The Department of Transportation has finalized its rule increasing the minimum amount of cash an airline has to pay a passenger for involuntarily denying them boarding, and banning airlines from denying boarding to passengers that have already boarded. The rule increases the maximum amount airlines can be on the hook for when they mishandle domestic checked baggage as well. These changes go into effect April 13, 2021.
Starting January 26 the U.S. will require a negative Covid-19 test within 3 days prior to departure, or documentation of having already recovered from Covid-19, for everyone arriving in the country (citizens and non-citizens alike).
This applies to air passengers only. Anyone who wishes will still be able to fly to Mexico for instance, and drive across the U.S. border.
CNN is shuttering the CNN Airport Network effective March 31. That means an end to those televisions blaring news across approximately 50 U.S. airports. The cable network explains that this is because of a decline in air travel, and more people “consuming content on their personal devices” rather than watching their broadcasts.
Over the summer American Airlines and JetBlue announced a partnership focusing on New York and Boston. They said they would codeshare and offer reciprocal frequent flyer earning and redemption.
The deadline for the Department of Transportation to object to the deal passed without action in mid-November, and then crickets.
American Airlines has been highlighting ‘a deal a day’ to various destinations, like Hawaii and the Caribbean. Today’s deal is Europe from $599 roundtrip.
The terms and conditions of this deal do not make any sense to me.
Alaska says no changes to current partner redemption pricing when they join oneworld, and to expect advance notice of any changes.
Marriott has continued to promote its elite benefit guarantees despite suspending them during the pandemic. Fortunately the cash guarantee compensation is back for when hotels fail to deliver specific promised benefits.
In this video shared to social media, women can be seem arrested at baggage claim in the Miami airport. They’re dragged out as they futilely resist the officers and the younger woman screams that “it hurts.” One woman announces that she has four children. A concerned onlooker worries about the kids, but the officer responds confidently that he has experience performing arrests where children are involved.
According to reports in social media a mother and daughter assaulted a flight attendant on their trip to Miami.
Since midday Sunday people were sharing to social media a video purportedly showing someone who attended the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday being denied boarding on Delta Air Lines because he had been added to the government’s No Fly List.
However the person checked in, went through security and was denied boarding at the gate. And the person who posted the original video didn’t claim the No Fly List had anything to do with it.
On Saturday Indonesian carrier Sriwijaya Air lost a Boeing 737-500 operating as flight SJ-182 from Jakarta to Pontianak. There were 56 passengers and 6 crew on board.
Each of them – along with the mechanics, air traffic controllers, and even people who were supposed to be on the flight but didn’t make it – has a story.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
