially inaugurated into the White House, however, many are expecting his new “lead with science” approach to help the US finally get on the right track with this pandemic.

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Over 14 Million Americans Are Moving In Order To Find Remote Work, Study Shows

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According to a study from Upwork’s Remote Workers, between 14 million to 23 million Americans are planning to relocate to a new U.S. city, region, or even state due to the Covid-19 pandemic and rising popularity of work-from-home positions appearing throughout the nation. 

Many businesses and industries have been adapting to the new normals 2020 has presented to us by moving to a more digitized work environment. For some, they’re even realizing that remote work is a much more efficient way for staff to get their daily duties done, and will likely continue to do so post-pandemic. 

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The study specifically surveyed 20,490 Americans over the age of 18 and it was conducted from October 1st to the 15th. The results showed that one of the biggest reasons so many Americans are planning to make the permanent move in order to work remotely is because of the amount of companies who are permanently adopting the work-from-home model. 

For example, Facebook and Twitter both announced offers that they would be making to their employees that would allow them to make their home-office their permanent workspace. 

Even small businesses are seeing the perks of this, in fact 57% of small and medium-size businesses plan to offer remote work plans to their employees in the long term. Small businesses have also reported that employee availability has increased by 19% with the move to remote work; obviously this depends on the specific business and employee duties as well. Adam Ozimek, Upwork’s chief economist, recently discussed the not-so-surprising results of the study. 

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“Companies were thrown feet first into a massive experiment with remote work due to the pandemic. The experiment has gone well; and it’s changing the future of the workforce. Remote work is the fastest game-changer for the U.S. economy since World War II.”

The rise in mobility among Americans looking to relocate means that there could be an increase in economic efficiency for businesses, and individuals, throughout the country.  “Remote work presents a potential solution for those seeking job opportunities that don’t want to pay the high housing costs of a major city,” Ozimek claimed, emphasizing how normally when individuals relocate to work from home, they’re more so focused on living in a city that they can afford and actually want to be in. 

The study also revealed that 20.6% of residents of major cities in the US are planning to move far away from their current home. Specifically, 54.7% said that they want to relocate somewhere two or more hours away from their current location. 

For employers this is also a positive, as the massive migration of individuals throughout the nation gives them a whole new pool of potential employees who are ready and willing to adapt to a permanent work-from-home model that will work well into the future. The renting market in America is currently the worst it’s been in years, and has many real estate industry workers worried about another major housing crisis in the US. However, the moving of up to 23 million Americans can help drive that market back up and boost the local economies throughout the entire nation.

Vietnam Coronavirus

Vietnam Evacuating 80,000 Tourists From Da Nang After New Coronavirus Cases Appear

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As the world continues to endure the coronavirus pandemic, many countries who were able to curve the spread and get their case numbers down after the initial wave of infections are now seeing a second wave of cases appear. These countries are not only immediately shutting down again to prevent an even worse rate of infection, but some are going as far as kicking out all outside visitors as well. 

Vietnam is currently set to evacuate more than 80,000 individuals from the central tourist region of Da Nang this week. Three local residents recently tested positive for Covid-19, prompting authorities to begin evacuations this past Monday (7/27). The Da Nang region of Vietnam is known for its beach resorts, and once the three cases were reported after an additional 11 cases appeared in a hospital in the region, the government began to take action. 

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The evacuations are ongoing but expected to be finished by the end of the week. Vietnamese airlines have been operating 100 flights out of Da Nang a day, all destinations are also located in Vietnam, and all travelers are required by authorities to self-quarantine for 14 days. 

Social distancing measures and facial covering procedures have been reintroduced in Da Nang and those living in any residential area near a hospital are required to stay home at all times. Things that promote mass gatherings such as festivals, bars, restaurants, discos, and salons all closed down on Tuesday and will remain like that indefinitely. 

Vietnam’s borders closed down to foreign tourists at the beginning of the pandemic, and will remain closed. Domestic tourism saw a massive spike once Vietnam began reopening, and since the country as a whole was shut down and able to reduce their case numbers, they assumed reopening within the country would be fine. 

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Vietnamese travelers began taking advantage of all the reduced hotel and public transportation rates to travel throughout their country. Concerns rose after the first case in Da Nang came from a 57-year-old man who had no history of international travel and had been living in the town for at least one month. 

The case was unexpected, especially considering it was an individual who had been remaining diligent with following health and safety measures. This caused massive concerns to rise within the Vietnamese government, leading Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to call on authorities to increase contact tracing and testing among all citizens. 

Genome testing of all the positive cases within Vietnam showed that a majority of the new cases were a strain of the coronavirus that had not been detected in Vietnam before this point. This strain has been found in Bangladesh, Britain and Ireland and has been proven to be even more contagious than the previous strains present in Vietnam; hence why the first case appeared in someone who wasn’t breaking any guidelines. 

Before this point Vietnam had gone 100 days without any new Covid-19 cases, hence the serious response to these 14 new cases. So far the country has experienced a total of 431 cases and zero deaths overall.

Lake Champlain

The Most Popular Lakes To Visit In The US

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While travelling may not be the top priority in the middle of a global health crisis, there are many destinations within the US that can be visited via road trip, and are natural enough to promote social distancing from any other visitors. One of the most traditional and easiest trips one could take right now is visiting one of America’s many lakes. Lake’s not only promote a road trip sense of adventure, but also are safe enough destinations that one could access from almost anywhere in the country. Here are some of the nation’s most popular lake destinations:

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Lake Champlain: Lake Champlain is located in both New York and Vermont, and is one of the most well-known lakes in America. Not only was it the site of major events such as the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812, but this lake also offers breathtaking views with plaques/business owners who can inform you about the lake’s vast and intriguing history.  

Lake Superior: Lake Superior is one of the largest lakes in America, stretching across Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In fact, it’s so large it can hold all of the water from all the other Great Lakes in the US. It’s a hot spot for fishing as it’s known for housing some of the country’s best whitefish, trout, salmon, bass, herrings, and so many more. For fish lovers, the best part is that it’s always fishing season at Lake Superior, as different species of fish migrate in and out of certain areas of the lake as the year progresses. 

Crater Lake: Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest lake in the United States, likely because it’s essentially a flooded volcano. Coming in as the ninth deepest lake in the world with a depth of almost 2,000 feet, Crater Lake is also known for its crystal-clear shallow waters where visitors can see fish, underwater meadows and lava rock formations. The lake also promotes scuba diving if you provide your own equipment. 

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Lake Winnebago: Lake Winnebago is known in Wisconsin for it’s windsurfing and kite-flying capabilities. The intense winds hit their peak in the summer, drawing in crowds from all over who are ready to ride the waves and wind. Water temperatures in the summer can reach up to 85 degrees fahrenheit, and the lake annually hosts the Wind Power Championships for the nation’s greatest wind-sport racers. 

Lake Kabetogama: This Minnesota lake is famous for its beautiful canoeing views. One of the most popular things to do at Lake Kabetogama is taking a sunset canoe ride up to the Voyageurs National Park, where patrons can choose to stay at one of two dozen campsites that can only be reached by boat/aquatic vehicle. 

Lake Clark: Lake Clark in Alaska is a secluded body of water that can only be reached by hiking through the Alaskan overland, taking a sleigh ride with a dogsled team, or by flying via float-plane. The lake is 50-miles-long and is known to be a true vision of what Alaska is. Travelers mainly like to fish, kayak, or wildlife-watch at this lake, and there are plenty of spots to camp as well. 

Finger Lakes: The Finger Lakes of New York have over 100 wine merchants and represent quintessential upstate New York with its luscious and mountainous views. The lake is more known for it’s wineries than it’s lake activities, however, they still offer a myriad of water-sport/camping activities for the average outdoorsman to enjoy.