For the better part of a year, airlines have experimented with different programs aimed at easing travelers’ frustrations when it comes to their checked luggage; from Alaska’s electronic baggage tags to Delta’s checked bag map. Now, its American Airlines turn, as the carrier launched an app update allowing passengers to receive notification when their bags are delayed. [More]
carriers
Lawmakers Try Yet Again To Create Minimum Seat Size Requirement On Planes
By 3.10.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
If at first you don’t succeed, just keep proposing legislation: A group of lawmakers Thursday introduced a pair of bills that would create a seat-size standard for commercial airlines, as well as a minimum distance between rows of seats. [More]
JetBlue Offering Passengers Free WiFi On All Flights
By 1.11.17
When traveling by air it might seem like you have to pay for every little thing: checked bags, seats with leg room, among other things. But passengers on JetBlue will now be getting one thing free: WiFi. [More]
Following Richard Marx Heroics, Airline Eases Restrictions On Using Tasers On Unruly Passengers
By 12.27.16
A week after singer Richard Marx criticized Korean Air crew members as being “ill-equipped” to deal with unruly passengers after he helped subdue a fellow traveler on a flight from Vietnam to South Korea, the carrier says it will better train employees and allow them to use stun guns to manage in-flight disturbances. [More]
Veteran Accuses American Airlines Of Illegally Barring Her Service Dog From Plane
By 10.28.16 — Updated: 10.31.16
Last year, American Airlines issued an apology to a retired U.S. Marine after the veteran said he and his service dog were denied boarding a flight. While the airline put that incident behind it, it’s now facing a similar complaint from an Army vet who has accused the airline of mocking her and refusing to let her travel with her licensed service dog. [More]
Some Airlines Now Rewarding Passengers For Using Airbnb
By 10.5.16
It’s not uncommon for an airline to partner with hotel chains to earn and/or use rewards points, but now some carriers are looking at the growing sharing economy and seeing potential for rewards partnerships. [More]
Stroller, Infant Carrier Falls & Tip Overs Send Two Children To The Hospital Every Hour
By 8.17.16
Strollers, carriers, and baby wraps are a necessity for parents looking to transport their kids from one point to another. Yet data in a new study shows just how many children are injured each year in incidents involving one of these devices. [More]
Airlines Could Start Running Out Of New Pilots By Decade’s End
By 6.29.16
For years, regional airlines, government agencies, and pilot groups have warned that new regulations, higher costs of school, and lower salaries had led to a shortage of pilots that could affect the number of flights smaller carriers are able to offer. It now appears that this scarcity of youngsters hoping to someday take flight could result in airlines beginning to run out of pilot in as few as three years. [More]
DOT Gives U.S. Airlines The Go-Ahead To Start Scheduled Service To 9 Cuban Cities (But Not Havana Yet)
By 6.10.16
After waiting for more than 50 years to carry passengers from the U.S. to Cuba, airlines stateside have gotten the final go-ahead from the Department of Transportation to begin scheduled service to nine cities on the island nation — not including Havana. [More]
Major Airlines’ Regional Partner, Republic Airways, Files For Bankruptcy Over Pilot Shortage
By 2.26.16
Two years ago, regional airlines warned that new regulations, higher costs of school, and lower salaries had led to a shortage of pilots for the companies that typically handle the smaller, regional routes for larger airlines. Now, one short-haul carrier says that lack of pilots is the reason it’s filed for bankruptcy. [More]
Denying Travelers Compensation For Damaged Bags Won’t Fly With The DOT Starting Jan. 9
By 12.3.15
Some airlines aren’t living up to their obligation to compensate passengers for damage to their luggage, recent inspections by the Department of Transportation found. Now, the agency is warning carriers that if their policies and trainings don’t fall in line with federal regulations by Jan. 9, they could face fines and other enforcement action. [More]
Study: Airlines Padded Flight Schedules To Improve On-Time Performance Stats
By 11.30.15
So many things can delay a flight — weather, traffic, minor technical glitches to name just a few — and yet nearly three-quarters of all flights arrived at their destination on schedule last year. A new study suggests that this achievement might not just be the result of increased efficiency, but of padded schedules. [More]
Alaska Airlines Suffers Technical Glitch, Delays Nearly Two Dozen Flights
By 10.29.15
UPDATE: Alaska Airlines says the computer issue that delayed about 20 flights late Wednesday and early Thursday has been resolved. All of the carrier’s flights are back to normal and no residual delays are expected. [More]
Another Computer Glitch Grounds American Airlines Flights
By 9.17.15
For the second time this year, American Airlines is blaming a computer glitch for grounding dozens of flights in several airports across the U.S. [More]
Amazon Prime Customers Don't Like Ensenda, Either
By 11.18.10
We’ve previously shared letters from readers who aren’t thrilled with OnTrac, a regional shipping company that Amazon uses for some shipments for Amazon Prime, their all-you-can-buy unlimited free delivery option. Now we’re hearing rumblings of problems with another smaller delivery company, Ensenda. [More]
AT&T Comes In Last In Latest Network Quality Survey Among Consumers
By 9.13.10
J.D.Power and Associates released a new survey last week that measured customer complaints among national cellular networks, and although different companies excel in different regions, AT&T is still consistently the laggard when it comes to call connections and overall quality. Of the six regions covered in the survey, AT&T places last in four of them. The only part of the country where it does okay is the North Central Region, where it places third, and where the otherwise highly-ranked Verizon comes in last. [More]
AT&T Customer Service Rep Says Store Employees Are Commission-Chasing Liars
By 9.7.10
One of our readers just switched over from T-Mobile to AT&T, but he discovered that pretty much everything the salesperson promised him at the retail store turned out to be a lie. At least, that’s what the angry AT&T customer service rep told his wife when she called in to dispute her first bill. [More]
Wireless Industry Lobbyists Explain Why The FCC Should Back Off
By 5.17.10
The president and a vice-president for CTIA, a lobbying organization for the wireless industry, spoke recently with CNET about why they think the FCC should leave their members alone. The vice-president, Chris Guttman-McCabe, is a lawyer and as such his answers are useless. President Steve Largent, however, actually has a couple of candid moments during the interview. [More]
