Travel Week in Review – April 21st, 2023

If you haven’t already booked your flights for your summer vacation, better do it now before everything sells out. Summer flights are rapidly filling up – Delta Air Lines has already sold out nearly 75 percent of its seats on international flights for this summer. The airline’s president told investors, “To meet increasing demand, we are growing our international seats by more than 20% in the June quarter compared to the prior year.” Read More…

United Airlines has partnered with Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia to offer one-stop connections to nearly 50 destinations in the region–making it the largest carrier between the US and the South Pacific. United will launch its first-ever direct service to Christchurch, New Zealand from San Francisco on December 1, offering three nonstop flights per week. The airline will be the only nonstop flight to New Zealand’s South Island from the US. United already operates daily service from San Francisco to Auckland. Read More…

Southwest Airlines revealed that an intermittent technology issue caused flights to be grounded on Tuesday before it was lifted by mid-morning, but thousands of delays were reported as a result of the 17-minute shutdown. According to FlightAware.com, over 2,400 flights offered by Southwest yesterday were delayed across the United States, but only 18 were canceled. Southwest urged customers to check on their flight status “and explore self-service options” for travel. Read More…

Your flight is booked, bags are packed, and you’re ready to roll on your next great vacation. Everything’s set for your journey to the airport — but hang on. Did you check into your flight? If you haven’t already, stop reading this story, go check in immediately and come back when you’re done. We’ll wait. You’re back? Phew. That was close. Because, according to Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights and author of Take More Vacations, you should always check into your flight the second the option becomes available. Read More…

The first major airport in the U.K. has officially nixed its rule limiting travel-sized liquids in carry-on bags. At London City Airport, travelers can now bring full-sized liquids through the security checkpoint up to two liters (about 67 ounces)—and they no longer need to separate liquids into clear bags. The more relaxed screening procedures are possible thanks to new scanners at the security checkpoints. Read More…